Polarsteps - Travel Tracker Reviews

by Nickname10000000000

Tracks your route decently, as long as you remember to set location to “always allow.” Apple has a tendency to re-ask for permission at this setting and may revoke it without you knowing.

Design of UI is fine but nothing special.

Functionality of UI is problematic. Adding photos and steps is more frustrating than anything, as Polarsteps automatically decides to add mystery flights and teleportations to your route that you can’t edit or delete. This really defeats the purpose of what Polarsteps is intended to do.

Will try competitors.

Update to developer response:

Although not having a good solve for the connectivity issue is a problem in and of itself (i.e. giving the user the ability to specify flight vs car or other modes of transportation), I’m actually talking about a bug that I encountered when pulling in photos and adding steps along my route. That’s when Polarsteps added multiple flights and nonsensical jumps in the route, and sometimes wouldn’t even allow me to pull in photos at a route marker location. I’m not sure, but perhaps Polarsteps is pulling in time stamp information or GPS information from the photos and that’s what’s throwing the route tracker off?

In any case, this isn’t a connectivity issue as much as it’s a design choice or flaw. Again, if Polarsteps can’t do it’s main function well (or even decently), what’s the point?

by Vanbeats

Real disappointing right now. So I have a lot of pictures that are still on my phone that I’ve put in Polarsteps that are NOT showing up on the map. They show as blank white dots on the map and when I click on them they display gray images as if no picture is there! It’s frustrating because it tells me there’s photos but won’t show them. :(

Do I have to manually go back and re-add all the stops and re-add all those photos? Cause I feel that’s the only way I can fix this which is horrible considering I’d have to sort through hundreds of pictures in my photo app and have to guess their correct location.

I thought it was maybe just me, but then when I go to view other peoples stories I follow I encounter the same error and am unable to see their photos as well. Most photos work but not all work. Why?!!!’

by Nvm_rtm

There is the option to print out your travel diary in a book from (for a fee), but I’m not much of a paper/book type of person. I’d prefer a pdf print version which, as far as I know, isn’t possible.

Other than that Polarsteps is great. It’s easy to add stories, photos, etc. but make sure you do it on the sport or at least create and empty log to fill in later. Creating a log after the fact is too complicated if you can get it done at all.

Except for these little foibles I’m very happy with the features, layout, functionality, etc.

by Shiloh415

Super fun app though it doesn’t let you add another person to your journey? My partner and I went on a long road trip and had a lot of fun with polar steps, posting photos and writing captions so that we can remember it for time to come. I think some improvements should be made like being able to add another polar steps user so you can “co-create a trip” that you are both on together. We always had to post from her phone. Also being able to post at a later date because we were always too busy to post everyday. But Polarsteps glitches and you have to publish it using today’s date/time and current location and then you can go back and change it. Too much effort though you should just be able to choose a date and time and location before you post. Overall great app!

by Emandr2

I am enjoying using Polarsteps to track my travels, but the process of adding in previous trips from before I downloaded Polarsteps has several flaws. Most notably, Polarsteps is atrocious at guessing where I took various pictures and the "suggested photos from [city]" feature doesn't work well when I'm adding a step. I know that my phone has geotags saved for all of the photos I've taken - I'd love for a way to give Polarsteps access to that info to make the process of selecting photos easier. If it were possible, I'd also love to have an option to sync Polarsteps with my Google Maps app, which remembers not only when I've arrived and departed from each city but which restaurants, shops, etc. I've spent time in. I'd really love for my previous trips to be as fleshed out as the ones that this app creates itself are.

by Ryan C Thompson

I’ve been using this app for a bit over 220 days, as we non-stop our way through the world. I really like that I can see the routes we've taken. It adds a new element that only using pins can’t deliver, there’s just so much that happens between them, (unless you only fly) and the routes show the relationship between the pins. Here are some things that I think would improve Polarsteps .

An in app 3D globe view of the trip. It would be really interesting to see the 3D perspective of your position on the world relative to another you had been and how you got from point to point.

A toggle to turn off steps. Sometimes I just want to see the routes and the steps/photos are so large over the map that you can’t see the travel lines. I primarily got Polarsteps so I can see where and how I’ve traveled.

A similar toggle to turn off travel lines so that only steps are visible.

More map styles.

GPS in app so I don’t have to remember to route in apple maps everything I do so that this app can record it.

by CovertCastaway

Update: I was contacted by the developer with a workaround accessing through the desktop. This seemed to work. Looking forward to more permanent fix.

