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Frequently Asked Questions

New to LitterApp? You might have questions. Most are answered via Slack, but we’ve listed common ones below.

Are you a splinter group from OpenLitterMap (OLM), and why don’t you support them?

Many LitterApp users previously contributed to OLM. However, changes in decision-making and focus led to volunteers feeling unheard.

After failed attempts to improve things within OLM, LitterApp was created—a collaborative, open platform where motivated volunteers can work without bottlenecks.

Is LitterApp a copy of an existing program?

No, LitterApp is unique. It’s open-source, low-cost, and community-driven.

Costs are covered collectively by users, and the project doesn’t depend on one person. Everyone can contribute and guide newcomers, following the ‘pay it forward’ principle.

Together, we work for a cleaner world.

What should I do if I find an item or brand missing from the list?

Our list is extensive but not complete. If something’s missing, contact us and request access to Slack.

In Slack, you can report missing items or brands, and a volunteer will add them to the list.

I'm new to LitterApp, I’ve uploaded my first picture but can't find it on the map. How come?

First of all, thanks for joining and giving it a try! You’re almost there, but it seems there’s something missing... The GPS-location.

This can have several reasons, and we will go through some of them:

  • Your phone is set not to store GPS-location. In that case, we can't tell where the picture was taken, and we cannot show the dot on the map. We do show the picture though, but in the area of the Bermuda Triangle.
  • Your phone is set to store GPS-location, but it is lost somewhere. There can be several reasons for this:
  • You sent the picture via a program to another location before upload (e.g., via WhatsApp). WhatsApp removes GPS-locations.
  • You uploaded the picture via your phone. Some users have issues doing it this way. Somehow, the picture has a GPS-location, but after uploading, we see that the GPS is lost. However, not all users experience this problem, see below what you can try to do to solve it.

What can I do to solve it?

The method that seems to work for all users is to move the pictures from the phone to the computer.

This can be done by connecting your phone to your computer and copying the photos, or by copying them from a cloud backup without even having to connect the phone.

Once they’re on the computer, try uploading some of them via the computer. There’s a good chance you will now see the dot on the map. Besides, by working this way, you can upload many (think in the area of 200) pictures at the same time.

Another reason can be that you are using Android and there are 2 ways to upload pictures. The mostly used method is:

Phone > Upload > Browse > choose file > select photos or albums and select the photos. In that case GPS seems to get lost.

The alternative is:

Phone > Upload > Browse > the 3 vertical dots in the top-right of the screen > Browse. The pictures that are shown now have 4 arrows pointing outwards, indicating that they have GPS. If you select the pictures from here, GPS seems to be kept, so they will show on the map ánd you will see an extra icon on the photo in 'my photos', indicating that it has GPS.

If all this is still not working, please contact us so we can try to help you further.