Help with screen time

Coastal Explorer for iPad and iPhone Beta Program
1

On both my iPad and iPhone the screen goes blank. My guess this can be set on my device and is not a function of ce

2

Are you referring to the device going to sleep? If so, that can be controlled in the device settings app. It’s under Display & Brightness > Auto-Lock.

Also, Coastal Explorer will prevent auto-lock if a route is active.

3

I would like to see a CE for iPhone setting that would allow the user to not allow the iPhone to go to sleep if CE is running in the foreground. Other navigation apps I use on iPhone and in the past on Android phones have this function.

4

We are considering an option to prevent auto-lock while in motion (in addition to always preventing it while a route is active). Would that work for you?

5

I want to use CE for iPhone in this way:

  1. Sit at home and plan trips. In this case I will have the ability to plug my phone into a charger, have internet connectivity, use different chart and map formats and download charts and maps for offline use.
  2. On my boat traveling and tied to the dock. In this case I still have the ability to plug my phone into a charger. However, no internet access and spotty to no cell phone service.
  3. Go ashore (hiking, hunting, etc.). In this case I would want to switch to USGS Topo maps (that I downloaded at home). I would not have internet, probably no cell service and no ability to plug my phone into a charger so conserving the battery is important. Having the ability to have CE running in the background with the phone display off to conserve the battery would be useful.
    Being able to control auto-lock for CE only would work for me. For example, using the iSailGPS app, you can use the iPhone Settings app to go to iSailGPS settings and choose to have auto-lock on or off. In the “on” position, iSailGPS goes to sleep according to your phone display settings. With auto-lock in the “off” position, as long as iSailGPS is running in the foreground, the phone does not go to sleep. If iSailGPS is in the background, the phone acts according to your phone settings.
    Thank you Brad for addressing this issue.
6

I have always wondered why Apple only lets one select Auto Lock for 30 seconds, 1,2,3,4,or 5 minutes… and fails to provide an option to add “Never Auto-Lock as long as Power is Provided”.

So if one has power provided at the helm or NAV Station, the phone would not automatically screen-lock… yet when unplugged from power; it would fail-over to the next setting (say 5 minutes, or whatever one selects). It should be a 2-level feature… not requiring one to manually adjust just because you stuck the phone in your pocket.

I notice it when I plug the iPhone into the cradle aboard my motorcycle. Power is provided from bike’s battery… yet I need to manually set to “NEver” to keep phone from Auto-Locking when using Waze to navigate the “rough seas of the Back 40”.

Getting the Elephant in the room to change something is tough… can your code override a iPhone system setting and provide enhanced power control?

7

Our code can prevent Auto-Lock, but only does so when a route is active. We are still considering the option I mentioned above that will auto prevent Auto-Lock while underway. I don’t think we really want to add any more options then that as things might get too confusing.

8

Brad,

Thanks for your reply… and your excellent work.

I believe the option to prevent Auto-Lock while underway is really needed, and not just when one has an active route.

Here is my logic: One is at the helm using iPad or iPhone, hand-steering (which is quite often when near land - like navigating the Thimble Islands) and you need to see your position in relation to underwater obstacles. Then all of a sudden Auto-Lock kicks in (because you are not on a route) and the damn device requires one to unlock it. That diversion of one’s attention can cause an accident to occur.
Also - what if one is anchored (not en-route) and you want to keep your CE device awake… so it can monitor anchor drag? What if you are hand-steering and want to monitor approaching AIS objects?

I firmly believe you should provide multiple options;

  1. Disable Auto-Lock while using Route
  2. Disable Auto-Lock while using CE iOS.

Hope that understand my point, and consider providing multiple Auto-Lock options (not just ON/OFF).

Thanks in advance…