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User manual

Tourtagebuch

Manual for the web app and the mobile app

This manual describes how to use Tourtagebuch in the web app and the mobile PWA. It is for users who want to document, analyze and keep track of their tours — whether road cycling, MTB, hiking, running, motorcycling, paddling, ski touring, cross-country skiing or any other outdoor activity.

What Tourtagebuch can do

  • Tour entry with all relevant data (distance, duration, weather, partners, rating …)
  • Photos, voice notes and GPS markers per tour
  • Custom equipment and favorites for quick entry
  • Mobile app with offline mode — capture tours without network
  • Analytics, points system and year-over-year comparison
Version: May 2026 · ILSE Software GmbH & Co. KG · Erlangen, Germany

Conventions

Note. Notes show additional information that helps understanding.

Tip. Tips contain recommendations for working more efficiently with Tourtagebuch.

Warning. Warnings mark actions that cannot be undone — such as deleting a tour.

1. Getting started

What is Tourtagebuch?

Tourtagebuch is a digital tour diary for anyone who wants to systematically record their outdoor activities. Unlike pure tracking apps, it focuses on documentation in a broader sense: distance and duration are part of it, but so are notes, photos, weather conditions, partners, voice notes and GPS markers at notable points. The app is deliberately sport-agnostic — cycling, hiking, running, motorcycling, paddling, ski touring, cross-country skiing, inline skating, SUP, horseback riding and anything else are treated the same way.

Two apps, one data base

Tourtagebuch consists of two coordinated apps that share the same data. The web app runs in the browser on PC, tablet or phone and contains the full feature set including master data management and analytics. The mobile app is built as a Progressive Web App (PWA) and is optimized for capturing tours on the go — also offline.

Requirements and address

For the web app, a current browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge or Safari) on a PC, tablet or notebook is enough. The mobile app runs on any smartphone with a modern browser — installation happens directly from the browser, no app store required. Both apps are reachable at tourtagebuch.online. The mobile app additionally at tourtagebuch.online/app/ — this URL is needed for the first setup on your phone.

2. Sign-in and profile

Create an account

On the start page, click Register to create a new account. First name, last name, login name, email address and a password are required. A confirmation email is sent immediately; the link in the email activates the account. No payment details are collected — the first 30 days are free. See chapter 12 for details on the price model.

Sign in

When opening Tourtagebuch, the sign-in screen appears. Login name and password are required. After successful sign-in, you go straight to the tour overview.

Note. Passwords are stored as BCrypt hashes in the database. Neither the server operator nor other users can read the password.

Edit your profile

The user menu in the top right (web) or the user icon in the brand bar (mobile) takes you to the profile. You can edit profile picture, first name, last name, email address, password, language (de/en/fr), units (km/mi), email notifications and the idle time for automatic sign-out (15, 30, 60, 120 minutes or never).

Sign out

Sign-out happens via the user menu. In the mobile app, a bottom sheet opens with avatar, name, login name and a red sign-out button. If pending tours (not yet synchronized) exist, a confirmation dialog appears — the tours stay on the device in any case and reappear at the next sign-in.

Delete your account permanently

If you no longer want to use Tourtagebuch, you can delete your account via the user menu in the web app. Two confirmation prompts appear, including the required entry of your own login name.

Warning. Account deletion is permanent. All your own tours, photos, attachments, voice notes and markers are completely removed from the database and cloud storage.

3. The web app

The web app is the full Tourtagebuch cockpit. It covers all features — from tour entry through master data management to analytics and account administration.

Layout

Main menu entries

Tour overview

The tour overview is the central page: it shows all your tours sorted by date (newest on top) as a list with the most important metrics. The filter bar at the top combines period, equipment, equipment group, favorite and a free-text search. A click on a tour opens the edit view with all fields, photos, attachments, voice notes and GPS markers.

Quick view

Quick view is a compact dashboard with the main numbers of the current year compared to the previous one: number of tours, kilometers, average speed, elevation, points. Useful to get a quick read on the current season.

Analytics

Analytics provide a year comparison (monthly bars), season comparison (two seasons side by side), equipment comparison (share per item), personal bests (longest, fastest, highest tour) and breakdown by equipment groups.

4. The mobile app (PWA)

The mobile app is a Progressive Web App (PWA). It is not loaded from an app store but installed directly from the browser onto your phone and then used like a native app.

Installation on iPhone

  1. Open Safari and go to tourtagebuch.online/app/
  2. Tap the share icon at the bottom center
  3. Choose ‘Add to Home Screen’ in the menu
  4. Confirm — the Tourtagebuch icon appears on the home screen

Installation on Android

  1. Open Chrome and go to tourtagebuch.online/app/
  2. Tap the install banner or choose ‘Install app’ in the menu
  3. Confirm — the Tourtagebuch icon appears in the app drawer

App layout

What the mobile app can and cannot do

Capture tourYes, also offline
Edit tourYes, your own tours
Delete tourYes, with confirmation
Attach photos via cameraYes, also offline
Record voice noteYes
Set GPS markerYes
Manage master dataOnly in the web app
View analyticsPlanned
Mark tour as favoriteOnly in the web app

5. Capturing a tour

Creating a new tour is very similar in both apps. The difference is mainly the input — touch or mouse — and the availability of camera and GPS on the phone.

