FAQ - Frequently asked questions

FAQ - Frequently asked questions

Questions we have already answered

canua is the only outdoor app that focuses on paddling and links water information with the map and tracking. With the canoe database, the DKV has been collecting waterway information for boats powered by muscle power since the 1920s.

Here you will find answers to the most frequently asked questions about canua. If this does not answer your question, please send us an email. E-Mail.


The offline maps are not opened or loaded in that sense. Regardless of how good the data connection is at the moment, stored map tiles are always usable in the map, while the rest of the map may be missing.

It works like this: When you are offline, you only see the previously saved map sections in the map. Since you can't reload, you only see the white grid for the rest of the map, and individual map tiles may trickle in from time to time. The list of offline maps in the iOS version of canua is there to delete previously loaded map sections. Otherwise, it has no further meaning.

To try it out, simply turn off Wi-Fi and mobile data and then navigate to the edge of the loaded area.

To save map tiles for offline usage, we recommend using the Make map available offline option within the route summary after you have planned a route. This will save exactly the map tiles you need and a little bit beyond, making it the most effective and fastest.

With canua, recorded trips and planned tours are not yet synchronised via your profile. All data is on the device on which it was created. This has the advantage that you can log in to canua with different accounts and the tracks and routes are always there. It is also easy to change your email address. You create a new account, delete the old one and you can continue directly in canua. The important thing is that canua must not (ever) be uninstalled.

The disadvantage is that planning and recording have to be done on the same device. So you can't plan on your tablet and then just go out on the water with your phone.

Things are different for the Most Beautiful Tours. They are linked to the Apple ID, not to the canua account. Here you have to log in with the Apple ID in the AppStore on the iPhone or iPad with which you bought the Most Beautiful Tours and can then see your purchased tours on different devices with "Restore purchases" in the canua settings (Start > Menu top left > Settings).

Destination button remains inactive or a straight line is drawn as a route.

In canua's help it is described that canua determines the shortest path on the water between the starting point and the destination. However, the destination button sometimes does not want to become active and remains grey or canua simply draws a straight line.

There is one rule of thumb

The rule of thumb is that a tour can be planned as long as A and B are on the same stretch of water.When planning where A and B are on different waters, it is best to reduce the length of the route and create partial routes. In the objects, the names of the waters are set in blue and/or are next to the round symbol with the wave. It is best to check there whether B is on the same stretch of water as A.

To create a longer route, A and B must first be set. If a straight line is created, set an intermediate stop as a support point at critical points, e.g. at water crossings, estuaries or a branch. Now you can experiment with drawing B further away and setting more intermediate stops.

Double objects help, even with short routes

In certain places there are duplicate objects that belong to different water bodies. These are often found at mouths and at places where one stretch of water ends and another begins. It therefore makes sense to enlarge the map considerably and to work with the filters and only show those symbols that come into question as a destination point and then select the appropriate one that is located on the stretch of water on which the journey is to be made.

doppelte Objekte

Planning on lakes

On lakes, route planning is limited for the following two reasons:

  1. A and B cannot be on the same object and the route is optimised based on length, as mentioned above, so that if two points are close to each other, canua connects them by the shortest route.
  2. Not all lakes have suitable reference routes. Some offer a circumnavigation of the lake, some only a crossing on the river flowing through, some are not yet mapped.

The current cheapest and most correct price of canua Edition PLUS is only shown within the app. Especially now, when everything is still fresh, there are introductory and entry prices that we cannot display individually on the website or in other channels.

Canua offers a wide range of DKV tour suggestions throughout Germany.

The tour suggestions describe the tour(s) in text and pictures and include the actual route. You get this when you purchase a tour:

  • A textual, illustrated description of the tour or the stages. This description varies depending on the author, region and tour. Usually, entry and exit points, return transport, distances and the exact nature of the route with kilometres, white water points and dangers are described in detail. The authors' own experiences of paddling the route are included and places of interest along the route are presented. In addition, there is an appendix with navigation rules and addresses of accommodation, campsites, local tourist offices, restaurants and other attractions on land and water.
  • The routes of the described routes. You can open them in canua in the map and use them as a template for your own trip. There are a few tours that do not yet include a route. However, this will be shown to you before you buy.

The tour suggestions are available in the iOS version of canua from 99 cents. They are available as so-called in-app products and you can purchase them individually with your Apple ID.

How can I try out the offer?You can find the readings, for example a day trip on the Elz, in canua atStart (bottom left).In the start screen, go to one of the reading samples and there toRead (set in blue),the route description appears andRoute > Show on mapopens the route on the map.

