How do I join the beta?

The new Play Store rules prohibit MyTrails from self-updating, so while it can check for updates (including optionally beta versions) on startup, it can no longer download and install the update, but must instead wait for the Play Store to perform the update.

Google mandates the following process for participating in a beta program:

  1. ​activate the beta program
  2. wait for the Play Store to find the update (if there is a beta version more recent than the current release), or go to MyTrails’s page on the Play Store to force the update

​​This can be done on the web or a device, and it’s reversible: if you want to leave the beta program, just go back to the link in step 2 and deactivate the beta (if you’re currently using a beta, you won’t be automatically down-graded to an earlier release).

All users are advised to set the Play Store to auto-update all applications. If you like to keep track of updates, Changelog Droid is a great app for that (and more).

Getting back to the release track

If you need to go back to a stable version after installing a beta and are not willing to wait for a more recent stable version to be released, do not uninstall MyTrails unless you have made a backup of your current data. If you do, your settings and data will be lost (except tracks saved to GPX).

  1. go to this page and choose Leave the test
  2. make sure that you have no unsaved recording in MyTrails (a track you’ve been recording but which has not been saved to a GPX file)
  3. make a backup:
    • if you have rooted your device, you can use Titanium Backup or a similar tool
    • if you have not rooted your device or are not sure what “rooted” means, you can use a tool such as MyBackup (you can install it from MyTrails > Preferences > About) or Helium
  4. once you have a reliable backup, you can uninstall MyTrails, then reinstall it from the Play Store (you should be getting the release version instead of the beta)
  5. and restore your backup!

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