Apps / GoodTides
GoodTides support
Email paul@paulcalver.com and you'll get a reply from me, usually within two working days.
GoodTides is made by one person, Paul Calver, an iOS developer of 15 years who built it for his own use on the coast. No ticket queue, no bot.
Safety
Do not use GoodTides to decide whether a tidal crossing, causeway or similar is safe. Predictions are estimates and can be wrong by a meaningful margin in unusual weather. Use official sources for anything where the answer matters.
Common questions
Do I have to share my location?
No. Location access is optional and only used to find the coast nearest to you. You can search for places by name and save them instead, and the app works normally that way.
How accurate are the predictions?
Tide predictions are astronomical calculations for a prediction point near your chosen location, and the app shows you which point was used and how far away it is. Real water levels are also affected by weather, atmospheric pressure and surge, so treat every prediction as a good estimate rather than a measurement.
Can I use GoodTides to decide whether a tidal crossing is safe?
No. Do not use GoodTides to judge the safety of a causeway, tidal road, sandbar or any crossing where being wrong has serious consequences. It is a recreation and planning tool, not a navigation instrument. Use official tide tables, local signage, harbour authorities and local knowledge for anything safety critical.
What do the source and freshness labels mean?
Every forecast shows where the data came from and when it was retrieved. Tide data and weather conditions come from different providers, so they are labelled separately. If the app is showing cached data, or falling back to an offline astronomical prediction, it says so rather than quietly presenting old numbers as current ones.
Why is a location slightly different from the tide table I usually use?
Predictions are tied to a prediction point, which may be a short distance from the exact spot you picked, and different sources use different chart datums. The app shows the prediction point, its distance and the datum so you can see the basis for the number. If you normally use a specific official station, compare against it once before relying on the app.
Does it work offline?
Partly. Recent forecasts are cached, and beyond that the app can fall back to an astronomical prediction calculated on your device. Both states are labelled. What it cannot do offline is fetch fresh data or current weather conditions.
What does GoodTides Plus include, and how do I cancel?
Live tide data and the complete experience require GoodTides Plus, including the seven-day forecast, planning, Tide Moments and system surfaces. You can choose a yearly subscription or a one-off lifetime purchase. Purchases are handled entirely by Apple. To cancel a yearly subscription, open the Settings app, tap your name, tap Subscriptions, select GoodTides and cancel; the current period runs to its end. A lifetime purchase is not a subscription and needs no cancelling.
I paid but GoodTides Plus is not showing.
Open the app settings and use Restore Purchases while signed in to the Apple Account that made the purchase. If it still does not appear, email support with your device model, app version and approximate purchase date.
What are Tide Moments, and are my photos private?
Tide Moments keeps a photo, place, capture date and any available saved tide and sea conditions together in a private library on your device. Take a photo or choose one from your library. Your Moments are not uploaded or published automatically. You can choose to export a share card. Older photos do not receive invented historical tide details.
Do I need an account?
No. GoodTides has no accounts, no sign-up and no password. Your saved locations and preferences live on your device.
A widget, complication or Live Activity is not updating.
System surfaces are refreshed by iOS on its own schedule and can lag, particularly in Low Power Mode. Opening the app usually forces a refresh. If a surface stays stale for a long period, email support with your device model and iOS version.
Still stuck?
Email paul@paulcalver.com, including your device model, iOS version and the location you were looking at. See also the privacy policy and the GoodTides overview.
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