I really want to love Polarsteps and I uploaded all my steps and photos for a visit to Croatia but the dates are messed up and can’t be edited. The end date is stuck and when I try to change it or select ‘no end date’ Polarsteps shuts down. Also, I can’t select ‘tracker’ feature. I am happy to update my review when this bug gets fixed. Right now I feel like I’ve wasted hours uploading and setting all the steps. I sent an email to support, let’s see what happens. Frustrated.

by Tater101125

I never write reviews for apps, but I have to for this one! It is by far my favorite app! I have been using it for a little over a year, and it’s been great all along! It’s super easy to navigate and keeps all my little fun tidbits about my travels for me. I also like that it manually tracks my trip. This way, even if I can’t update at that moment, family following me at home can keep up with where I’m at in the world! It also lets you write and submit steps along your journey even if you don’t have internet or phone data. It just posts it when you do connect! So useful when trying to stay on top of updating but missing constant WiFi. Also I love that you can order the books! I have ordered one for my most recent trip and it was so beautifully done and the pictures turned out great. I cannot recommend Polarsteps enough to people who like to travel and document it. It keeps people at home updated, and gives me a great record of my trip to look back on! I love it!

by 照照仙子

It is the best APP I can find to log travels. I would like to put all my previous trips into it but I have some concerns.

I haven’t logged many trips yet but if I have 100 trips, it will be very time consuming to find one particular trip without the search function in Polarsteps

In the PC version, I have a view of my overall travel map and can zoom in for details but in Polarsteps I can not do the same.

by Nothanks1414

Highly recommend this to anyone on the road in an RV or just traveling. Before my big van life trip across the USA I tried several different apps and this one is by far is the best I’ve come across. I wanted something my friends and family could follow even if I didn’t have cell service to be in touch with them all the time. My only silly small issue with Polarsteps is not truly knowing how many people are following. They have the secret link you can send out but those people aren’t required to sign up so we had no idea how many people were actually following us.

I actually even reference it a lot (now) even though my trip is over. It’s the small day to day things you forget you did so I’m thankful we had this on our trip. Also love that you can print a book once you’re done.

by Pemberly5

Love Polarsteps. Easy way to share your travels and most importantly all your pictures with your interested friends. When you get home you can get a book of the whole trip! I find that editing for book relatively easy. Page numbers would be nice in editing mode.

I find writing down the experience as it happens is less stressful then having to remember back on each day. I write as I go and add pictures (save as draft). At end of day “publish” that is when your friends can view.

by Coura1988

I got this app last year as I was gearing up for a very active year of traveling for business and pleasure. I do some travel writing and photography as part of my job as a tour manager, so Polarsteps is extremely helpful for tracking your movement and which attractions/points of interest you visited at each place. It is also really fun to see your flag count and mileage increase during a busy year. Can’t want to take my next trip. My only complaint is that I wish it tracked US States traveled to— we do a lot of domestic travel and it would be fun to collect state flags.

by Publicjoy

I have never written an app review, but this app is remarkable! I wanted to get away from sharing my travel photos & updates broadly on social media, but my friends & family really like seeing what’s going on. Polarsteps was easy and fun to use, easy to collect my photos, locations and comments - and I am blown away with the ease of creating a travel book and the tremendous quality of the book. Also, I had lots of questions along the way, and the customer support at this app was impeccable.

by Daisysparky

Seriously before even starting to read this review, download Polarsteps right now. This is the best user-friendly travel app I have ever used. Polarsteps is so convienent, easy and amazing!! I LOVE LOVE L O V E the feature that tracks my steps even when I am offline. I love being able to add photos and a description of where I was a certain day. I love knowing the amount of miles I have done on a trip and the # of countries I have been to. The awesome part is that Polarsteps is FREE! No annoying subscriptions. I cant begin to describe how much I hate subscriptions. I wouldn’t mind paying a one time fee for Polarsteps (if it ever came to that point). PLEASE DOWNLOAD THIS!! This should be #1 for the category Travel in Polarsteps store!

by Rtw1819

Would be even better if there was a more interactive world view. Currently the world view is a fixed size on the home screen that is partially obscured by buttons, etc. It would be great to have an expanded/dedicated view where you can see the big picture or zoom to particular locations youve been. It would also be nice to be able to share that page digitally and include in prints. One more thing - Polarsteps automatically decides whether a route is by plane or not judging by distance, but it’s not always right. Would be great to allow the user to toggle the route line accordingly if the computer’s guess isn’t right.

by ARDMEM

Was looking for something user friendly, simple, but capable. I found it with Polarsteps. Could track my progress (which was most important), and share pictures with loved ones. Private for only who shared it with, and friends didn’t have to download or join anything to see our progress. Polarsteps really is all about the user and their needs! I tried about a half a dozen other apps and they didn’t come close to this one. So many intuitive features like time capture and recommended locations nearby make it not only a memory tracker, but a wonderful research and educating tool as well. Absolutely 5 stars for all!

by Deb/Steve

Oh my goodness I was so excited to come home from my grand kids home and see my this app book ready for me. My husband and I had spent our 45th anniversary and used this app to document our trip. The book is beyond amazing. I don’t even know how to give it justice. The pages are quality the book is quality of the pictures are incredible. Far out exceeded my expectation. I have used other sites to create books but none of them compared to this. Polarsteps was easy to use although it took me aLittle while to figure everything out. The customer service was great and answered my questions. I will definitely use this app again and I have already recommended it to many friends. What a incredible job you’re doing.