In the web app

  1. Open ‘Tours’ in the main menu
  2. Click the ‘New tour’ button
  3. Fill the form and save

In the mobile app

  1. Tap the big FAB button in the bottom right
  2. Fill the form and save

Required fields and defaults

Required fields are marked with a red-orange star. The save button stays disabled while required fields are empty.

NameRequired — pre-filled with ‘Tour on YYYY-MM-DD’, editable
EquipmentRequired — from your own equipment list
DateRequired — pre-filled with today
KilometersRequired — greater than 0

Optional fields

Duration as hh:mm:ss, elevation up and down, temperature, heart rate, RPM, calories, favorite, rating (Normal/Good/Bad), partners, rain/wind/flat tire/trailer, note (see chapter 7), photos, link to external source (e.g. Strava, Komoot).

Automatic calculations

Note. Both values are shown live during input. Points are stored in the database and recalculated on edit. The formula is identical in web and mobile.

Attach photos

In the web app, photos can be added by drag-and-drop or via the file picker. In the mobile app, the photo button opens the camera or photo picker. Photos are compressed before upload to save space.

6. Editing and deleting tours

Edit tour

A click (web) or tap (mobile) on a tour in the list opens the edit form. It is identical to the new-entry form, all fields pre-filled. The title reads ‘Edit tour’ and a red delete button appears in the footer.

Note. In the mobile app, pending tours (not yet synchronized) can also be edited offline. Already synchronized tours require an online connection.

Delete tour

The delete button only appears in edit mode and is colored red. After click, a confirmation dialog always appears with the key tour data and a note about attached photos.

Warning. Confirmation before every delete — nothing is removed without your okay. Confirmed deletes are however final: photos, attachments, voice notes and markers of the tour are removed too. This rule applies to all delete operations in web and mobile — individual photos, attachments, markers, voice notes, equipment and favorites included.

Remove single attachments

Photos, voice notes and markers can be removed individually without deleting the whole tour. Each attachment shows a delete icon in the edit form; clicking it triggers the same confirmation.

7. Notes, voice and GPS markers

The notes field is more than a text box. In both apps, tapping the field opens a full-screen sheet with three extra functions.

The notes sheet

Dictation

After tapping the microphone, the icon turns red and speech recognition runs. Recognized text appears live in the field — interim results in grey, finalized words in black. Tap again to stop.

Note. Speech recognition runs via the browser vendor (Apple or Google) and transmits short audio segments to their servers. This processing is part of the privacy policy.

Record voice note

Tap the speech bubble to start recording. The duration is shown while recording. Maximum length: 5 minutes — recording stops automatically afterwards. Voice notes can be played back later by tapping the list entry.

Set GPS marker

When you tap the pin icon, the app asks for permission to access the position and then stores latitude and longitude as a marker for the tour. Any number of markers per tour is possible. Optionally a short comment can be added. In the web app, markers are shown on a small map below the notes field. Setting or updating markers works only in the mobile app, since GPS is required.

8. Filters, search, analytics

Filters in the tour list

PeriodFrom-date and to-date, freely selectable
EquipmentSingle equipment or multiple selection
Equipment groupe.g. ‘Bikes’, ‘Hiking’, ‘Motorcycle’
FavoriteA specific tour name
SearchFree text in name and notes

Note. In the mobile app, equipment and favorites open as two separate bottom sheets, making thumb selection easier.

Quick view

Quick view compares the current year directly to the previous one. A selection filter allows comparing other seasons. Main metrics: number of tours, kilometers, average speed, elevation and points.

Analytics

The analytics page bundles charts: year comparison (monthly bars, multiple years), season comparison (this vs. last), equipment comparison (share per item in total km), bests (longest, fastest, highest-point tour) and equipment group shares (e.g. cycling vs. hiking vs. motorcycle).

Tip. Filters also apply to analytics. For instance, view only the last three months of road cycling by setting period and equipment group accordingly.

9. Master data: equipment and favorites

Master data is managed only in the web app. The mobile app reads it and caches it locally so it is available offline for tour entry.

Equipment

An equipment item is a concrete vehicle or sports gear — e.g. ‘Road bike Cervélo’, ‘MTB hardtail’, ‘Motorcycle BMW’, ‘Hiking boots’, ‘Kayak’ or ‘XC skis’. The list is user-specific. New items are created in the ‘Equipment’ menu via ‘New equipment’. The name is editable by clicking on it. Order is adjustable by drag-and-drop or sort value. An item can only be deleted if no tour references it anymore.

Equipment groups

Equipment groups bundle several items under a shared label — e.g. ‘Bikes’ (road, MTB, gravel), ‘Hiking’ (hiking boots), ‘Motorized’ (motorcycle) or ‘Water’ (kayak, SUP). An item can belong to several groups at once.

