Category: Geocaching tools

/ Paige Edmiston /

FAQ: Your New Geocaching Message Center

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We’ll be the first to admit it: contacting other geocachers hasn’t always been the easiest thing to do on Geocaching.com. We heard your feedback and that’s why we’ve created the brand new Message Center beta.

With this new feature, you can send and receive messages from Geocaching.com. It’s still in beta testing, which is why we’d love your feedback for the final release. After you send a few messages, fill out this survey and tell us what you think.

(Hier kannst Du den Artikel auf Deutsch lesen)

Why did you create the Message Center?

We know that geocaching is better when players communicate with each other so we wanted to make that easier. The challenge, after all, should be in the adventure and not in the tools you use. So what are you waiting for? Reach out to a geocache owner for a hint or plan a weekend outing with your best geocaching buddies! We’re considering this a beta product meaning we’re still in the process of taking feedback and improving. So be sure to tell us what you think by taking this survey.

Message Center beta on the Geocaching Intro app

 

Why is Message Center not available in the paid Geocaching app?

We’ve made the decision to direct our app development resources toward the Geocaching Intro app to create an introductory geocaching experience on mobile that can be unlocked into a full geocaching experience with Premium membership. This decision was made in response to the many requests from our players to include a full geocaching mobile experience with Premium membership.

Additionally, the Message Center is a social feature intended to be used by all geocachers. To ensure a great social experience, we believe it’s essential that this feature be accessible to all by providing it to basic members in the free app.

Can I hide conversations or block geocachers from Message Center in the app?

At this time, it is not possible to hide conversation or block geocachers from the Message Center in the app. You can do so from the Message Center beta on Geocaching.com. Please note that if you hide a conversation or block another player on the web, those messages will still appear in the mobile app. (Although you will not receive any further messages if another player has been blocked.)

Is this functionality important to you? Be sure to tell us what you think in this survey. And remember, the new Message Center for mobile is a beta product, meaning that it will continue to improve as we receive feedback from geocachers like you. So stay tuned as we add even more awesomeness to this new feature!

Message Center beta on Geocaching.com

 

How do I find the Message Center?

You can access the Message Center at any time by selecting the envelope icon in the upper right corner of Geocaching.com.

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How do I send a new message to another player?

So this is pretty cool. Start typing a player’s username into the search bar. Select their name from the list of suggested usernames. Then send them a message!

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I want to delete a message. How do I do that?

We do not currently allow players to permanently delete a message. You can, however, “Hide Conversation” which will cause the message thread to disappear until the next time you start a conversation with that player.

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How can I block another player from messaging me?

With the new Message Center, you have the option to block another player. The other player will not be able to see that you have blocked them. Hover over the player’s username, click the red circle with the line through it and follow the prompts to block the player.

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Will Message Center be available in the Geocaching Intro app?

Absolutely! We will be launching a beta version of Message Center in the Geocaching Intro app for both iPhone and Android in the near future. So yes! You’ll be able to talk with your fellow geocachers on the go.

 

Will I now receive updates about Found It logs and Instant Notifications through the Message Center?

No! Game-triggered emails like Found It logs, Instant Notifications, and Trackable logs will continue to be sent to the email address associated with your Geocaching account.

I want (or don’t want) to receive notifications about new messages to my email. How do I set this up?

You can turn on/off email notifications for new messages in your Account Settings. Just be sure the check in to the Message Center or mobile app from time to time to see if you’ve missed anything from your fellow geocachers.

Does this mean you’ll be taking away the old Send Email to User page?

Nope! This page will continue to exist for the foreseeable future and is the best way to contact your local Community Volunteer Reviewer. However, we hope that you’ll find the Message Center to be the best way to communicate with your fellow geocachers!

More questions? You’ll find answers in the Geocaching Help Center.

/ Paige Edmiston /

Check out Geocaching.com’s new look!

We’re always striving to make better tools for the geocaching community. The addition of the new geocache search and Hide a Geocache page gave us an opportunity to think about how players navigate Geocaching.com. We found that most players who visit the website want to either learn about geocaching, play the game, gear up, or connect with the global geocaching community. The new navigation should help guide you to find exactly what you’re looking for —  and leave the hunting around for when you’re in the field!

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What’s new:

ss-settingsHow do I access My Profile?

Click on your geocaching username or your profile image. This will take you to My Profile where you can access Lists, Geocaches, Trackable Items, Souvenirs, and more. 

How do I access Account Settings?

Look for the gear icon in the drop down under your username.

Where can I see my membership status?

You can see your membership status listed in Account Settings or My Profile.

