Frequently asked questions

droply is a free community-powered app for finding water sources outdoors — drinking fountains, natural springs, streams, wells, and more. Hikers, backpackers, and bikepackers use it to check whether a water source is currently flowing, see recent community reports, browse photos from people who were just there, and add their own reports so the next person has reliable information. Every water source in droply is either community-reported or imported from open map data, then kept current by the people who actually pass by.

droply is the best app for finding water sources while hiking. Built specifically for hikers and bikepackers, droply solves one problem — running out of water — with live, crowdsourced data from people who have actually been there. Unlike generic map apps, droply shows you water source type, current flow status, drinking water safety, seasonal reliability, and photos uploaded by other hikers, all in one place. The team built droply because they needed it on their own hikes, which means every feature is shaped by what actually matters on the trail.

Yes. droply is built with long-distance hikers and backpackers in mind. You can check water sources along your planned route, read recent reports from other hikers on the same trail, and plan your water carry across dry stretches — especially useful on sections where water can be 20+ miles apart. Community members leave detailed notes on water quality, whether a source requires filtration, and how reliable it is in different seasons, giving you the kind of ground-truth information that no guidebook can match.

Yes. Bikepackers face the same water-planning challenge as hikers — long stretches between reliable sources — and droply works identically for both. Check water sources along your route before you set out, see who checked in most recently, and know in advance whether you need a filter. droply covers everything from roadside taps to remote springs, making it a practical tool for both road-touring and off-road bikepacking.

droply relies on community check-ins. When a hiker or biker reaches a water source, they tap "Check in" in the app and confirm whether it is currently flowing or not. The map immediately reflects that report, along with the timestamp and the contributor's username. Each water source shows when it was last visited and how many people have checked in. If no one has checked in recently, droply shows you that too — so you know when a report is fresh and when you should plan for uncertainty.

To check in, you need to be within 50 metres of the water source. Once you are close enough, the "Check in" button becomes active on the fountain detail page. Tap it, confirm whether the water is flowing or not flowing, and your report is saved instantly. You earn points for every check-in, which contributes to your rank in the droply community. The proximity requirement ensures that every check-in is a real, on-the-ground report — not a remote guess.

droply covers eight types of outdoor water sources:

• Tap water — municipal pipe-fed fountains and taps, the most reliable and regularly tested
• Spring water — captured springs directed through pipes
• Mineral water — naturally mineralized spring sources
• Ground water — wells with hand pumps drawing from underground
• Natural spring — uncaptured springs where water flows directly from the ground (filtration recommended)
• Hot spring — geothermally heated water (scenic, not potable)
• Creek or stream — running water crossings on hiking trails (filtration needed)
• Water pond — still bodies of water (emergency backup, filtration essential)

This range means droply is useful whether you are looking for a reliable drinking tap in a village or scouting a backcountry water carry on a remote trail.

Each water source in droply shows a drinking water status: safe to drink, filter recommended, or unknown. This is set by the community based on the source type and local knowledge. Natural springs, streams, and ponds are almost always marked as requiring filtration; municipal taps are generally safe without treatment. Community members also leave photos of information signs, which often show official water quality data. When in doubt, always filter or treat — droply gives you the best available information, but conditions can change.

Every water source in droply includes:

• Water status: flowing, not flowing, or unknown — with the timestamp of the last report
• Drinking water: safe to drink, filtration recommended, or unknown
• Wheelchair accessible: yes, no, or unknown
• Car access: reachable by car, yes or no
• Winter operation: whether the source stays active in winter
• Category and name: the type of source and its local name
• Operator: the authority managing it, if known
• Elevation and distance: how far away it is from your current position and the elevation difference
• Walking time estimate: approximate time to reach it on foot
• Navigation: one tap opens your phone's maps app with directions
• Photos: images uploaded by community members, tagged by type
• Check-in history: a chronological log of all community visits
• Story: a community-written description of the water source, its history, and local tips

Yes. You can upload photos to any water source directly from your camera or photo library. droply uses six photo categories to keep images organized and useful:

• Overall picture — the full fountain or structure in context
• Tap or spring — a close-up of the water outlet
• Information sign — signage with water quality or origin data
• Surroundings — a wide shot with pathways or landmarks to help others find it
• Condition — damage, repairs needed, or anything unusual
• Special features — decorative or historical details

Only the most recent photo in each category is shown in the main gallery, so the images people see are always the most current. If you upload while offline, droply queues the photo and sends it automatically when you reconnect.

