Version 2.3 of WayAround, the last app update of 2018, contains several new features to help you customize the information you add to WayAround. Be sure to download the latest version from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. Keep reading for an overview of the new features, or check out this recording of an audio webinar about the release!

Why details?

Before we dive in to the new features, first let us explain about details in WayAround. When you enter information, there are two parts: the description of the item and the details.

The description is the most important information about the item. If you use VoiceOver or TalkBack, the description is what you will hear when you scan a WayTag. You can enter up to 2,000 characters, so there’s a lot of room to get creative.

The details are extra information that may be important sometimes, but not every time you scan a WayTag. For food items, you could enter nutrition information. For clothing, you may want to know laundering information. While you probably won’t need this information every single time you scan, it’s helpful sometimes.

WayAround lets you access that information sometimes, when it’s helpful to you. Unlike other audio-based labeling systems, WayAround structures the information so that you can access it when you want, but you don’t have to hear everything every time. Adding details is what makes WayAround much more than a labeling system. It’s a powerful information system that you can customize so it works hard to provide you the information you want, when you want it.

New Detail Features

Details are categorized into detail types. There are five pre-defined detail types in the WayAround app: Clothing Care, Groceries, Files, Cleaning Supplies, and Personal Care.

The detail types keep the information consistent within categories. The Personal Care detail type, for example, will always show details in this order: When To Use, Instructions, Purchase Date, Best Before, and Other Date. You may enter information for all, some, or none of the details. When you read the WayTag, it will display only details that you entered, always in the same order.

With release 2.3, in addition to the pre-defined common details, the app allows you to add a custom detail. To add a custom detail, enter the description, choose a detail type, then scroll to the bottom of the detail list to add your custom information. When you add a detail, you’ll add a label or heading for that detail, and then the detail text.

Here’s an example.

For a grocery item, I may need to keep track of whether a food item is okay for a certain person in my household. The label could read, “Okay for Michelle?” and the text could simply read, “yes.”

Custom Detail Types

Another new feature available in version 2.3 is the Custom Detail Type. When the item you are tagging does not fit into one of the five pre-defined categories (Clothing Care, Groceries, Files, Cleaning Supplies, and Personal Care), you can choose the new Custom Detail Type. This detail type allows you to enter an unlimited number of custom details.

Our co-founder Darwin uses the custom detail type to add important information about appliances. He includes the model number, the servicer, and contact information. He also includes reminders about scheduled maintenance. If an appliance needs servicing, he simply scans the WayTag to access all of the pertinent information in once place.

One note: when you are adding custom details, the information is all stored as text. Feel free to enter phone numbers, URLs, dates, numbers, or other information using the keyboard on your phone or the dictate function.

Low-Vision Enhancements

We also added several enhancements for our low-vision users to make WayAround work seamlessly with your chosen accessibility settings. Specifically, the dynamic font features on iPhone (where you can increase the font size across the entire device) is now supported through WayAround. Other supported accessibility settings include inverted color schemes, bold text, and zoom.

Be sure to get the latest updates from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, and let us know how you’re using the new features to add more customized information.