Why is the font different on the website?

You have good eyes! In the name of consistency, we updated the font to be the same across Geocaching.com.

Oh no! My geocaching scripts aren’t working anymore. When will you fix these?

These scripts are made and maintained by members of the geocaching community, not by Geocaching HQ. Occasionally, updates like this will stop them from working. Usually, the geocachers who own and maintain the scripts are quick to fix them. Thanks for being patient!

How do I find…?

Sometimes less is more. These pages did not make it into the new navigation but you can still find them on our website here:

 

 

 

 

/ Eric Schudiske /

Introducing the Powerful New Geocaching Search

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Find More Geocaches, Faster with the New Search

 

We’re excited to announce the launch of the new geocache search tool. It’s faster, easier to use and helps you find the exact adventure you want—and it’s all thanks to the geocaching community. We started the upgrade by asking geocachers what they wanted, then gave Geocaching Premium members a Sneak Peek at the new tool before launch.

Now the new search is ready for prime time. Take it for a spin by searching for Pi Day events and Mystery Caches near you so you can earn your Pi Day souvenirs on March 14.

Add more features like filters and sorting in the new search by upgrading to Geocaching Premium. Check out the new search now.

And speaking of new upgrades to Geocaching.com, check out the new Hide a Geocache page. It’s designed to be more helpful for new geocache hiders and streamlined for seasoned geocachers. See the new Hide a Geocache page.

Questions? Check out the New Geocache Search Tool FAQ.

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/ Paige Edmiston /

FAQ: The New Geocache Search Tool

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We’re excited to announce the launch of the new geocache search tool!

We’re excited to announce the launch of the new geocache search tool. It’s faster, easier to use and helps you find the exact adventure you want—and it’s all thanks to the geocaching community. If you have questions not answered here, find us on Facebook or Twitter, or visit the Geocaching Help Center.

Be sure to test drive some of our favorite searches:

  • Find events near you.
  • Find the oldest geocaches near you.
  • Find the Mystery Caches you have solved, but not yet found.
  • Plan a geocache outing with your geocaching buddies.
  • Find the most Favorited geocaches in your area.
  • Find geocaches with the D/T combination that you need to complete your Fizzy Grid.

Continue the discussion on the forum. See FAQ below:

Why are some sorting and filtering options only available to Geocaching Premium members?
Geocaching Premium member subscriptions help provide the resources to develop new tools like Search that create a more personalized geocaching experience. We recognize the contributions of our Premium members by allowing them exclusive access to tools that take geocaching beyond the everyday. Learn more about Geocaching Premium.

I want to export these awesome results to my phone and/or GPS! How do I do that?
We’re with you there! This first few releases are about providing the best tool we can to help players find exactly the geocaches they want to find. Of course, we know that players will want to do cool things with the lists of geocaches the tool returns (like download them to a GPS, sync to the app, add to a list, etc). Our next releases will focus on those kind of actions.

How do I save my search results for easy access at a later time?
At this time, the best way to do this is to bookmark the URL in your browser. Each search result contains a query string specific to your search filters. In other words, that URL will always bring you back to the results you’d like to save. And keep in mind, we are working on a saved search feature which should be available in the future.

Where is the filter for ____?
Great question! Based on Pocket Query usage data and years of requests from the community, the filters in this first release of Search are our best attempt to satisfy the needs of most players. We will continue to listen to feedback and explore adding ways to filter the results as this page continues to evolve.

How do I search for geocaches in a region?

As of our March 7th, 2016 release, you can now search for all geocaches in a region by typing the location into the main search box and selecting “All geocaches in [location name]”.

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I heard a rumor that I can now search for the Mystery Caches that I have solved, but not yet found. How do I do this?
When performing your search, check ‘Mystery Cache’, click ‘I Haven’t Found’ and toggle ‘Has Corrected Coordinates’ to ‘Yes’. This will then list the Mystery Caches you have solved. This feature is available to Geocaching Premium members.

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Use Search to find Mystery Caches you’ve solved but have not yet earned a smiley for.


How has Search made planning geocache outings with my buddies easier?
No need to repeat adventures! With the new Search tool, you can return only geocaches that you and all of your friends have not yet found. Geocaching Premium members have access to the ‘Not Found By’ filter which allows you to enter up to five usernames and will return a search of geocaches not found by all of the usernames listed.

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Plan geocache outings with your friends!

How do I search for the most favorited geocaches in my area?
Easy! Enter the city name and country name (or an address), the difficulty/terrain (D/T) rating, and the minimum number of Favorite Points of the geocaches you want to find.

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Search for only the best geocaches.

