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User Profile Settings

Customize your GeoPulse experience by configuring your profile information, preferences, and display settings. Your profile settings control how you see data, how maps are displayed, and what page you land on after login.

User Profile Settings

Accessing Profile Settings​

  1. Click on your avatar in the top-right corner of the interface
  2. Select Profile from the dropdown menu
  3. The Profile tab opens by default with all your personal settings

Profile Picture​

Choosing Your Avatar​

GeoPulse provides 20 professionally designed avatars to choose from:

  1. Your current avatar is displayed at the top with a blue border
  2. Scroll through the available avatars in the grid below
  3. Click any avatar to select it
  4. Your selection is highlighted with a blue border
  5. Click Save Changes to apply your new avatar
Avatar Visibility

Your avatar appears in the navigation bar, on the Friends page (if you're sharing location), and in any shared views where your location is visible to friends.

Personal Information​

Full Name​

Your display name shown throughout the GeoPulse interface.

  • Required field - must be at least 2 characters
  • Used in the interface and when friends view your shared location
  • Can contain letters, numbers, and spaces
  • This is separate from your login username

Email Address​

Your email address is displayed but cannot be changed after account creation.

Why Can't I Change My Email?

Email addresses are used as unique identifiers for user accounts. To change your email, contact your GeoPulse administrator who can update it at the system level.

Display Preferences​

Timezone​

Select your local timezone to ensure all dates and times are displayed correctly.

How it's used:

  • Timeline events show in your local time
  • Dashboard statistics reflect your timezone
  • Date/time filters use your timezone
  • Activity timestamps are converted to your local time

Tips:

  • Use the filter/search box to quickly find your timezone
  • Over 50 major timezones are available
  • Changes take effect immediately after saving
  • Affects both past and future data displays

Example timezones:

  • America/New_York - Eastern Time (GMT-5)
  • Europe/London - British Time (GMT+0)
  • Asia/Tokyo - Japan Standard Time (GMT+9)
  • Australia/Sydney - Australian Eastern Time (GMT+10)

Measurement Unit​

Choose how distances and speeds are displayed throughout GeoPulse.

Options:

UnitDistanceSpeedBest For
MetricKilometers, meterskm/hMost of the world
ImperialMiles, feetmphUnited States, UK

What it affects:

  • Trip distances in Timeline and Dashboard
  • Speed indicators on maps and activity views
  • Journey Insights statistics
  • Exported data displays
  • All distance-related filters and calculations
Consistency Across App

Your measurement unit preference applies to all pages and reports, ensuring consistent data presentation.

Default Home Page​

Choose which page you see after logging in or when you click the GeoPulse logo.

Available options:

  • Timeline - Your chronological location history
  • Dashboard - Statistics and overview
  • Journey Insights - Detailed trip analysis
  • Friends - Location sharing with friends
  • Rewind - Time-based location playback
  • GPS Data - Raw location point data
  • Location Sources - Manage your data import sources
  • Custom URL - Specify any internal path

Using Custom URLs:

  • Select "Custom URL..." from the dropdown
  • Enter an internal path starting with / (e.g., /app/dashboard)
  • Must be a valid GeoPulse page path
  • Useful for bookmarking specific views or filtered pages

Examples:

/app/timeline?date=2024-01-01
/app/dashboard
/app/journey-insights?month=current
Default Behavior

If you don't set a default home page, GeoPulse uses its built-in default (typically Timeline).

Map Customization​

Custom Map Tile URL​

Replace the default OpenStreetMap tiles with custom map styles from providers like MapTiler, Mapbox, or any tile service.

URL Format:

https://api.maptiler.com/maps/streets/{z}/{x}/{y}.png?key=YOUR_API_KEY

Required placeholders:

  • {z} - Zoom level
  • {x} - Tile X coordinate
  • {y} - Tile Y coordinate

How to set up:

  1. Sign up for a map tile service (MapTiler, Mapbox, etc.)
  2. Get your API key from the provider
  3. Copy the tile URL template
  4. Paste it into the Custom Map Tile URL field
  5. Save changes

Popular map providers:

ProviderExample URL
MapTilerhttps://api.maptiler.com/maps/streets/{z}/{x}/{y}.png?key=YOUR_KEY
Mapboxhttps://api.mapbox.com/styles/v1/mapbox/streets-v11/tiles/{z}/{x}/{y}?access_token=YOUR_TOKEN
Thunderforesthttps://tile.thunderforest.com/cycle/{z}/{x}/{y}.png?apikey=YOUR_KEY
Stamenhttps://tiles.stadiamaps.com/tiles/stamen_terrain/{z}/{x}/{y}.png
CORS-Free Tiles

GeoPulse automatically proxies all custom tile requests through its backend, eliminating CORS (Cross-Origin Resource Sharing) issues that typically occur when loading tiles directly from third-party providers.

