A world that surfaces
The map starts under water. Walk and the tide draws back — feathered, watercolour edges, with a soft sheen on freshly uncovered ground.
Local-first · Privacy by design · iOS
Your world, surfacing step by step
Ottie's Trail uncovers the world you've walked, patch by patch. Walk anywhere and the tide rolls back beneath your feet — recording your trail, your photos, and the places only you have reached. No account, no tracking; everything stays on your device.
Download on theApp Store
128 km² explored
The idea
A map that only your steps can uncover
The whole world starts hidden beneath the water. There are no missions, no streaks to keep — you just live your life and walk. Like an otter gliding through the shallows, wherever you go the tide quietly draws back and leaves a glistening trail behind you. Come back weeks later and your city is a constellation of the places you've been.
- Local-first: your trail lives on your device and your own iCloud — never our servers.
- No account, no ads, no behavioural tracking.
- Looking back, never surveillance — it remembers for you, not about you.
What you get
Everything an explorer needs
A walking companion that turns everyday movement into a world worth revisiting.
Trail lines
Your actual GPS path is recorded and drawn, so you can replay exactly where you wandered.
Photo pins
Geotagged photos drop as pins on the map. Tap to relive the moment, right where it happened.
Landmark badges
Reach famous places — on foot, by car, or by plane — and unlock a little otter postcard for each.
Region stamp book
Every district you cross stamps your passport. Watch the regions fill in over time.
Year in Review & replay
Play back your journey, see heatmaps of where you go most, and revisit “on this day”.
World palette
Colours pulled from your photos weave a palette wall — a year of wandering as one abstract picture.
Companion otter
A little otter lives inside your revealed world. Walk more and its territory grows; it leaves footprints as it roams.
iCloud backup
Your trail backs up to your own iCloud — it comes back even after deleting and reinstalling.
Ink-blue night map
A dark map washed in ink-blue, like walking out across calm night water.
Collect the world
Badges & landmark postcards
From your first steps to Machu Picchu — every milestone and famous place is its own hand-drawn otter badge.
A few of the badges waiting to be unlocked.
A peek inside
Designed to feel like exploring
A floating capsule toolbar, a soft tide-like reveal, and a count-up of every km² you uncover.
How it works
Four simple steps
1
Walk
Open the app and go about your day. No goals to chase — just move.
2
Reveal
The tide draws back around you as you walk, leaving a glistening trail behind.
3
Collect
Photos, badges, regions and landmarks gather on your map automatically.
4
Look back
Replay your journey, see your palette, and watch your world grow.
Questions
Frequently asked
Does Ottie’s Trail track me or send my location anywhere?
No. Your trail, photos and stats stay on your device and your own iCloud. There is no account and no behavioural tracking — the app remembers for you, not about you.
What happens when I delete a photo in the app?
Your photos stay in your own device / iCloud photo library. Tapping the heart or trash in the app links directly to the iOS Photos app — nothing is uploaded to us.
Do I need to keep the app open while walking?
No. With background updates enabled (opt-in), Ottie keeps drawing the tide back while the app is in your pocket.
Will I lose my trail if I change phones?
No. Your trail backs up to your own iCloud, so it comes back even after deleting and reinstalling, or moving to a new device.
Is it free?
Yes — Ottie’s Trail is completely free, with no in-app purchases, no subscriptions and no ads.
Is there an Android version?
For now, Ottie’s Trail is available on iPhone only. We don’t have plans for an Android version at the moment, so we can pour all our care into making the iOS experience the best it can be.
Start uncovering your world
Take Ottie for a walk and watch the tide roll back, one step at a time.