How can I find the geocaches located in my state that I need to complete a challenge like the Fizzy Grid?

First, search for all of the geocaches in your state using the main search box (e.g. “all geocaches in Washington”). After the results are returned, select “Add Filters” to add in the criteria of the geocaches you want to find.

How do I find the newest caches in a state?

First, search for all of the geocaches in your state using the main search box (e.g. “all geocaches in Washington”). After the results are returned, click on “Placed On” to sort by dates places. If you click once, the list will show you the most recently published caches first (almost all will be event caches).

How do I search for caches “Found By” another geocacher?
1. Visit the Profile page of the other player (you can use the Find a User page here)
2. Click on the “Geocaches” tab on their profile
3. Under “Geocaches Found”, click on “All Geocache Finds”. The resulting list will show all geocaches found by that user.

Why can I no longer search using the ‘Cache starts with’ feature?
We have replaced ‘Cache Starts With’ with ‘Geocache Name Contains…’ because it allows you to search the entire name of the geocache rather than just the beginning. Geocaching Premium members can also sort the search results by geocache name alphabetically which is a great for when you want to find a geocache that starts with a certain word(s).

I want to search by a geocache name, but it’s not working. Help!

To search by a geocache name, first enter a location in the main search box. You can either enter a location to center your search (e.g. “Seattle”) or you can choose to do an “origin-less” search by not entering a specific location. Once you’ve entered a location, click “Add Filters” and add a keyword to the “Geocache Name Contains…:” filter.

I’d like to use the old search
No problem! We’re keeping it around a bit longer.

/ Paige Edmiston /

Ain’t No Mystery: Use the Geocaching Intro app to find Mystery Caches this Pi Day

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I love watching non-geocachers (aka muggles) try to absorb the concept of geocaching. I’m sure you’ve all heard this same reaction before: Wait. You find boxes in the woods? Well that’s just irrational.

It’s true. The things we do as geocachers may seem a little crazy at times. But good news! This Pi Day (March 14, 2015), we’re introducing a dose of rational to the irrational—all thanks to a team of designers here at Geocaching HQ.

Earlier this year, we shared an inside look at how we collect feedback from the community and how that feedback influences the tools that we make. The next step in developing a new geocaching tool is design. A team of User Experience (UX) experts at Geocaching HQ are responsible for taking the community’s feedback and thinking through everything from how the new tool will work to how the design of an emoji will help bring delight to your next geocache find.

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Left: UI Designer Abby Right: Mobile UX Designer Michelle

 

This team was recently tasked with making the experience of finding a Mystery Cache a bit more, well, rational—and all in time for you to earn the 3.14.15 Pi Day souvenir. I sat down with Mobile UX Designer Michelle Li (Username: BlueSpaceMonkey) and UI Designer Abby Deering (Username: Abbydeer) to learn how they took the mystery out of Mystery Caches in the Geocaching Intro app.

What was the biggest challenge in designing Mystery Caches for the free Geocaching app?

Mystery Caches are a complex type of geocache. One of the biggest changes we were faced with was making Mystery Caches easy to use for geocachers and coming up with a design solution that works with all the different types of Mystery Caches.

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The new Waypoint Manager in the Geocaching Intro app makes it easier than ever to add and keep track of coordinates to a geocache.

What about the new design are you most excited to share with the community?

We are really excited that we’ve found a design solution that works with all the different types of Mystery Caches (there are so many different versions!). We feel like we were able to eliminate a barrier that previously made it difficult to enter your answer. We’re excited that we removed a challenge in the tool, leaving the challenge where it should be: in solving the Mystery. And we hope this means more geocachers will now give Mystery Caches a try!

How have your designs made finding Mystery Caches easier?

We’ve made the ability to add Solved coordinates and edit waypoints easier and more manageable for all different kinds of Mystery Caches.

Editor’s Note: You’ll see in the app that “Corrected Coordinates” are now referred to as “Solved”. This decision was made by surveying the geocaching community.

How did feedback and insight from the geocaching community enter into the design?

We brought in both potential players and experienced geocachers to our office to look at our Mystery Cache design. We had them walk through a series of tasks and even took them outside to watch them geocache with the new design. We revised our design based on their feedback.

Anything else you want geocachers to know?

We’re so excited that Mystery Caches are now available in the free app and we love making products that make geocaching easier for our community!

Unlock this latest and greatest tool for discovering Mystery Caches with Premium membership in the free Geocaching Intro app for iOS and Android. And don’t miss out on your chance to earn one of two Pi Day souvenirs by logging a “Found It” on a Mystery Cache this Saturday!

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