Where are the tour suggestions in canua for iOS?At the bottom right, click on the tabTours and then go to the topShow most beautiful tourstouch. The tour list starts with the tours you have already purchased. This is followed by the regions of Bavaria, divided into Upper Bavaria, Eastern Bavaria, Allgäu and Bavarian Swabia, as well as Franconia, Berlin and Brandenburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Baden-Württemberg.

Are you looking for tour suggestions in a specific area?Please let us know and we will see if we can bring this area forward. To do so, send a short email to appsupport@touchingcode.com Thank you very much.

Maps

canua uses the world map from OpenStreetMap (OSM) - copyright OpenStreetMap contributors. This map is very accurate and also contains a wealth of individual information for bodies of water. Nevertheless, the accuracy of the representation of water bodies is limited. For the representation of small water bodies, such as narrow channels, rivers and streams, OSM uses a standardised minimum width. At the highest zoom level, they even have angular contours. As with minor roads, the width on the map does not correspond to the real dimension. The track therefore deviates more often from the actual paddled line for small bodies of water, which are of interest to paddlers, than for large bodies of water.

In addition, meandering watercourses change their natural course over time. These changes have to be traced on the map again and again.

Smartphone

When recording, canua relies on the quality of the stream of coordinates provided by the operating system of your device. Canua processes and optimises the coordinates it receives. The actual raw data, however, comes from the location component of your smartphone.

The location is determined by satellite (GPS, Galileo, ...). It is most accurate when there is a line of sight to 4 to 5 satellites. On open water, the conditions are very good. On small rivers, which may be covered with trees, between high houses and especially under bridges, the signal is weaker and the recorded track may show jagged outliers or run dead straight for a short time.

Important settings for recording - Turning the mobile phone into a tracking device

Android smartphones are usually pre-configured by the manufacturers for low energy consumption and data saving. Phone calls and chats are supposed to work well and for a long time. Specialised apps, especially if they run in the background and do not appear to be active - as is the case with recording with canua - are switched off by the Android operating system without notice. This can lead to recording with canua being terminated or individual few points being connected with straight lines.

  • For a successful recording of your tour, please change the battery usage to unrestricted:
    1. select the settings of your Android device (not those of canua).
    2. select "Apps
    3. Choose "canua
    4. Select "Battery
    5. Select "Unrestricted" (the top item)
    The summary must then show "unrestricted and in the background". This option can be switched on and off individually for each app. You will not change the basic setting of your device, nor will you influence the behaviour of other apps.

  • under Permissions > Location, set the option for canua to "always use".

  • eventuell auch die allgemeine Energieeinsparung deaktivieren.Deaktivieren Sie in den Geräteeinstellungen unter Akku oder einer ähnlichen Bezeichnung alle Energiesparoptionen wie Energiesparen, Ultra-Energiesparen, Smart Power Saving.

  • Allow to run in the background.Under Start, set the options so that canua is allowed to run in the background.

  • activate the option "Screen permanently active" in canua.It appears directly before you start the recording. This prevents standby. However, the screen may be dark. It does not mean that the screen is lit for the whole journey.

  • … use the basic settings of canua when recording. With the default settings, canua uses all available data sources when recording and uses the mobile network together with the GPS of the device to be able to determine the location in as many situations as possible.

  • … Stow the device you are recording with as high up on the boat as possible. The GPS works best when there is visual contact with the satellites.

  • … connect an external power supply, for example a power bank, if available. If the Android smartphone is connected to the power supply during recording, older Android operating systems assume that the energy supply is secured and behave accordingly "wastefully". Apps or processes running in the background may not be switched off as quickly.

  • … The GPS signal almost always breaks down under bridges because it is blocked by the structure above you. So don't be surprised if there are outliers in the recorded line around bridges but also in urban canyons.

If a white space appears when registering or logging in, canua cannot access the Internet.

Zum Registrieren muss die canua App mit dem Internet verbunden sein. Canua prüft, ob die E-Mail, die du eingetragen hast, eindeutig ist und speichert das Konto auf dem canua-Server. Aber auch die Formulare zum Registrieren und Anmelden werden vom Server geladen.

  • Please check whether the device is connected to the Internet. For example, go to https://www.canua.info in the browser you normally use on your smartphone to view web pages.
  • Please check whether the canua app itself is connected to the internet. To do this, go to the smartphone settings under 'Wireless and network ⟫ Mobile data ⟫ Data usage ⟫ canua'. Here you can set the Internet access for each app for mobile data and WLAN. Here you must make sure that WLAN and background data are permitted for canua.

