Support

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Frequently asked questions

Who is APRSSwift for?

Licensed amateur radio operators. APRS transmission requires a valid callsign; APRSSwift generates your APRS-IS passcode automatically from it.

How do I connect to APRS?

Choose a backend in Settings: APRS-IS (over the Internet), a TCP KISS TNC (e.g. Direwolf), a Bluetooth TNC (Mobilinkd, BTECH UV-PRO, Vero VR-N76), or the built-in AFSK sound modem. Then press Start on the Map. With a radio selected you can also switch on Also use APRS-IS to run both at once, so the map shows the wider network as well as what your antenna hears.

How does the AFSK sound modem work?

Connect the phone to your radio with an audio interface cable (a TRRS headset cable or a USB-C/Lightning audio adapter): radio audio-out → phone mic-in for receive, phone audio-out → radio mic-in for transmit. Key the radio with VOX or a PTT interface. Use “Play test tones” in Settings to set your levels.

Does it run on Mac and Apple Watch?

Yes. APRSSwift is one universal app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac, with a native Apple Watch companion for status, your grid, beaconing, and nearby stations.

Can APRSSwift work as an igate?

Yes, receive-only. It needs two switches, both under Settings → Connection with a radio selected: turn on Also use APRS-IS — that is the connection the packets go out on — and then Work as a receive-only igate. Turning the second one on now enables the first for you. It is off by default, and unavailable with the N0CALL placeholder, because gating puts traffic on a global network under your own callsign. Packets marked NOGATE or RFONLY, and packets that already arrived from the Internet, are never passed on. APRSSwift does not gate in the other direction, from the Internet to RF.

Why did a message arrive but get no acknowledgement?

Most likely the sender addressed your callsign without its SSID. TA3HX and TA3HX-4 are different stations on APRS, and bots often strip the SSID when they reply. APRSSwift shows you anything sent to any SSID of your callsign, because it is all you — but it only acknowledges what was addressed to your exact station, since answering for another one would put an ack on the air under a callsign you are not using. If you run a single station and want those acknowledged too, turn on Acknowledge messages sent without my SSID in Settings → Connection.

Can I change the language?

Yes — Settings → Display → Language. APRSSwift is localized in English, Turkish, German, French, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, and switches instantly.

Is my position private?

APRS is a public reporting system: when you beacon, your position is visible on the amateur network. APRSSwift only transmits when you enable beaconing. See the Privacy Policy.