Note. Equipment groups are an additional filter in tour overview, quick view and analytics. A group can be marked as default start view so the desired selection appears automatically after login.

Favorites

Favorites are frequently used tour names — like ‘Home loop 30 km’, ‘Commute’ or ‘Black Forest tour’. When recording a new tour, you can pick a favorite to fill the name.

Confirmation when deleting

Deleting equipment, an equipment group or a favorite also triggers a confirmation. Equipment can only be removed once no tour references it — otherwise the affected tours must first be reassigned to another item.

10. Offline use and synchronization

The mobile app is built to keep working without a network. That matters because many tours happen in areas with weak coverage — mountains, forests, countryside.

Offline indicator

As soon as connectivity drops, an offline icon and a discreet banner appear in the brand bar. It clearly shows that no server access is happening at the moment.

What works offline

What requires online

Pending tours and auto-sync

Offline-captured tours show a ‘Waiting for sync’ marker in the list. As soon as the app reconnects, it transmits the waiting tours in the background. A toast ‘X tours synchronized’ reports completion.

Note. If the first attempt fails — e.g. because the connection drops again — the app waits and retries shortly. Pending tours remain on the device until successful transmission.

Sign-out with pending tours

If pending tours exist at sign-out, a warning appears. The tours are not deleted — they stay on the device and reappear at the next sign-in of the same user.

11. Security and privacy

Data hosting

Tour data is stored in a SQL Server database on a German server. Photos, attachments and voice notes are stored in German cloud storage (Strato HiDrive). All file access happens through the app and requires a valid sign-in.

Passwords

Passwords are stored as BCrypt hashes. Even the server operator cannot see the plain-text password. Changing the password always requires the current password for confirmation.

Auto sign-out

After extended inactivity, the user is signed out automatically. The default is 30 minutes and can be set in the profile between 15 minutes and ‘never’. A short value is recommended on shared devices.

GDPR and privacy

The full privacy policy is linked in both apps (footer in web, user menu in app). It lists all services and data categories in use.

Data export (right to portability)

From the profile page, a full data export can be created. The result is a ZIP archive with all your data, photos, voice notes and attachments.

Warning. Before deleting your account, a backup of your tours via data export is recommended — the GDPR export delivers a ZIP archive with all your data.

Confirmation before every delete

Before every delete operation in the web and mobile apps, a confirmation appears. This applies to tours, individual photos, attachments, voice notes, GPS markers, equipment, equipment groups and favorites. Nothing is removed without confirmation.

12. Price and trial period

Tourtagebuch has a deliberately simple price model: 30 days free, then an annual subscription that renews automatically after the first year and is then cancellable monthly.

The first 30 days

From sign-up, all features are available free for 30 days. No payment details are collected at registration — no credit card, no bank account, no auto-subscription that would start unwanted after the trial.

After the 30 days

To keep using Tourtagebuch afterwards, you take out an annual subscription at €19.90. The subscription is activated inside the app; payment details are collected there. The initial term is twelve months. After that, it renews automatically for an indefinite period and is cancellable at any time with one month's notice.

Cancellation

During the renewal phase you can cancel at any time with one month's notice — directly in the app or by email. After cancellation, access expires at the end of the paid period. Your data is then kept for a few weeks in case you change your mind. After that, all personal data and tour content is automatically and completely removed from the database and cloud storage.

Tip. If you want to back up your data before expiry, a full data export can be created at any time via the profile page (see chapter 11).

13. Frequently asked questions

My tour does not appear in the list — what to do?

Check if filters are active (period, equipment, favorite). Reset or widen them. In the mobile app: go online once so server tours load.

The mobile app shows a blank screen after an update.

Reload browser data: F12 → Application → Storage → ‘Clear site data’, then reopen the app. Ctrl+Shift+R is often not enough.

Equipment and favorites are missing in the mobile app.

Go online once so master data loads. After that it is available offline too.

A photo cannot be uploaded.

Check the maximum size per photo (10 MB). In the mobile app: check connectivity. Pending photos are transmitted automatically at the next online sync.

GPS marker does not work.

On your phone under ‘Settings → Privacy → Location Services’ allow access for the browser or installed app.

Dictation recognizes nothing.

Allow microphone access in the browser. On iPhone you can also use the microphone icon on the system keyboard.

How do I back up my data?

On the profile page choose ‘Export data’. The result is a ZIP archive with all tours, photos and attachments.

How do I cancel, and what happens to my data?

After the first year the subscription renews automatically and is cancellable monthly — in the app or by email. After cancellation, access expires. Data is kept for a few weeks so you can change your mind. After that, all data is automatically removed. A data export is possible at any time (see chapter 11).

Where can I send feedback or report a bug?

By email to info@tourtagebuch.online — constructive feedback feeds into the next versions. Alternatively via the contact form on tourtagebuch.online.

Have fun with Tourtagebuch.

This manual is updated as new features arrive. Suggestions are very welcome.