Elevation Detail

See detailed vertical and altitude data for your current position, and save readings to a log.

The Elevation Detail screen answers the question an ordinary map cannot: how high up are you, and which floor are you on. It reads precise vertical information for exactly where you are standing, refreshed about once a second. You can add a note and save a reading to a log, then review the log and export it to send on.

Overview

Element	What it does
Live readout	The full vertical reading, one value per line, updating about once a second.
Note box	A note to attach to the reading. Appears once data arrives.
Save to Log	Save the current reading, plus your note and position, to the log.
Three-dot menu	Contains View Log.
Back	Return to the GPS screen.

What the readout contains

Line	What it means
Height	Your height above the reference level.
HeightUncertainty90	How much the height could be out, at 90% confidence.
HeightUncertainty68	The same, at 68% confidence.
HeightAboveTerrain	How far you are above the ground beneath you.
HeightAboveTerrainUncertainty	How much that figure could be out.
HeightHatUncertainty68	The above-terrain uncertainty at 68% confidence.
FloorNumber	The floor the service believes you are on.
FloorConfidence	How confident it is in that floor.
Address	The address matched to your position.
AddressConfidence	How confident it is in that address.
StatusCode	The service's current status.
ErrorCode	Any error the service is reporting.
EpochTimestamp	When this reading was taken.
ManualBaroCal	Whether the barometer needs a manual calibration.
UserPressure	The air pressure the device is measuring.

A line that has no value yet reads nil. That is normal in the first few seconds and for figures that do not apply where you are.

note

The note box and Save to Log are hidden until the first reading arrives. If they never appear, the readout has not started — see Troubleshooting below.

Getting Here

1. Open the GPS screen.
2. On the Current location tab, tap Elevation. (Tapping the height figure itself opens a shorter summary popup.)
3. The app asks for motion permission if it does not already have it. Tap OK, then allow it.
4. A spinner runs while the service starts up, then the readout appears and begins updating.

caution

Elevation needs motion permission to read the device's barometer and motion sensors. If it is denied you will see Motion Permission Denied with Please enable motion permission in settings to use this feature. Tap OK to open Settings. Location services must be on as well.

Save a Reading

1. Wait for the readout to appear and settle — watch the uncertainty figures come down.
2. Tap the note box and type a short note if you want one.
3. Tap Save to Log. A brief Log Saved message confirms it and the note box is cleared, ready for the next reading.

Each saved entry keeps the whole readout as it was at that moment, your note, and your latitude, longitude and altitude.

tip

Add a short note before you save — a room number, a stairwell, a side of the building. The readout on its own is a wall of figures, and the note is what makes an entry findable later.

View and Export the Log

1. Tap the three-dot menu and choose View Log.
2. Every saved reading is listed, newest first, as structured text.
3. Tap Export. The log is written to a text file named elevationLogData.txt and the share sheet opens, so you can send it by message or email, save it to Files, or pass it to another app.
4. Tap Back to return.

note

The log is stored on this device only. It is not uploaded to the server and not visible to your team — exporting and sending the file is how you get it to anyone else.

How This Connects

• The readout comes from the device's barometer and motion sensors combined with a vertical positioning service, which is why both motion permission and location services are required.
• The plain Altitude shown on the GPS screen comes from the ordinary satellite fix. The figures here are a much more detailed vertical picture, which is why they can differ — and why they carry their own uncertainty values.
• Your horizontal position still comes from the same location fix as everywhere else in the app, so it is the same coordinate you can read in every format on GPS or in the Coordinate Format display.
• The log lives in the app's own storage on the device, alongside — but separately from — your on-device GPS History. Neither syncs to the server.
• Recorded routes, which do upload, are a different feature — see My Tracking.
• To leave a vertical observation for your team rather than in a local log, place a marker on a saved map and put the reading in its description.

Troubleshooting

If this happens	What to do
The spinner runs and no readout appears	The service is still starting, or motion permission was denied. Check permission in Settings, then leave the screen and come back.
Motion Permission Denied appears	Tap OK to open Settings and allow motion for the app, then reopen the screen.
The note box and Save to Log never appear	They only appear once the first reading arrives. Without a readout there is nothing to save.
Many lines read nil	Normal in the first seconds, and for values that do not apply where you are. Wait for the readout to settle.
FloorNumber is wrong or missing	Floor detection depends on the building being mapped by the service. Outdoors and in unmapped buildings it will often be absent.
ManualBaroCal says calibration is needed	The barometer needs recalibrating. Move to an open outdoor spot for a short while and let the readout update.
The uncertainty figures stay high	The reading has not settled. Stay still and give it time; large uncertainties mean the height should not be relied on yet.
Height disagrees with the altitude on the GPS screen	They come from different sources. The GPS altitude is from the satellite fix; this is a barometric and service-based reading, and is usually the better one indoors.
Export does nothing	There is nothing in the log yet. Save at least one reading first.
The exported file will not open	It is plain text named elevationLogData.txt. Open it in a text editor or Files.
The log is empty on another device	The log is stored on this device only. Export and send the file to move it.

Related Pages

• GPS
• GPS History
• GPS History Detail
• Coordinate Format

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