Start — active trip
What the Start tab shows while return-by monitoring is active, and how to check in, adjust, and finish your trip.
When a trip is active — started via quick start or a planned trip on the Start tab — the Start tab replaces the idle card with the active trip card. Everything you need to manage a live trip is on this one screen.
Header
The top of the card shows:
- Trip name — the name you entered when starting the trip
- Day counter — e.g. "Day 2 of 5" — derived from which days have been checked in
- Health badge — a colour-coded pill that reflects overall trip health (return-by and Check-in Timer state)
- Check-in Timer — timer icon in the top-right; opens the optional Check-in Timer popover
- Share — copies your shared trip link (icon on mobile, URL chip on desktop)
Countdown hero
The large central display shows Expect me back by — a countdown to your promised return date and time (return-by monitoring).
Below that, a helper line shows the absolute return moment (date and time).
When the Check-in Timer is enabled and you still have days to check in, a secondary line below a thin divider shows your next check-in deadline (e.g. "Next check-in due in 11h 24m") with an inline control to open the Check-in Timer popover. When the Check-in Timer is off, this line may show Check-in timer off so you can re-enable it from the hero.
Daily progress timeline
Below the hero is a timeline of your trip days. Each row shows:
- The calendar date for that day (and the planner day name when you set a custom label)
- A status indicator: checked in (salmon tick), not confirmed (spinner while syncing), or awaiting
- For completed days: check-in GPS coordinates when capture succeeded, or GPS unavailable when it did not (same wording as the check-in toast — undo and retry after fixing permissions or signal)
- If you initiated a text check-in: the working day row shows Today · text check-in in the meta line plus a confirm panel (Did your check-in text send?) until you tap Yes, it sent. After that, the sent day shows Text sent · pending on device with Reset, and the next day becomes current for Check in now / text check-in
The timeline is read-only — you cannot edit days or dates from the Start tab. To change the itinerary, open Plan → Trip.
Checking in
On mobile, Check in now / Finish trip sit in a fixed bar at the bottom of the screen so they stay in thumb reach on long trips. On desktop they appear in the card above the lifecycle row.
Check in now
The primary action button (salmon pill) checks in the current day when you have signal. Tapping it:
- Marks today's day as complete once Trailkeep confirms on the server
- Resets the Check-in Timer — the countdown restarts from your configured window (when enabled and confirmed)
- Records your GPS location for the day (shown in the shared trip view as a numbered dot)
The button label changes to Not confirmed yet (with a spinner) when the device is offline — the check-in is saved on your phone and syncs when connectivity returns. Emergency contacts are not notified until Trailkeep receives it.
Finish trip
When all days have been checked in, the button changes to Finish trip (green pill). Tapping it opens a confirmation dialog and ends the trip. Return-by monitoring and the Check-in Timer stop; no further alerts will fire. Finish trip requires signal — the button is disabled offline.
Check in by text
Below the primary CTA, No data? Check in by text (cell or satellite) is always visible on any active, uncompleted day. Use it when you have no data connection — your phone's Messages app opens with a pre-filled message ready to send via cell or satellite SMS.
See Checking in without cell signal for the full flow.
Lifecycle actions
Three secondary actions appear in a dot-separated row below the check-in section.
All lifecycle actions — and the Check in button itself — are disabled while an overdue alert is active. Resolve the alert first: either cancel the trip or wait for your contacts to confirm the alert is cleared.
Adjust return
Opens a popover to change your expected return date and time. Use this if the trip is taking longer than planned — adjusting your return extends return-by monitoring and prevents a false overdue alert.
Requires signal — the control is disabled offline. Changes take effect once Trailkeep confirms; your emergency contacts see the updated return time on the shared trip page.
Finish trip
Ends the trip with a confirmation step. Also accessible directly via the green pill button when all days are done. Once finished, the trip is marked complete and all monitoring stops.
Cancel trip
Removes the trip entirely. Use this only if you never actually started — for example, if you quick-started by mistake. Cancelling is irreversible.
Cancelling a trip does not notify your emergency contacts. If someone is actively monitoring your trip, message them directly before cancelling.
Share link
In the card header, next to the Check-in Timer, the Share control copies your trip's public link (icon on mobile, URL chip on desktop). Send it to whoever is monitoring you — they do not need a Trailkeep account to view the shared trip page.
The shared page shows your route (if you attached a GPX on the idle quick-start card), check-in dots, and the countdown. It updates in real time.
If you have not shared the link yet, this is a good time. The link is active from the moment you tap Go.