Virtual Tours & Sound Walks: Guidance Notes for the Echoes App
Vitrual Tours & Sound Walks Vitrual Tours & Sound Walks

Using the Echoes App >>
The first section of these guidance notes will help you decide whether to download a walk before heading off, or just to stream it during the walk. The second part explains how to listen to an Echoes sound walk, without having to actually having to visit the actual locations.

Streaming vs. Downloading >>
There are two main reasons for downloading a walk rather than streaming it. The first is that if your mobile phone doesn't have a data connection, or has an expensive data connection. The second reason is if the walk might be in an area with a limited mobile phone data signal, which would make streaming the walk unfeasible. In either situation, you'll probably want to download the walk over Wi-Fi, before setting off.

To download a walk, start up the Echoes App and then select the walk you want. To download it, touch the blue button with the blue down arrow in it (to the right of STREAM WALK) and wait until the download has completed. If the App pops up a message Allow Echoes to make and manage phone calls?, click Allow as that will let Echoes use your phone's internet connection to download the walk. If you did get that message, you'll need to touch the blue oval button a second time to initiate the download.

Once it has downloaded and you're ready to head off, just touch START.

How to Listen to Echoes Without Visiting Them >>
If you don't want to, or can't actually get to any of the echoes (the bubbles where the audio is located) in a walk, you can play them from wherever you are by switching Autoplay Off in the App.

To do this, when you have started a walk, select the top right horizontal lines (there's three on an iPhone and four on an Android phone) and then slide the Autoplay button to the left, this will switch Autoplay off. You should then be presented with a list of echoes. Select one and you'll see a play arrow to the left of it, touch that to start the audio. Note that if you're streaming the walk, there might be a short delay whilst the audio downloads, before it starts playing.

Troubleshooting >>
If you experience issues with the Echoes App please try clearing the cache (i.e. the files that have been downloaded relating to walks you've been looking at) that is on the phone, and then try running the App again. Here's how to do that:

Android
Go to Settings > Apps > Echoes > Force Stop. After which click Storage & Cache and Clear Cache & Clear Storage. Then restart the App.

iPhone
Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage > ECHOES > Offload App. Then do not click Reinstall App, but restart it.

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