Yes. If you find a water source that is not on droply, you can add it yourself. Long-press the location on the map to place a pin, then confirm the coordinates, add a name, choose the category, and optionally upload photos. droply checks whether a source already exists nearby to avoid duplicates. Adding a new water source earns you points and contributes directly to the droply community database. You need a verified email account to add new sources — anonymous browsing is possible but contributions require registration.

droply stores water source data locally on your device, so you can browse fountains you have already loaded even without a mobile signal. If you make edits, leave comments, or upload photos while offline, droply queues everything and syncs automatically when you reconnect. A banner at the top of the app shows your current sync status — syncing, offline, or fully up to date. For hikers heading into areas with no signal, droply's offline cache means you are never left with a blank map. An upcoming Pro feature will let you download full offline maps and fountain data for a specific region before you set out.

droply was built by hikers, for hikers — specifically to solve the water problem on long trails. Most water-related apps are either generic map tools or focused on urban drinking fountains. droply is purpose-built for the outdoor community with features designed around trail-specific needs: water source status, seasonal reliability, water quality notes, proximity-based check-ins, and six-category photo tagging. Every detail — the 50-metre check-in radius, the filtration flags, the offline cache, the community story feature — was designed around what you actually need when you are miles from the nearest tap.

Yes. droply includes water sources along major long-distance trails including the CDT, PCT, AT, and many regional and international trails. Community-reported data keeps water source information current even on remote sections, far more reliably than printed guidebooks or static databases. The more hikers use droply and check in as they walk, the more accurate and up-to-date the trail data becomes — which is why every contribution matters, especially on remote sections that see fewer visitors.

Yes. Every water source has a community story section where anyone can write a description: the history of the source, water quality notes, seasonal behaviour, how to find the path to it, or anything else that helps the next person. Multiple people can contribute to the same story, and droply shows a list of all contributors. If a story has been generated or enhanced with AI, it is marked clearly as AI-generated. Writing or updating a story earns you points and makes droply more useful for everyone on that trail.

droply has a "thank" feature that lets you recognise useful contributions. On any fountain detail page, you can thank the person who created it, the person who last edited it, or the person who wrote the story. You can also thank individual comments. Each thank earns the recipient one point and sends them a notification. It is droply's way of rewarding quality contributions and building a culture where accurate reports and good photos are genuinely valued.

droply points are earned for every contribution you make: check-ins, adding fountains, editing details, uploading photos, writing stories, leaving comments, and receiving thanks from other community members. Points contribute to your rank in the global droply leaderboard, shown in the Feed tab. The points system rewards people who contribute consistently and accurately.

Yes, droply is free to download and use. The core features — map browsing, water source details, check-ins, photo uploads, community contributions, and offline caching — are all free.

Yes, with the map you can explore any area, check water sources along your planned path, and read recent community reports before you set out. The upcoming droply Pro feature "Water Along My Way" takes this further — upload a GPX file of your route and see all water sources displayed in order along your path, with distances and status, so you can plan each water carry precisely. This feature is in active development and expected soon.

Yes. You can browse the map, read water source details, view photos, check community reports, and read stories without creating an account — droply signs you in anonymously so the map is immediately usable. To contribute (check in, add fountains, upload photos, write stories, leave comments), you need a registered account with a verified email address. Registration is free and takes less than a minute.

Yes. droply is fully available in eight languages: English, German (with Swiss orthography), French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, and Swedish. The app detects your device language automatically and switches accordingly. All interface elements, error messages, and community content are translated. You can also change your language manually in the profile settings at any time.

Every water source in droply has a "Report it" button on the detail page. You can report a fountain for the following reasons: it does not exist, it is a duplicate, it is on private property, it is temporarily unavailable, it is broken, or no water can be collected there. Reports go to the droply moderation team who review and update or remove the listing. You can also report individual images if they show wrong content, poor quality, or spam. Community reporting is how droply stays accurate over time.

The droply team is actively building several features expected in the near term:

• droply Pro — subscription tier with GPX route planning and offline map downloads
• "Water Along My Way" — upload a GPX file and see water sources as a timeline along your route
• Full offline mode — download an entire region's fountain data and map tiles before a trip
• Push notifications — get notified when someone thanks your contribution or when a fountain you follow is updated
• Advanced route planning — draw routes manually in the app and see water sources along the path
• Komoot and Strava integration — connect your planned routes directly from your favourite routing apps

droply is a young app built by a small team of hikers, and the backlog is shaped by what the outdoor community actually needs. If you have a feature idea, you can submit it directly from the app under Profile → Send Feedback.