Skip to main content

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Lighthouses app?​

Lighthouses is a dedicated app for lighthouse enthusiasts. It provides a global directory of 500+ lighthouses with rich information (photos, history, visiting details, GPS), an interactive map, personal visit tracking, a bucket list, a personal journal, and community ratings across four categories. It replaces spreadsheets, generic travel apps, and scattered websites.

Do I need an account to use the app?​

No. The app creates an anonymous session silently on first launch. You can browse the directory, view the map, log visits, build a bucket list, and write journal entries without signing in. Create a real account from the Profile tab when you are ready — all your data is preserved during the upgrade.

How many lighthouses are in the directory?​

500+ lighthouses with full data are available at launch. Each lighthouse includes photos, GPS coordinates, country/region, description, status (active/decommissioned), construction year, height, lighthouse type, light characteristics, visiting information, nearby amenities, and an official website link.

How do I log a visit?​

Open the lighthouse detail screen by tapping a lighthouse in the Explore tab or on the map. Tap Mark as Visited. A date picker appears defaulting to today — confirm or adjust the date. The lighthouse is added to your My Visits tab with the selected date.

You can delete a visit by opening My Visits, finding the lighthouse, and using the delete action (confirmation required).

Can I log a visit without internet?​

Yes. Visit logging, journal writing, and bucket list changes are all saved locally to your device first (Drift database). An offline indicator appears when you have no connection. Changes sync to the server automatically when you reconnect — if you have a Basic Subscription (Tier C). Free and Ad-free users' data is stored locally only.

What is the bucket list?​

The bucket list is your collection of lighthouses you want to visit in the future. Tap Add to Bucket List (bookmark icon) on any lighthouse detail screen to save it. The Bucket List tab shows all saved lighthouses with their distance from your current location. From the bucket list, you can quickly mark an item as visited or remove it.

How do I write a journal entry?​

You must have visited a lighthouse (marked as visited) before you can write a journal entry for it. Open the lighthouse detail screen, tap Add Journal Entry, and fill out:

  • Text notes (plain text, any length)
  • Photos (up to 5)
  • Date (defaults to your visit date)
  • Weather (Sunny, Cloudy, Rainy, Foggy, Snowy, or Windy)
  • Custom tags (comma-separated)
  • Mood/experience rating (1–5 scale)

Journal entries appear in the My Visits tab under the lighthouse. You can edit or delete them at any time.

How do ratings work?​

Ratings are available to users who have visited a lighthouse (marked as visited). Tap Rate This Lighthouse on the detail screen and rate across 4 categories on a 0.5–5.0 star scale (half-star increments):

  • Scenery — the visual experience of the lighthouse and its surroundings
  • Accessibility — how easy it is to reach and visit
  • Historical Significance — the lighthouse's historical importance
  • Photo Opportunities — quality of the location for photography

An aggregate overall rating is computed from your four category scores and added to the community average on the detail page and Explore tab listing. You can update your rating at any time.

How do I search and filter the directory?​

On the Explore tab, tap the search bar and type a lighthouse name — auto-suggestions appear as you type. Tap the filter icon to open the filter panel:

  • Country/region — multi-select
  • Visit status — visited, unvisited, or bucket-listed
  • Lighthouse status — active or decommissioned

Sort options: distance (nearest first), rating (highest first), or name (A–Z). Active filters appear as chips below the search bar with a "Clear All" option.

Filters apply to both the Explore tab list and the Map tab markers simultaneously.

How does sync work?​

Cross-device sync requires a Basic Subscription (Tier C). Free and Ad-free users' data is stored locally on their device only.

For subscribers, all visits, journal entries, bucket list items, and ratings sync automatically when the app is open and online. Sync uses last-write-wins conflict resolution — the most recently modified version is kept. Sync completes in under 10 seconds for typical data sets.

What is the Advanced Stats dashboard?​

The Advanced Stats dashboard is a Tier C (Basic Subscription) feature accessible from the Profile tab. It shows:

  • Visit heatmap — a map colored by visit density per region
  • Visit streak tracker — consecutive weeks or months with at least one visit
  • Milestone badges — earned at 10, 25, 50, 100, 250, 500 lighthouses visited; at 1, 5, 10, 25 countries visited
  • Stats summary — total visited, total countries, total photos, total journal entries, average rating given

What happens to my data if I cancel my subscription?​

Your visits, journal entries, bucket list, and ratings remain in your account. On downgrade:

  • Cross-device sync pauses (your local data remains intact on the device that last synced).
  • Advanced Stats are no longer accessible, but your collection history is not deleted.
  • If you resubscribe, sync resumes and Advanced Stats reopen with your full history.

Can I restore my purchase on a new device?​

Yes. Sign in with the same account and go to Profile > Settings > Restore Purchases. The app checks your App Store or Google Play receipts and restores your tier. Sync then pulls your full visit history to the new device.

Was this article helpful?

Contact support