User Guide
User GuideBreadcrumbs Mobile
Last updated: May 2026
Breadcrumbs Mobile tracks your location and lets you send status messages to people you choose. It's designed for outdoor activities where others need to know where you are.
iPhone running iOS 26 or later.
T-Mobile cellular service - optional, but needed for T-Mobile Satellite.
T-Mobile T-Satellite feature enabled - optional, but highly recommended, for tracking and messaging outside cellular coverage, such as the Idaho backcountry.
Sign in with your Apple ID, if you haven’t already.
Click the Settings icon in the upper right corner of the screen
Scroll to User Information, click Change User Information and enter:
Trip Name. Tracks will adopt this name until you change it. Useful to collect tracks together. Map Viewer can show separate trips.
SOS and Help Message: to help helpers or rescuers identify you. We suggest vehicle color and identification.
Note: your name and email are populated from your login ID. You can’t change them.
Scroll down to Auto-Tracking.
Set a breadcrumb time consistent with your speed and mission. For aircraft and cars, we suggest 5 or 15 minutes.
Scroll down to the buttons. I’m OK is the first.
Add at least one recipient to each Status Button. The easiest way is to Pick from Contacts.
Optional: add or change a message for each button.
Optional: change the button name on the two User buttons. For aircraft, we suggest Takeoff and Landed.
Scroll down to Track Sharing
Click Set Web Viewer Password - so you can see and manage your own tracks.
Enter the password
Click Set Password
If you want others to see your tracks
Enable Public Sharing using the slider. It will turn green when enabled.
When enabled, your latest breadcrumb is included in button messages.
That’s all you need to do now. Click Back in the upper left corner of the screen to return to the Home Screen.
You're ready to send breadcrumbs.
Press the I’m OK button.
You can edit the message, or just send without editing - press send (the up arrow).
Turn Auto-track on using the slider.
Go for a walk.
Turn Auto-track off (you need to hold for a few seconds).
Press View Latest Track Map at the bottom of the Home Page. It will show your route.
You may have to log in.
Generally, your login state is saved by Safari. This is not managed by Breadcrumbs Mobile.
You may want to save your password in Apple Passwords. This is not managed by Breadcrumbs Mobile.
Contents
The home screen shows your current location and provides quick access to all actions.
The switch at the top starts or stops automatic breadcrumb sending at your configured interval. Auto-track will automatically switch between cellular and satellite networks.
Tap to immediately send a single breadcrumb to the server. This does not notify your recipients - it just records your position.
The status buttons lets you send messages with your location. Each button can have its own recipients and custom message. See Status Buttons below.
Shows your current coordinates, heading, speed, altitude, and accuracy. Pull down to refresh. Refreshing just updates the location - it does not send a breadcrumb.
Opens the web Map Viewer showing your most recent track. You must have network connectivity, via WiFi, cellular, or satellite.
Your name and email identify your breadcrumbs on the server and in messages sent to recipients.
Your Name - Your name, from your login ID. Included in status messages and stored with each breadcrumb. You cannot change it here.
Your Email - Your login email. Used as your unique identifier. You cannot chagne it here.
SOS and Help Message - Extra context included with Help and SOS messages, e.g., your aircraft tail number or vehicle description.
Speed Units - Choose knots, mph, or kph for speed display.
Altitude Units - Choose feet or meters for altitude display.
Auto-tracking sends breadcrumbs to the server at a regular interval without any action from you.
Interval — How often a breadcrumb is sent (1, 5, 15, 30, 60, or 120 minutes).
Auto-track breadcrumbs go only to the server — they do not send SMS or email to recipients.
Auto-tracking works in the background on iOS when location permissions are set to "Always".
For safety, auto-tracking is set to OFF when the app starts or restarts. Auto-tracking remains ON when your mobile device is locked.
Tip: For hiking or flying, 5 to 15 minute intervals give a good track without draining your battery too quickly.
Each button sends your current location plus a message to the recipients you've configured for that button.
I'm OK — Let people know you're fine. Sends immediately without confirmation.
Need Help — Request assistance. Shows a confirmation dialog and lets you edit the message before sending.
SOS — Emergency. Shows a confirmation dialog and lets you edit the message. Your SOS description is included automatically.
Two customizable buttons with your own label and message. Use them for anything: "Takeoff”, "At camp", "Weather delay", "Fuel stop", etc.
Button Name — The label shown on the button.
Custom Message — The default message sent when the button is pressed. You can also edit it before each send.
Each status button has its own list of recipients. A recipient can receive SMS, email, or both. We recommend using SMS over email, as SMS tends to be slightly more reliable in weak coverage areas.
Under any button in settings, tap either:
Pick from Contacts - choose from your personal contacts. You can use search.
Type Recipient In - manually enter the recipient data. You must enter a name and at least one contact method (email or phone number).
Either way you enter them:
Phone recipients get SMS messages. Email recipients get email.
Multiple phone recipients are combined into a single group SMS
Multiple email recipients are combined into a single email.
Note: Recipient information is stored only on your device, not on our servers.
Share your tracked routes with others through the Map Viewer on the Web.
Set a password to sign in to the web Map Viewer and see your own tracks.
When enabled, anyone with access to the Map Viewer can see your tracks. You can limit the visible history, e.g., last 7 days.
Create individual links for specific people. Each link can have:
A label (e.g., "Mom", "SAR Team")
A time window (how many days of history to show)
An expiry date (after which the link stops working)
You can copy, share, or revoke links at any time.
When you're out of cellular data range but have satellite SMS capability (e.g., T-Mobile satellite), the app can send breadcrumbs via SMS instead of HTTP.
Enable SMS Fallback — Turns on the text message fallback. When network data connection is unavailable, the app automatically tries SMS. This is intended for areas of weak cellular coverage where SMS may still work, but the satellite network is unavailable.
Keep Screen On — Prevents your device from sleeping during tracking, which is needed for breadcrumbs to send in SMS fallback mode. However, if you manually lock your screen, the screen will not be kept on by this setting.
BreadcrumbsSMS Shortcut — An iOS Shortcut that handles the actual SMS sending. Install it using the button below. Accept the permissions it requests, make sure to allow it to run when the app triggers it; and allow returning to Breadcrumbs Mobile.
Important: SMS fallback requires the Breadcrumbs-SMS Shortcut to be installed on your device. Tap the install button in Settings to set it up, and allow the permission requests.
Test SMS Fallback — Sends a test breadcrumb via SMS to verify Fallback is working.
Choose a background color for the app. Tap a color swatch to apply it. The change is saved immediately.
Make sure Location Services are enabled in your device settings.
In iOS, go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services and ensure it's on.
Grant the app "Always" permission for background tracking.
In iOS, go to Settings > Breadcrumbs Mobile > Location and select "Always" and toggle "Precise Location" to ON.Go outdoors — GPS needs a clear view of the sky. GPS will work indoors, at reduced accuracy
Pull down on the home screen to force a location refresh.
Check that your name and email are set in Settings.
Verify you have an internet connection.
Check the queued breadcrumbs count on the home screen — queued items will retry automatically.
A button is disabled if it has no recipients configured. Add at least one recipient in Settings.
iOS may stop background tasks if battery is very low.
Make sure "Location: Always" permission is granted.
Auto-tracking is intentionally turned off on every app restart as a safety measure.
For bug reports or questions, use Report a Problem in Settings, submit our Support Form.
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