Roadside Presidents App for iPhone
Frequently Asked Questions
App not finding your location in Near Me? Try this.
- Initial Set-Up
- Network Connection
- Near Me
- Finding and Exploring Attractions: Maps, Research Places
- Been There
- Saving Attractions
- History View
- Submitting Tips About Places
- iPad
- Troubleshooting:
1. INITIAL SET-UP
Do I need a network connection when I first run the app?
Yes, so that the application can retrieve information from our Presidents database on RoadsideAmerica.com. Make sure you give permission for Location Services "while using the app," or the app won't be able to orient to show nearby locations.
2. NETWORK CONNECTION
Do I always need a network connection to run the app?
The app will perform best, with all functionality, when you are in 4G/3G or wifi network range. It should work on the EDGE network as well, though might be slower in retrieving data. The app retrieves attraction text and images live from the RoadsideAmerica.com servers, to ensure you have the most up-to-date info. If you SAVE attractions while connected to a network, that info will stay in the app when you're offline or in a dead zone.
Do the maps work without a network connection?
The maps are provided via the Maps app, so they won't work without a connection to the map server. We've included text addresses and directions (where available), so if you save places in advance you'll have that info.
3. NEAR ME
Q. Why is "Near Me" not showing an updated list of places near where I am now?
- Tap the arrowhead button: You can get your position and nearby attractions reset in Near Me by tapping the arrowhead button at top left. The Near Me map view shows real-time movement: a blue dot with a pulsating ring is where you are, and will move as you make significant location changes. If you remain in the list view while moving, it will not auto-refresh, but you can refresh by pulling down the top of the list until you see a refresh load indication, or shake the device gently.
- Set a Temporary Near Me: Users can drop a pin and set a location in Near Me that is... not-near-me. It's a great way to explore ahead on your route. Tap-and-hold on the map, or search for a specific distant city, address or postal code.
Places from an earlier trip lingering on Near Me? Tap the arrowhead button to reset to your location. If it's still stuck, please try force-closing the app: On an iPhone X or later, or an iPad with iOS 12 or later, or iPadOS, from the Home screen, swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause slightly in the middle of the screen. On an iPhone 8 or earlier, double-click the Home button to show your most recently used apps. Swipe right or left to find the app. Swipe up on the app's preview to close the app. Launch the app,
On my device, why is Near Me showing incorrect distances for attractions I know are really closer?
This rare issue is not caused by the app. It might happen if you recently moved your wifi router from another town/state, etc., or bought or received a router from someone far away. Apple™ uses a service called SkyHook which provides them with a database of WiFi locations around the country (they drive by your house and sniff the router ID). If you moved and SkyHook hasn't driven by your new location, they may still have your router listed in the old place.
You can verify this is the issue one more way: If you have a neighbor whose WiFi you can use with your touch -- (restart your device, enter the app, then shake and reload in the Near Me tab) -- and suddenly you see attractions close by, it's the router info in SkyHook, which you can easily fix by requesting the change:
http://www.skyhookwireless.com/howitworks/submit_ap.php
4. FINDING AND EXPLORING ATTRACTIONS
How do I find President attractions in the app?
Depending on what info you already know, you can:
Find Via Near Me: From the list view, tap the map icon. The blue dot indicates your location. Tap-and-hold on the map to temporarily drop a pin and see what attractions are near it. Return to your regular Near Me position by tapping the arrowhead button.
Find Via Search: by name of the attraction, or using the Where filter, search with location details.
Find Via Cities: Search for specific attractions near a city (Cities > state > city). Place your thumb on the list and gently pull down to reveal a search field.
Find Via Presidents: In the Presidents tab each President bio has a "Related Attractions" button. Also, there's an Arcana button, which leads to our favorite quirks and bits of trivia about each President.
"On Route" tab: In v2.0 and higher, input a Start and End city/state to see what attractions are along the path between them. You can widen the corridor to see places farther out from the route. On Route maximum distance is 500 miles.
Where are the Maps showing attractions?
For a list: tap the map pin icon in the upper right corner. In the Near Me map view, you can tap-and-hold on the map to temporarily drop a pin in a location to see what's around it. Tap the arrowhead button at the top to reload your actual location and nearby attractions. For a single attraction: in the detail page "Where" section, tap the map pin icon.
How do I get route directions from where I am to get to an attraction?
In any list, tap an attraction to see a Detail view. In the "Directions" section, tap the route map icon.That gives you options to open in Apple Maps, Google Maps, or Waze to plot a route. The route map icon can also be found for any attraction in a map view -- just tap the attraction pin and you'll see it in the popup label.