There seem to be some devices where, even though they are connected to the internet, the registration and login pages do not appear. We hope to have cracked this problem with one of the next updates. Please make sure that you have the latest version installed.

If the round objects with the paddling info are missing on the map and no waters are found when searching, the most common cause is the "Offline" option.

On the iPhone or iPad in canua, go to the settings in the menu and make sure that the "Offline" option is deactivated.

The "Offline" option is a development option that we use for testing. Canua needs a connection to the internet for all map operations. Although a lot of information, for example the map sections you have already viewed, is stored for a certain time in the cache memory within canua, so that the demand for mobile data is as low as possible, the round symbols are only visible when there is an existing internet connection.

For the privacy policy of the canua app, please follow this link:canua App Privacy Policy.

I have an electronic logbook and would like to register with canua, how do I do that?

The prerequisite is an existing DKV electronic logbook (eFB). The eFB uses a user name and password for authentication, not your e-mail address.

  • Start canua and go to Register. You may have to log out first so that login and registration are offered. To do this, touch Start, then the menu at the top left and then Logout.
  • Now touch the button at the bottomeFB.
  • Enter your electronic logbook data, i.e. your user name and password.
  • Finally, please confirm your entry.

Please note: You can always log in to canua with your electronic logbook, even if you have previously logged in with an email address, your Facebook or your Twitter account. If you register or log in to canua with your electronic logbook, your other accounts will remain, but most importantly, your recorded tracks, your planned tours and your purchased tours (currently only in the iOS version) will remain in canua, so you will not suffer any disadvantages if you log in using a different method.

I can't log in and Reset Password says Account does not exist.

How do I log in to canua with my electronic logbook?

If you originally met with aneFB accountIf you have registered with canua, you will also have to click on theeFB button (bottom)Press the button. The login screen will then appear, where you can log in with your eFB access data.

This allows tracks recorded with canua to be transferred to your electronic logbook within canua. The eFB uses a username and password for authentication, not the email address.

What do I do if I have forgotten my password?

The eFB password cannot be reset in canua as the user management for your electronic logbook is done on the eFB server. Please use the following link if you want to change your eFB password: https://efb.kanu-efb.de/register/helppassword.

What is the benefit of registering with the data from my electronic driver's logbook?

If you log in to canua with the access data of your electronic logbook, you can transfer your recorded tracks to your electronic logbook, which is located on the eFB server of the DKV.

In this case, the option "Transmit to eFB" appears after each recording of a trip. This option is only visible if you have previously logged in to canua with the username and password of your electronic logbook.

What is the eFB?

The electronic logbook, eFB for short, is a public portal for paddlers that the German Canoe Association (DKV) has been operating for some time. Here you can find detailed information about it: https://kanu-efb.de.

Canoeists can send their tracks from canua to theirelectronic logbookand thus easily participate in hiking competitions. But it is also possible to plan trips and view one's own paddled tracks on the map on the computer.

The DKV electronic logbook is freely accessible, it is free of charge and no membership of the DKV or other clubs is required.

Under Map Legend in the menu. Go to "Start" at the bottom, then to the three "dashes" at the top and then to "Map legend". Here the meanings of the round symbols and the letter abbreviations used in the water and object descriptions are explained. Please give us feedback if something is missing or not presented in an understandable way.

The following list can also be found in canua.

MWMotorway
TBTravel ban
YHYouth Hostel
RWRailway
WBCWater body code
HHWThe highest water level ever recorded at the measuring point in question.
HNWHighest navigable water level
FFloods
KCKanuclub
lilinks
MWMiddle water
NNWThe lowest water level ever recorded at the measuring point in question.
NRWDKV Water Guide North Rhine-Westphalia
NSGNature reserve
NWLow water
OSTDKV Waterways Guide East Germany
RCRowing Club
reright
s.see
StrStreet
SWDDKV Waterways Guide Southwest Germany
UVBank access ban
WSAWaterways and Shipping Authority
WWWhite water

You can recommend canua directly from the App Store or the Google Playstore.

To do this, search for canua in the AppStore on the iPhone, then touch the logo and go to the blue circle with the three dots on the right. You can then choose betweenShare app...and More from the developer. With Share app you get the usual recommend selection with email, social media .... etc pp. Which actions are offered here in detail depends on which apps are actually available on your device.

For Android, go to the PlayStore and selectMy AppsInstalled. Touch the canua symbol and go to the top right on the three dots. A small menu opens with the optionShare. Touch theShare-icon and you get the usual sharing choices with email, social media.... etc. The actions offered here depend on which apps are actually present on your device.