About the Pilot
Anyone in England who uses a wheeled mobility device — including manual wheelchairs, powered wheelchairs, mobility scooters (Class 2 and Class 3), handcycles, and tricycles. The app is free to download and open to all wheelers.
You can still use the app to help us map the wheelable network elsewhere in the UK if you live outside England. The only difference is that we will not ask you to complete a survey when you create an account.
The England Pilot runs from June 2026 to April 2027.
The pilot covers the whole of England — a big city, a market town or somewhere rural, your journeys count wherever you are. You don't need to stick to specific streets — record any journeys you take.
The wheelable network is a map of routes that are genuinely passable for people using wheeled mobility devices, built from the GPS journey data contributed by Mobility Mapper users across the UK. The pilot study is open across England, and the app and map work wherever you are in the UK. The network will form the foundation of a future route finder designed specifically for wheelers.
The pilot is led by Mobility Mapper, in partnership with Active Travel England, the Walk Wheel Cycle Trust and UWE Bristol.
Using the App
Yes, Mobility Mapper is, and will always be, completely free to download and use.
Mobility Mapper is out now on iPhone and Android. It needs iOS 15.1 or later, or Android 8.0 or later, and a phone with GPS — which all modern smartphones have.
No. Once you've started recording you can lock your screen and put your phone in a pocket or bag — the app keeps recording your route in the background. If you find journeys are cut short, check that your phone's battery saver isn't restricting the app — on Android, our guide to keeping journeys recording walks through the settings that fix it.
Yes. Press and hold the pause button while recording — a quick tap only shows a hint reminding you to hold it. Once paused, tap Resume to carry on, or Finish to end and save the journey.
No — reporting barriers, and adding toilets or parking, is entirely optional. Just recording your journeys is valuable. But if you do spot something, flagging it takes less than a minute and really helps build a more complete picture.
Yes. You can add multiple devices in the app and select which one you're using before each journey. This is useful if you use different devices in different situations.
Your journey data is uploaded securely and stored anonymously — and if you have no signal, it waits safely on your phone and uploads itself when you're back online. It contributes to the wheelable network map. It is never shared with third parties without your explicit consent.
Yes. You can record journeys, report barriers, and add or update toilets and parking — photos included — with no connection at all. Everything is saved on your phone, shown as Pending upload under Me, and uploads itself the moment you're back online. Only the map itself needs a connection to load new areas.
Yes. Use Add to the map on the Map tab, or add them while recording a journey. A few short steps ask for the location, facilities, opening times and optional photos, with a review step before anything is sent. On the map, you can filter toilets to show accessible ones only.
Yes — the map is maintained together. When another wheeler reports a barrier or adds a toilet or parking space near you, it appears on your Home screen; if you know the spot, open it, check the details and confirm it. If something has changed, you can edit it — the person who added it is told through the app's Mail tab, and you'll hear the same way when someone confirms or edits yours. If something looks wrong or inappropriate, use Report this content.
No. The app and map work anywhere in the UK — pan the map to another town and it loads the barriers, toilets and parking there, not just around you. Only the pilot study is England-based: if you live elsewhere in the UK, you simply won't be asked to take the survey.
The Pilot Study
The pilot study is an optional research element of the England Pilot, run in partnership with UWE Bristol. It involves answering a short survey when you sign up and again at the end of March 2027. The survey responses help us understand how the app is being used and demonstrate impact to our funding providers.
No. Participation in the pilot study is entirely optional. You can use Mobility Mapper and contribute journey data without taking part in the study.
Your survey responses are important for our funding providers and will help us secure further funding in future to keep Mobility Mapper running and growing. It only takes a few minutes and makes a real difference to the project's long-term future.
Yes, at any time and with no obligation. Select "Withdraw from the pilot study" on the Contact page, or email support@mobilitymapper.co.uk. Your anonymised journey data already contributed will be retained unless you request otherwise.
Privacy & Data
The app collects GPS location data while you record a journey, along with anything you add to the map — barrier reports, accessible toilets and Blue Badge parking spaces, including optional photos — and any confirmations or edits you make to others' additions. We also link the anonymised journey with your mobility device type and dimensions so that we can better understand the accessibility of the route. If you take part in the pilot study, it also collects your survey responses.
Yes. Journey data is anonymised and is never linked to your personal identity when shared or used for research.
Yes. The quickest way is in the app itself: go to Settings, tap Delete account and confirm — it takes effect immediately. If you've uninstalled the app or can't sign in, email support@mobilitymapper.co.uk instead. Our account deletion page explains both routes, and what is deleted and what is kept.
A privacy zone hides the part of any journey that passes near a place you choose — your home, for example. Set them up under Me → Privacy Zones in the app, pick a radius, and recorded journeys are trimmed before they leave your phone. You can add, edit or delete your zones at any time.
Troubleshooting
Check your spam or junk folder first. The verification code expires after 15 minutes. It's also worth double-checking the email address you entered, as a typo is the most common cause. If you still haven't received it, contact us at support@mobilitymapper.co.uk.
Make sure you've granted Mobility Mapper permission to access your location. Go to your phone's Settings, find Mobility Mapper, and check that Location is set to "While using the app" or "Always". Also check that battery saver or data-saving modes aren't restricting the app — on Android, our guide to keeping journeys recording covers the settings that matter.
Use the Contact page or email support@mobilitymapper.co.uk with a description of the problem and your device type. We'll aim to respond within 2 working days.