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Parents' Guide to

Footpath Route Planner

By Debbie Gorrell, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Walk and run mapper needs more guidance.

App iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad Free to try Entertainment
Footpath Route Planner Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this app.

  • Footpath Route Planner App: Screenshot #1
  • Footpath Route Planner App: Screenshot #2
  • Footpath Route Planner App: Screenshot #3

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Privacy Rating Warning

  • Personal information is not sold or rented to third parties.
  • Personal information is not shared for third-party marketing.
  • Unclear whether this product displays personalised advertising.
  • Unclear whether data are collected by third-parties for their own purposes.
  • Unclear whether this product uses a user's information to track and target advertisements on other third-party websites or services.
  • Unclear whether this product creates and uses data profiles for personalised advertisements.
Learn more about our privacy ratings

What’s It About?

FOOTPATH ROUTE PLANNER is an app that lets kids plan routes directly on an interactive map. They can use their fingers or an Apple Pencil to draw a route on the map. The app snaps to roads and trails on the map to create a route. Mileage and elevation are displayed, and up to five routes can be saved with the free version. Routes can also be shared by sending links or aerial photos to friends' devices. If kids want to see or hear step-by-step directions, which is an important part of following the route, they have to either make an in-app purchase or send the route to Apple Maps or Google Maps. The paid version offers many additional features, including unlimited saved routes, the ability to export GPS files and use them with GPS devices, and the ability to track fitness by analyzing physical activity and exporting routes to Apple Health.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

What makes this app stand out is the interactive mapping tool for planning customized routes, but using it effectively could be challenging. Drawing on the map is not a perfect science. Kids might have trouble getting the routes they want, especially on devices with smaller screens. The editing tool helps, and zooming in for a detailed view of the roads and trails is an option. Sending routes to Apple Maps or Google Maps is key -- otherwise, kids have a route but no directions for following it. But this means that they'll either need to save and print the route ahead of time or use cellular service while following the route. There's a built-in tutorial, but it provides very little information about how to use all of the features in Footpath Route Planner. Tappable hints or a more detailed tutorial would be extremely helpful. It's also important to talk to teens about sharing their routes: They should share them only with family members or others they completely trust.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how using Footpath Route Planner can help with fitness goals and motivation to get outside and get moving. How can kids use the app to meet mileage goals?

  • Talk about the importance of safety while exercising outside. Discuss age-appropriate rules about using a device while exercising, and make sure kids know the limits about where they can go.

App Details

  • Devices: iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad
  • Pricing structure: Free to try ($1.99 single upgraded route; $3.99/mo.; $23.49/year)
  • Release date: October 8, 2019
  • Category: Entertainment
  • Publisher: Half Mile Labs LLC
  • Version: 4.1.5
  • Minimum software requirements: iOS 10.0 or later; watchOS 4.0 or later
  • Last updated: November 30, 2019

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