Polarsteps is a travel tracking and storytelling application that automatically records journeys, maps routes, and helps users turn trips into shareable stories. The objective was to support a location-aware, background-tracking mobile experience that works reliably across countries, devices, and network conditions.
The app is designed for travelers who want effortless travel logging without draining battery or constantly interacting with the app.
Key Challenges
Accurate background GPS tracking without excessive battery drain
Handling location permissions and OS restrictions across Android versions
Reliable tracking during offline travel and poor network conditions
Optimizing performance for long-running background services
Ensuring a smooth UX for travel timelines, maps, and media-heavy content
Solution
I worked on enhancing the Android mobile experience with a strong focus on location services, performance optimization, and reliability.
Key contributions included:
Optimized background location tracking logic
Improved handling of GPS, permissions, and OS-level limitations
Performance tuning for long trips and extended sessions
Stability improvements for map rendering and travel timelines
Ensuring seamless sync once the device reconnects to the internet
Core Features
Automatic trip tracking using GPS
Route mapping and location-based travel logs
Offline tracking with later synchronization
Timeline-based travel stories
Optimized battery and background performance
Smooth experience across Android devices
Results
Reliable tracking during long-distance and international travel
Improved app stability during extended background usage
Better user experience with minimal manual interaction
Scalable architecture supporting a large global user base