0.17.0-gms/foss: An update all about tracking improvements

Tracking behavior

Not really choosy on how frequently the app should track? This version got you covered. Introducing tracking auto mode. Next to that, the tracking logic has been changed and should be more reliable, the app now also consistently sends/ updates the tracking notification to keep the background tracking reliable, even in low frequency tracking. There is currently no known way possible to track in the background without notification.

Automode

Enable automode by setting the frequency to 0. Automode is making tracking not about time, but about distance. Instead of tracking every x seconds, the app only tracks a new point when it is actually meaningful and it detected that you moved.

The app uses either two other settings to decide the point is meaningful or not: the minimum point distance or the tracking accuracy. If the minimum point distance setting is greater than 0, it uses that, and it should track a new point when you move that distance. If it is 0, then the tracker uses your location accuracy setting to decide how frequently points should be tracked. Higher accuracy means less distance between points, lower accuracy is of course more distance between points.

Thanks to auto mode, you can finally make your points based on distance only and not have it related to an x amount of time. This will hopefully be better on your battery than a timer running every few seconds doing an expensive operation.

UI/ UX

You guys have shown that the tracker page was really due for a rewrite, so I delivered.

Automatic tracking vs track recording confusion

First and foremost, no more confusion between automatic tracking and track recording, the main attraction vs a side feature that has no use for anything currently. This is resolved. The tracker page is all about automatic tracking by default now.

More room for every setting

Secondly, every setting gets more room now, to be more descriptive. And it's easier now. For toggles, just tap anywhere on the card and it will toggle the setting instead of a small toggle button.

No more sliders, no more restrictions

From now on, no setting is restricted by a slider anymore! All sliders have been replaced with an input field, meaning now you get to choose what you want! That means the tracker frequency can be any value now, including 0 for auto mode. The minimum point distance setting also used to have a slider, now this is also an input field so you can enter your own value.

Cleaner tracking notification

I also cleaned up the tracker notification text, it's a small change but I made it more clean and compact so it is easier to read.

Heads up: bugs might be found

This update still needs field testing, so please report any bugs that you might find. Thank you.

0.17.0-foss: Update about GMS

If you use this flavor, in this version GMS references have been fully removed.

The real heroes

💚Huge thanks to rtuszik for sponsoring the project 💚