5. BEEN THERE
How does Been There work?
On any detail view about a particular attraction, there's a check box labeled "Been There." Mark if it's a place you've visited in person on a trip. The list of places marked is available by tapping the More tab, then tapping Been There. You can also see Been There places marked with a green-check pin in map views.
What can I do with the Been There once I've checked off a bunch of places?
If you go to the More tab then tap Been There, you'll see that all your places can be viewed in an "All" list in the order you checked them, or broken out into state-by-state lists.
6. SAVING ATTRACTIONS
Why should I "Save" attractions?
On a Detail page about an attraction, there's a Save button. If you save an attraction on your device, our info about it will be kept on that device. So if you're taking a trip where network connections might be spotty, save a bunch of places in advance. Save up to 750 attractions. You can view what you've saved in the More view, under Saved.
How do I remove attractions from my Save view?
You can remove places when you're done with them: in any Detail view, by tapping to un-highlight the Save icon; in the Saved view, by clicking EDIT, or by swiping your thumb right-to-left on the item to reveal the red DELETE button.
7. HISTORY VIEW
Does the History view save everything I've looked at in the app?
The History view keeps a list of any attraction Detail views you have looked at recently on your device. This can be helpful if you forgot to save a place for offline use -- it may still be in the History. History is a rolling list, so older stuff will be eventually deleted to save space on your device. To see the History list, tap More, tap History.
8. SUBMITTING TIPS ABOUT PLACES
Can I suggest adding a new attraction or oddity I discover?
Yes! Submit other President places for consideration. Tap More, and then tap Submit Tip. First make sure we don't already have it, by doing a search or checking in the Cities tab. We don't add everything submitted -- you can get a sense of what might qualify by looking at what we already cover. We favor the unusual, weird, funny, over-the-top, or inexplicable! If your town has an old Lincoln statue (and you have a tale to tell) or a museum with an unusual President item -- it might qualify to be added.
Can I submit photos to the editors for consideration to be added to the App?
Yes! Select "Submit Tip," then "Add Photo." Repeat selection for up to 5 photos for Roadside America editors to review for possible inclusion. To change or delete a photo already added in the tip form, tap the photo thumbnail. Make sure all photos were shot by you, and please don't submit photos taken by others, or from websites or other sources. You can also submit tips with photos via our website, and provide more detail there.
Do you post selfies and family group shots?
Not so much. We prefer photos of the attraction itself, perhaps with a tiny person next to it for scale. Here's our Selfies Guide.
How come the tip I just sent about an Attraction isn't displaying in the App yet?
RoadsideAmerica.com editors review any tip to determine whether it will be added to the Attraction database or the Roadside Presidents App. If the information and/or images you submit meet our criteria, the tip may be added. Tips that provide new info on a place are more likely to be added than those repeating prior postings, or just checking in -- though we appreciate the status so we know a sight still exists.
9. IPAD
Does the app work on an iPad?
Yes! We now have an iPad version, compatible with any iOS device running iOS 12.3 or higher. We recently upgraded the app to use more of the real estate on an iPad screen in portrait orientation. You can view more items on lists, bigger maps, and use all the features as on the iPhone app (except for phone calls). To retrieve attraction data on the road, you need to use your iPhone as a wifi hotspot for your iPad, or have an iPad cellular plan activated for network access when out of range of wifi hotspots.
10. TROUBLESHOOTING
Location Services
When I first got the App, I chose "Never" when it asked to permit Location Services when using the app. Now I can't get the App to show me places or ask me for location again. Error message reads: "Sorry! location permission needed here for the app to do its thing."
Force-close App: On an iPhone X or later, or an iPad with iOS 12 or later, or iPadOS, from the Home screen, swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause slightly in the middle of the screen. On an iPhone 8 or earlier, double-click the Home button to show your most recently used apps. Swipe right or left to find the app. Swipe up on the app's preview to close the app.
Go to the iPhone's Settings App (gray icon with gears), then Privacy > Location Services > Roadside, and change it to ON ("While Using the App")
In the Near Me list, it says "Location Not Found," but other apps on my device seem to find location.
Force-close App: On an iPhone X or later, or an iPad with iOS 12 or later, or iPadOS, from the Home screen, swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause slightly in the middle of the screen. On an iPhone 8 or earlier, double-click the Home button to show your most recently used apps. Swipe right or left to find the app. Swipe up on the app's preview to close the app.
If you have additional questions about the Roadside Presidents App for iPhone, send us a note. We can't promise an individual response but will continue to add to the FAQs to help users!
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[revised 2020-4-15]