by LibraryMan

this app! What an amazing app! I cannot tell you how much I appreciate Polarsteps for keeping track of where we were on our latest cruise. The only bad news is how much data it takes to actually use Polarsteps. It tracks your location for every step you take and it does it in the background. The bad news is that it requires you to activate an international plan if you are traveling outside the U.S. Sometimes, it has difficulty using the tracking part of the operating system in iOS and registers the user as having taken a flight instead of cruising. Then when you get to the online part of the program, there isn't a way to change that portion of the trip. So, there are a few quirks. However, overall, it is a good program.

by Hahzsnshxjsmd C

I can’t say enough about Polarsteps! I usually don’t write reviews. My husband and I are truckers traveling the country and I have a picture taking problem. 😂 I wanted an app to keep track of the states we’ve been in and the places we’ve seen. Polarsteps does just that. It keeps track of our movements and shows the journey on the map. It keeps logs of the places and times we’re been so I can go back and create a step with pictures and/or mark a restaurant or activity we did. I love being able to upload pictures in bulk. Not having a limit. I also love being able to create multiple albums and then the fact that Polarsteps will create a photo album for you! It’s amazing! It also keeps statistics on your trips and how much of the country and the world you’ve seen. It’s just all around incredible.

by Nick6930

I was an early adopter and have been using Polarsteps for years. We print a book every 6 months for a place to have all our adventures. The books themselves are great quality. The best part is I don’t have to sit down for hours to create a book. I simply add photos each day we do something. When 6 months is up I hit create book and pay. A few weeks later we have our memories. With so many memories on our phones there is no guarantee they will be around years to come. The book is great for all to page through. The only negative thing I can say is Polarsteps is a little glitchy when it comes time to print. I just no longer try to edit the photos once it is print time. Pro tip: only put photos in that you know you want in the book and don’t put it off until later to edit.

by Debdiamondgirl

There’s a app has the potential to be awesome. I’m not a giver to start a type a person. But there is no support, I don’t want to read through other peoples problems and figure it out for myself. I can’t make my travel book for the past two months since we went because the book downloads and then it goes nowhere and does nothing. Once it popped up in every single page it said it needed all of the photos to be re-uploaded. I don’t know how the hell to do that? And I’m probably going to be spending $100 on the book. So you’re losing money right now. I didn’t have to do anything with my Facebook yearbook it was easy Peezy!

by Nickdlevi

Polarsteps has a fantastic user interface and is perfect for logging and recording your travels, the only thing that I would change is that there is only one method of exporting your trips (besides just downloading the raw data): the print book copy. I would absolutely love if we could have a pdf copy of the book, even if it only came along with the printed copy or something else, but that would be absolutely fantastic and this missing feature is the only problem so far.

by Whaleshark7

The concept of Polarsteps is so awesome and something that I’ve been wanting for such a long time! I love that I can document my trip in such a neat and meaningful way, even when I’m offline, without having to start a blog or annoy all of my friends on other social medias! The only reason I didn’t give a full 5 stars is because quite consistently it will upload multiples of my pictures/steps, and I have to constantly go back and keep deleting the duplicates. Otherwise, so awesome! I’m using this for all of my trips from now on

by Caminobound

The person creating the trip has a hassle free interface with Polarsteps . I love that it tracks the trip with no effort on my part. Since I do not have a public trip, my followers have to go through a few steps. Not awful, but more effort than casual acquaintances may want to undertake. Especially when they only have to click a link to follow a blog. This is my first trip with Polarsteps and will be evaluating further. App appears to do everything it claims to do.

by Dennis@pdx

I found this app this morning and started documenting my trip across Spain. Using my photos to identify dates and locations, I was able to outline my travels during the past week in less than 30 minutes. I can now go back and add more photos and commentary. What’s really cool, is that this app also posts to a website that I can share with friends and family back home. I really like the integration of the map and timeline. This is just what I was looking for.

by Llivings16

If you travel, and take many photos doing so, this is Polarsteps for you. I hate bombarding my friends / followers on Facebook / Instagram with too many photos, but here I can just load up because that’s what is meant to be posted.

This is seriously an awesome way to preserve the photos and memories with locations. Props to the developers on a smooth functioning app. Honestly, I’d pay a bit just to keep Polarsteps .

Thank you!!

by Helladead

Three trips so far recorded on Polarsteps. Can update with new text or photos, keep track of your location, and at the end you have the option to create a beautiful book of your travel. Can't recommend Polarsteps highly enough, my extended family and I are all members so we can keep track of each other. Love hearing about trips in everyone's voices. Very motivating to keep track of your travels.

by Zach_Miller13

this app has allowed me to document my travels in one easy to use application and share my journey, live, with those close to me. Traveling primarily by sea, the offline functionality is great, though GPS coordinate input for location would be a great addition to the mobile app. Overall, I’d recommend Polarsteps to anyone looking to document their travel experiences and/or share their adventures with others.