Very soon the BillionGraves iPhone app will be available free for download. I’ve discussed before our reasons for charging a nominal “entrance” fee, but we’ve decided that it’s more important to make the app as widely available as we can—we’ll do our best to filter out any less-than-desirable content as quickly as possible so you all can keep transcribing. The Android app has been free since its release (initially because it was missing the Add a Cemetery function, now because we’ve decided to keep everything that way), so it only makes sense that we bring the iPhone app down to match.
Now you’re probably wondering why I said buying the iPhone app now will save you a dollar. (And those of you who have already bought it may be thinking you’ve been cheated out of $2. Never fear. We wouldn’t do that to you.) Allow me to explain.
The upcoming release of version 1.2 will include various upgrades and improvements to the existing app, and it will also provide access to a valuable feature expansion. If you’ve downloaded the app before the 1.2 release, you’ll automatically get the expansion when you update to the new version. After the update the basic version will be free and the expansion can be purchased within the app for $2.99.
See? There’s your dollar saved. The app currently costs $1.99, so if you buy now you’ll get the extra features a dollar cheaper.
The expansion bundle is called Records View, and it includes features many of you have been requesting since we began:
- Search records that have already been transcribed from within the app (searching on the website is still, of course, free).
- View a list of transcribed records whose GPS tags are near your current location.
- View an already transcribed photo on the map along with your current location.
Searching records that have already been transcribed can help you determine where the last BillionGraves user to visit your cemetery stopped mapping. You’ll also be able to check facts and find individuals in other cemeteries. This mobile-friendly view makes mobile searching easier than navigating to the website and using the larger interface.
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| Use Records View to navigate through a large cemetery. |
Viewing nearby records can help you identify grave markers of note when you’re visiting a cemetery you’re not familiar with (or even one you are—no matter how many times I visit the Orem Cemetery, I still can’t find what I’m looking for without a good deal of wandering). Even if you’re there to visit a particular grave, you may find you have more relatives in plots nearby.
From the list of nearby grave markers, you can select a specific marker to view it on the cemetery map along with your own location. This can help you quickly navigate to the marker you’re looking for. As we add more records-based features, they’ll be available to those who have unlocked the Records View expansion. (As always, anything to do with records will still be free through the website.)
So if you’ve been holding off on buying the iPhone app, hold off no longer. If you have friends or family members who haven’t gotten it yet, let them know about this opportunity to get an expanded version of the app for a dollar off the asking price. After we release version 1.2, they’ll be able to get the basic features (find/add cemeteries, collect/upload photos) for free, so if $1.99 is still too much for them, they don’t have to wait long to get the BillionGraves app.
