Frequently Asked Questions

SummitPeek uses your GPS position and your phone's motion sensors and compass to work out where you are and which way the camera is pointing. It then checks its database of 87,000 peaks for the ones you can see from your location, allowing for the curve of the Earth and atmospheric refraction, and places a label on each one.

No. Every peak is stored in the app, and the labels need only GPS and the compass, so SummitPeek works at the trailhead, on the summit, or anywhere you're out of coverage.

The map on a peak's detail card and Show in Maps come from Apple Maps, so they load when you have a connection.

Everywhere in the United States and Canada, in every state and province. Peak names come from the U.S. Geological Survey and Natural Resources Canada, and elevations are measured from the Copernicus elevation model. See Map Data for details.

iPhone, and iPad models with cellular, which have the GPS that SummitPeek needs. It requires iOS 17 or later.

Your phone's compass can be thrown off by nearby metal, magnets, and electronics, which turns all the labels sideways by the same amount. To fix it:

1. Step away from cars, metal railings, and magnetic phone cases or mounts.
2. Make sure Compass Calibration is on in the iPhone Settings app, under Privacy & Security › Location Services › System Services.
3. In SummitPeek, open Settings, tap Align with a Peak, drag any label onto its peak, and tap Done. The other labels follow.

You can also change the compass offset a degree at a time in Settings, and Reset puts it back to zero.

So the skyline stays readable, SummitPeek labels the summit that stands out most in each slice of the horizon, rather than every high point. A smaller peak right next to a more prominent one may not get its own label.

Also check your filters. If you've set a Minimum Elevation or Maximum Distance in Settings, peaks lower or farther away than your choices aren't labeled.

Yes. In Settings, set a Minimum Elevation or Maximum Distance to label only the peaks you care about, or switch Overlay Style from Text to GPS for small pins. Tap any label or pin for that peak's details.

Yes. Choose Miles or Kilometers under Distances in Settings. Elevations follow, in feet or meters.

If you're driving, put the phone away! As a passenger you'll still have trouble: the car's metal body and electronics confuse the compass, so the labels can't settle. SummitPeek works best when you're standing outside.

Tap the camera button on the main screen. SummitPeek takes a photo of the view with its labels on it, and you can save it or send it from the share sheet.

The peak's name, its altitude, and an Apple Maps link to the summit. Nothing about where you are is included.

In SummitPeek's Settings, tap Send Diagnostics and send the reports to the developer. These are reports iOS saved when the app crashed or stopped responding, and they don't include your location. Then use the contact form to tell us what happened.

Please do. SummitPeek is made by one developer who reads every message. Send your suggestions through the contact form.