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Access & Recovery

What to do when Bristol Maps will not let you in -- you paid but the app says otherwise, your subscription lapsed, you forgot your password, or you need to sign in under a different account.

First: What Unlocks the App

Bristol Maps counts you as subscribed if any one of these is true. You do not need all of them.

Method Where it comes from
App Store subscription Bought on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac through Apple
Play Store subscription Bought on Android through Google
PrePaid / comped Issued against your account, often by a processor
Stripe Bought on the web or through the desktop app

If you have more than one -- say a processor-issued unlock and your own App Store subscription -- the app uses whichever is valid longest. Losing one does not lock you out while another is still good.

You have to be signed in for some of these

PrePaid and Stripe unlocks live on your Bristol Maps account. If you bought through the store and never created an account, the app can still unlock, but nobody at support can look you up. Creating an account is what makes recovery possible.

Restore Purchase

Use this when you know you paid on this store but the app thinks the subscription is missing -- typically after a reinstall, a new device, or a phone swap.

Settings > Advanced & Development > Restore Subscription > Restore Purchase

The in-app description reads:

Re-validate your App Store / Play Store subscription if the app thinks it's missing.

Turn on Beta Options first

The Restore Purchase row is hidden unless Beta Options Enabled is switched on, on the same Advanced & Development page. Turn that on and the row appears below it.

Restore is also offered directly on the paywall popups and on the activation screen (Restore Previous Purchase), which is usually the quicker route when you are already locked out.

Restore pulls the latest receipt from the App Store or Play Store and refreshes any subscription tags on your account, so it picks up prepaid and Stripe unlocks too.

Renewal

If your subscription has lapsed, you get a non-dismissable renewal popup on launch showing your expiry date. It offers:

Option What it does
Renew Subscription Starts the store purchase flow
Restore Purchase Re-reads your store receipt and account tags
Check Subscription Status Re-checks the server without prompting the store -- picks up a new prepaid top-up, a Stripe renewal, or a subscription bought on another device
Not you? Sign out Signs out so you can sign in under a different account
Need help? What should I do? Instructions tailored to how you bought, plus support@bristolmaps.com

Try Check Subscription Status before you buy anything

If your processor topped up your unlock, or you renewed on another device, Check Subscription Status will find it. It costs nothing and does not open the store.

"I Paid and It Still Won't Let Me In"

Work through these in order:

  1. Get online. The app has to reach the server to confirm a subscription it cannot see locally.
  2. Check Subscription Status on the renewal popup.
  3. Restore Purchase -- on the popup, the activation screen, or in Settings.
  4. Confirm you are signed in to the right account. A prepaid unlock issued to a different email address will not help the account you are currently signed in as.
  5. Email support@bristolmaps.com. Include the email address on your account and which store you bought through.

If the app cannot reach the server at all, a previously-paid user keeps working offline. Bristol Bay boats lose signal for weeks at a time and the app is deliberately generous about this. Once you are back online, the server has the last word.

Signing In to a Different Account

Both the renewal popup and the activation screen offer a way out to the sign-in page -- Not you? Sign out on the popup, Sign In to a Different Account on the activation screen.

Use it when your subscription lives under another account. Signing in there refreshes the account attributes that gate access, so a prepaid or Stripe unlock issued to that email takes effect immediately.

PrePaid and Processor-Comped Accounts

A PrePaid unlock is issued against your Bristol Maps account with an end date. When it runs out, the app re-gates you exactly like any other lapsed subscription.

  • If your processor is covering you, ask them to extend it, then tap Check Subscription Status.
  • If you also have your own store subscription, that keeps you unlocked independently.
  • The unlock is tied to the account it was issued to. Sign in as that account.

Stripe

Stripe subscriptions are bought on the web and through the desktop app. They unlock the mobile app too -- sign in with the same account.

The desktop app's subscription screen states it plainly:

Already subscribed on iOS or Android? Sign in with the same account and your subscription will activate automatically -- no extra purchase required.

The reverse also holds: a Stripe subscription unlocks your phone and tablet once you sign in there.

On Windows and Mac there is no in-app store purchase. If a desktop install tells you your subscription expired, renew on the website and then sign back in to refresh.

Forgot Password

Password reset runs from the sign-in page. Tap Forgot Password.

  1. Enter your email or username. The screen notes: If an account exists with this email, a reset code will be sent.
  2. Tap Send Code.
  3. Check your email for the reset code -- including your spam folder.
  4. Enter the Reset Code and a New Password (at least 8 characters).
  5. Tap Reset Password, then sign in with the new password.

Tip

If nothing arrives, check that you used the address the account was registered under. The screen deliberately does not tell you whether an account exists, so a typo looks the same as a success.

Delete Account

Account deletion is requested from the About page.

Tap Delete Account and confirm. The app warns that the action cannot be undone. Once submitted you get:

Your account has been requested to be deleted. This process is underway and may take up to one week to confirm all information is removed.

You can also email support@bristolmaps.com from your registered account address with the request.

Deleting your account does not cancel store billing

An App Store or Play Store subscription is billed by Apple or Google and has to be cancelled in their subscription settings. See Subscription & Billing.

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