Frequently Asked Questions

About Soundscape

When should I use Soundscape?

Use Soundscape whenever you are out. It runs in the background and tells you the streets you are on and the places you pass. It can also help with one task, such as keeping track of a place you are walking to.

How is Soundscape different from other map apps?

Most map apps give turn-by-turn directions. Soundscape tells you what is around you and plays a beacon from the direction of your destination. You choose the way.

You can use both together. Start directions in your map app, then set a Soundscape beacon on the same place.

Do I need to hold my phone all the time?

No. While you walk, Soundscape uses your direction of travel, so your phone can stay in a pocket or bag. Take it out when you are standing still and want directions to be right. Point the top of your phone the way you are facing. If your phone is locked, or Soundscape is not on the screen, hold your phone flat as well.

Beacons and Callouts

Can I set a beacon on an address, such as my home?

Yes. Type the address in the search bar on the home screen and select it in the results. Then select Start Audio Beacon. To keep the address for next time, select Save as Marker.

How do I get the most out of a beacon?

Think of the beacon as a lighthouse for your ears. It shows where the place is in a straight line, not the path to it. You still choose your way around buildings and across roads.

The beacon changes sound when you face the place. To find that sound, hold your phone flat and turn slowly.

If you know most of the way, mute the beacon and unmute it when you are close.

What happens when I reach my destination?

When you are about 40 feet away, Soundscape tells you and removes the beacon. Your phone cannot find your position more exactly than that, so use your other skills for the last few steps. To hear the beacon again, set it again.

Why does the beacon sound different when I stop walking?

With your phone in a pocket or bag, Soundscape works out which way you face from your direction of travel. When you stop, it can no longer tell, so the beacon plays as if you were facing away. Start walking again, or point the top of your phone the way you are facing. If your phone is locked, or Soundscape is not on the screen, hold your phone flat as well.

Why do I hear a road name twice at an intersection?

Soundscape names each road that leaves the intersection, from the direction it goes. A road that crosses yours goes both left and right, so you hear its name twice. If you hear only a left and a right, your road ends ahead.

Why doesn’t Soundscape announce every business that I pass?

Soundscape gets its places from OpenStreetMap, a map built by volunteers. If a business is missing from that map, Soundscape cannot call it out. Soundscape also limits callouts so that you do not hear too many. To hear more, set Callout Detail to Detailed and check Places to Call Out.

What changes when I am in a vehicle?

Soundscape stops calling out intersections and nearby shops, because they pass too quickly. Instead it calls out the road you are on, landmarks, stops and stations, rivers and tunnels.

What if I miss a callout?

Soundscape does not keep a list of past callouts. Ask again with the buttons at the bottom of the home screen: My Location, Around Me or Ahead of Me.

How do I make Soundscape quieter?

1. To hear fewer callouts, open Settings, select Manage Callouts and lower Callout Detail. Silent stops all automatic callouts.

2. To silence the beacon, select Mute Beacon on the home screen.

3. To stop Soundscape for a while, select Sleep at the top of the home screen.

Phones, Battery and Maps

What phone does Soundscape run on?

Soundscape runs on iPhones with iOS 16 or later, and on Android phones with Android 11 or later.

Do I need headphones?

No. Soundscape works through your phone’s speaker. Stereo headphones give a much clearer sense of direction, and any wired or Bluetooth pair will do.

How do I save battery?

Soundscape uses your location all the time, and that uses battery. To use less:

1. Keep the screen off when you are not using it.

2. When you stop for a while, select Sleep at the top of the home screen. Select Wake On Leave if you want Soundscape to wake when you move on.

3. When you have finished, close Soundscape.

How much mobile data does Soundscape use?

Soundscape downloads a small amount of map data as you move. To use much less, download an offline map over Wi-Fi before you travel. Open the menu and select Offline maps.

What is OpenStreetMap?

OpenStreetMap is a free map of the world, built by volunteers. Soundscape uses it for streets and places. Anyone can add or correct a place at www.openstreetmap.org, and the change reaches Soundscape in a later map update.