iPhone Update: Improved Search Using Whrrl

We received some very helpful feedback earlier this week letting us know that people were having trouble searching for places in the Whrrl iPhone app. Sometimes places were missing from the map on the iPhone, even though they could be found using the Whrrl website. I promised I’d blog about it once it was fixed, so here it is!

Last night, we pushed out a server-side change that will improve search relevance. For this kind of change you won’t need to download any updates from the App Store, the change will just work, and has already taken effect.

A Little Whrrl Home Video

I’ve made a really quick video with my 10.1 mega pixel Casio camera (so please excuse the blurry start) to show you how this works. Thanks to Meg (my little sis) for the original music track.

So What Exactly Changed?

The search radius from where your map is centered has been extended, and is now two miles.

When searching for places that you think might be further than two miles from where your map is currently centered (across town, or maybe in another city), you’ll get the best results by using the Move Map To text box that drops down when you tap the compass icon in the upper left. From here, you can type in an intersection, city name, or zip code that is closer to the place you’re searching for. This is also useful for those times when your phone doesn’t find your location.

I’ll be at iPhoneDevCamp tomorrow and probably will be demoing Whrrl, if my phone battery doesn’t die in 3 hours as John Cook mentioned. If you’re going to be there too be sure to say hi!