Validation:

  • URL must start with http:// or https://
  • Must contain all three placeholders: {z}, {x}, {y}
  • Maximum length: 1000 characters

Leave empty to use the default OpenStreetMap tiles.

For more details, see Custom Map Tiles.

Privacy Settings​

Share My Location with Friends​

Control whether your friends can see your location when you've accepted their friend requests.

How it works:

  • Enabled (default) - Friends can see your current and historical location
  • Disabled - Your location is hidden from all friends

Important notes:

  • You can still see your friends' locations even when your sharing is disabled
  • This affects all friends simultaneously (not per-friend control)
  • Useful for temporary privacy when traveling or when you don't want to be tracked
  • Can be toggled on/off at any time

What friends see when disabled:

  • Your marker disappears from the Friends Map
  • They can't see your location history
  • Your profile still appears in their friends list
Temporary Privacy

Use this toggle for temporary privacy without removing friends. Simply turn it back on when you want to resume sharing.

Saving Your Changes​

Save Button​

The Save Changes button is only enabled when you've made modifications:

  • Disabled (grayed out) - No changes to save
  • Enabled (blue) - Changes are pending

Reset Button​

Click Reset to discard all unsaved changes and restore your current settings.

What gets reset:

  • All form fields return to their saved values
  • Avatar selection reverts to current avatar
  • Any validation errors are cleared

Tips and Best Practices​

Optimize Your Profile​

  1. Choose a recognizable avatar - Makes it easier for friends to identify you
  2. Set your correct timezone - Essential for accurate time-based filtering
  3. Configure custom map tiles - Improve map aesthetics with satellite imagery or styled maps
  4. Set a default home page - Save time by landing on your most-used page

Privacy Considerations​

  1. Location sharing - Disable when you want temporary privacy
  2. Custom map tiles - External tile providers may log your map requests
  3. Avatar selection - Choose avatars that don't reveal personal information

Performance Tips​

  1. Custom tile URLs - Some providers are faster than others; test different services
  2. Measurement units - Choose what you're comfortable with for quick comprehension
  3. Default home page - Set it to your most-used page to reduce clicks

Troubleshooting​

Changes Not Saving​

Problem: Clicking Save doesn't appear to work

Solutions:

  1. Check for validation errors (red text under fields)
  2. Ensure Full Name is at least 2 characters
  3. Verify custom URLs have required placeholders
  4. Check your internet connection
  5. Try refreshing the page and re-entering changes

Custom Map Tiles Not Loading​

Problem: Maps are blank or showing errors

Solutions:

  1. Verify your API key is correct
  2. Check the URL contains {z}, {x}, and {y} placeholders
  3. Ensure URL starts with https:// (not http:// for some providers)
  4. Try removing the custom URL to test with default tiles
  5. Check your tile provider's usage limits

Timezone Not Taking Effect​

Problem: Times still show incorrectly

Solutions:

  1. Verify you clicked Save Changes
  2. Refresh the browser page (Ctrl+F5 or Cmd+Shift+R)
  3. Check you selected the correct timezone from the list
  4. Log out and log back in

Avatar Not Updating​

Problem: New avatar doesn't appear

Solutions:

  1. Ensure you clicked Save Changes after selecting
  2. Hard refresh your browser (Ctrl+F5 or Cmd+Shift+R)
  3. Clear browser cache
  4. Try selecting a different avatar first, save, then select your desired one

For more customization options, see:

Frequently Asked Questions​

Q: Can I use my own image as an avatar? A: Currently, GeoPulse only supports the 20 predefined avatars. Custom image uploads are not available.

Q: Can I change my email address? A: Email addresses cannot be changed through the user interface. Contact your GeoPulse administrator if you need to update your email.

Q: Do I need an API key for custom map tiles? A: Most professional map tile providers require an API key. However, some services like OpenStreetMap derivatives may offer free tiles without authentication.

Q: Will changing my timezone affect my historical data? A: No, your location data is stored with UTC timestamps. Changing your timezone only affects how times are displayed, not the underlying data.

Q: Can I hide my location from specific friends only? A: The current location sharing toggle affects all friends simultaneously. Per-friend visibility controls are not yet available.

Q: What happens if I enter an invalid custom URL? A: GeoPulse validates URLs before saving. If a URL is invalid, you'll see an error message explaining what needs to be corrected.

Q: Are there costs for using custom map tiles? A: It depends on your provider. Most services offer free tiers with usage limits, then charge for higher volumes. Check your provider's pricing.