My recent trip really was completely unplanned. I set up the trip tracker before I left the house, but I didn’t test it. It had been over a year since I’d used the thing, and I forgot I’d gotten a new phone since last using the SWConnect app. After making some minor adjustments, it appeared to be working. But that was short-lived.
The app runs on my cell phone. When in the mountains, cell coverage can be quite spotty. The way the app is supposed to work is that it stores your locations/track even when there is no cell coverage, but then uploads the track data when you’re in an area with cell reception or Wifi. That wasn’t happening.
If you look at the tracker map, you’ll see a bunch of straight lines. One time, it even put me somewhere I didn’t go, due south of Oak Ridge, Tennessee. It was weird. We couldn’t figure out why. Not until my last night on the road when Hubby said maybe my phone was full.
Hmmm. That night, I deleted some videos and old pictures. The next day, the tracker worked! Who knew that would cause a problem? Not me, obviously.
It HAD been awhile since I deleted any pics. In fact, that’s nothing something I do on a regular basis. (I think I may be an image hoarder, but don’t tell anyone I said that.) So, yesterday and today, I spent several HOURS deleting images. Yep, hours. As it turns out, I deleted about 4,200 files.
Holy guacamole, that’s a lot of images! The ones that I kept have been moved to a computer and I am now in the process of saving them to the proper place on our network.
Now, I just need to remember to delete pics more often. Or maybe take fewer pictures, LOL.
I had forgotten all about SWConnect. My Spot tracker device failed last year so I hadn’t bothered with Spotwalla.
Thank you for the reminder!
My pleasure, Richard. It really does work very well, when properly set up and with the right amount of memory. I have never had issues of any kind before. I’m glad we figured out what was causing the problem.
One thing you can do to your photos to conserve storage on the phone is to have the Photos app replace them with “optimized” versions. In the Settings app, tap Photos, then select Optimize iPhone Storage. Full-sized versions remain stored in iCloud and/or iTunes.
Really? That’s good to know. Thanks! This does, however, officially make you an enabler. 😄
Funny title!
I’m Lynne and I’m an image hoarder too. Seriously. All my photos automatically back up to Google photos but yet, they remain on my phone too. Makes no sense. I say I’m going to delete them as soon as I share the good ones via blog or IG/FB, but yet they remain. 😜 Good for you for taking care of that. I have never used a tracker app, but I do keep track of where we go via calendar entries. Sort of manual, but works so far.
Lynne, Thank you for having the courage to publicly admit that you, too, are an image hoarder. 😄 It took HOURS and was actually quite painful since I had to look at every picture I’d taken of K over the last few years and watch her health decline. Again. Ugh.
Oh sorry it was even more painful than usual! 😘
It kinda makes Chris crazy (cuz he’s an image hoarder, too), but I usually delete pics that don’t make the cut within days of taking them. It’s so much easier that way! Lol.
Shan, there’s yet another parallel between you and your father and me and Chris. 😊 Who knew you would turn out so much like your Dad? And marry someone so different in so many ways. Opposites really do balance each other out.
You should take and post more dog pics.