2025: Locationscout Highlights

Looking back at the 2024 highlights, the focus was largely on a better UX, visual refinements, and the initial launch of the German translation. This past year, however, took a significantly more technical and foundational turn. While the visual details are always important, 2025 was about building a faster, more stable, and more intelligent platform that can support this growing community for years to come.

The goal has always been to provide actual value to photographers, and many of the changes implemented this year were born directly from community feedback. Instead of adding more and more features, I tried making existing features 10x better to make finding the best spots even better and faster. I hope that these updates meet the high expectations you have for Locationscout. Of course, these are only the visible aspects, but there is much more, such as the fact that I tried to provide the best possible support by responding to inquiries even on weekends and late in the evening.

Let’s take a quick look back at what we achieved together this year - and I’d love it if you could grade my efforts at the end!

The New Dynamic Map: A Technical Game-Changer

The biggest milestone of the year was undoubtedly the launch of the fully dynamic, high-performance map. This wasn't just a visual update; it was a complete rebuild of how you discover spots.

• Speed & Intelligence: Spots now load instantly as you move the map, thanks to a separate map service that is focused on performance.
• Theme Filters: We manually organized nearly 17,000 themes into a few hundred "Theme Groups". This brings the platform much closer to the vision of being able to find exactly what you are looking for - like "All Castles at a River in Germany" - with just a few clicks.
• The App Map Grid: One of the most challenging features to build was the dynamic map grid for iOS and Android. It allows you to visually browse every spot in your current view—tap a photo, and the map centers exactly on that location.
• Markers & Popularity: I've also introduced colored markers and saturation levels. At a glance, you can now see which spots are your favorites and which ones are the community’s most-loved "heavy hitters."

A Custom-Built Search Engine

For years, we relied on external providers for search. This December, I finally replaced them with a custom-built search engine designed specifically for Locationscout.

By building our own engine, we achieved three major goals:

• Accuracy: Results are now individually ranked based on many more factors, making sure you actually find the best match.
• Language Harmony: When using the app and searching in French, Italian, or German, the results are now tailored to your language.
• Privacy: A search history that is entirely focused on your needs without tracking.

A Faster, More Stable Mobile Experience

In September, I made the tough but necessary decision to fully rewrite the iOS and Android app. Using the latest Ionic and Angular technologies, the app is now 15% smaller, significantly faster, and much more stable.

• Edge-to-Edge Design: Thanks to Manuel Heidrich, the Android app now feels more immersive than ever, utilizing every pixel of your screen.
• Quality of Life: Also added were "Sticky Toolbars" for easier navigation, long-press gestures to bookmark spots instantly, and the ability to zoom deep into high-resolution images to check every detail before you travel.
• Session Stability: No more forced logins! You can now stay logged in practically forever by opening the app just once a year.

Community, Content & Sustainability

Locationscout is nothing without its community and the planet we photograph. This year, we reached a staggering 81,000+ manual content improvements. This is thanks to the tireless work of Mia and Yvonne, who ensure the data you rely on is accurate, and your reports and change requests, which we highly appreciate. We have also grown to almost 200,000 photographers and travelers, a number I never would have expected when I started working on this platform 11 years ago.

• Global Access: I've added French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, and Polish. Locationscout is now a truly global home for photographers.
• Environmental Impact: For the sixth year running, we as a community supported Leave No Trace. We also invested a portion of all Premium revenue to save another part of the Canadian rainforest, bringing our total to over 3,000m² protected. And a new environmental partnership is also released soon.
• Fairer Feed: I've implemented a "Smart Grouping" algorithm in the home feed. Whether you upload one masterpiece or a series, the system ensures fair visibility for every photographer, making the feed more diverse and inspiring. You can find all the details in this dedicated post about the new feed.

I added 6 new languages to the app this year to make sure it's as easy to use as possible, no matter the language you are speaking.

More Value for Premium Members

To say thank you to those who keep this solo-dev project alive, I've launched Premium Deals. I’ve partnered with brands like DxO and Skylum to offer exclusive discounts that can often save you more than the cost of your subscription itself, making sure you get the best tools for the best price. In addition, all the fantastic new features such as the dynamic map with the new image grid, powerful filters, the new design for nearby places, family sharing (iOS), and new learning content are included in Premium.

A Personal Note

2025 was the most productive year I have ever had. Sometimes I honestly wonder if there is any platform of this size that receives more frequent updates from a single developer. At the same time, I am very aware that this pace is intense and not something I can or should sustain forever.

This is now my second year working full-time (after 9 years financing the platform with my freelance work) on Locationscout. Last year, I was able to rely more on external developers. This year, many of the challenges became so complex and deeply intertwined that it was simply more efficient for me to focus on them myself, fully and without distraction.

While the platform kept growing, subscriptions did not increase at the same pace as the year before. That means I am still not in a position to hire the full-time help I urgently need, even just to allow myself a few real days off. In fact, I did not have a single completely free day this year, not even on weekends.

I love working on Locationscout, and I love this community almost as much as my two little kids (sorry!). But finding a healthier balance is something I need to actively work on next year.

That is why every Premium subscription truly matters. Your support does not just fund features or servers, it directly supports the person behind the platform. And for that, I am deeply thankful.

What I won't change is my approach to keep the entire content and most of the platform free and without ads. I'm not willing to sacrifice your experience, and I want to fund the platform in “the right way” by offering real added value.

Me with my younger son - looks like the cat is sitting on his head... :-D

Your honest Feedback means everything to me

I am incredibly thankful for the constant stream of feedback, bug reports, and feature suggestions. It is your passion for photography that drives the development of this platform. I hope that these changes make your next photo adventure just a little bit easier and more inspiring. Check out the full changelog for 2025 (the looooongest ever) with lots of animations, or check the summary above, and please rate my work in the comments or via email to [email protected].

Thank you for your honest feedback, because creating real value for you is what I care about the most, and I want to do an even better job in 2026.

Thank you for being part of this journey, and all the best for 2026 to you and your loved ones.
Manuel