What’s new

Every Backseat update, newest first. The same list as What’s new in the app.

Smoother lines, clearer cards

23 October 2026 · version 2026.10.23

Route lines follow the road more closely, so bends and roundabouts keep their curves.
A route’s map is one clean line: where its destinations share a road you see one line, and it splits where they really do.
Open a route and the map shows just its stops, not every stop around it.
Trips Metlink has no shape for follow their route, instead of cutting straight between stops.
Easier to read on yellow and orange routes: the times and status on the bus card stand out properly.
The newest vibes always come first, even after a quiet week.
You can report any vibe, however old it is.
Route numbers sit dead centre on the map pins.

14 October 2026 · version 2026.10.14

Service alerts are now integrated directly into Backseat, pulled straight from the Metlink GTFS API.
Stops with active alerts for the day will now feature an alert (🛈) icon.
Tap any stop to see a full breakdown of active alerts.
Cancellation alerts will now display when you tap into a specific trip.
Search a route or tap a saved route in My Backseat for a complete overview of all stops, the route, and live or scheduled trips.
Route lines are now stored in the database and updated semi-regularly to ensure they load instantly.

10 October 2026 · version 2026.10.10

Now you can report on the vibe of a bus stop.
Select up to 2 vibes from the list. These are limited at this stage.
Vibes last for two hours before they disappear.
See a vibe that's inaccurate? Tap "Not right" to downvote it.
Is there a vibe missing, or you have feedback? Tap on the ⓘ button up top, then tap feedback.
Happy Backseating!

7 October 2026 · version 2026.10.07

Opens much faster, especially the second time.
Search sits at the bottom of the card, by your thumb, and stays above the keyboard on iPhone.
Vibes filters: Route comes first, and the bus, train, ferry and cable car chips take the map’s colours.
If Backseat has a wobble you get a heads-up and a retry, not a frozen map.
Te reo macrons (ā ē ī ō ū) show properly.
New About, Terms and What’s new pages on the web.
Small visual tweaks to make it look more consistent.
Fixed: on some desktop browsers the map only filled a strip at the top.

3 October 2026 · version 2026.10.03

Nearest on your routes: with location on, each of your routes shows its next bus both ways, from the closest stop each way.
My Backseat opens straight away, showing the times from your last visit while it fetches fresh ones. Tap Near me to sort your stops by distance.
Every vibe, all the way back: scroll the Vibes grid (or a route) to keep going.
👍 Like a vibe: double-tap it. Plus “Backseat this week”, the week’s highlights above the grid.
Clearer cards: bigger times, how busy each bus is in words, and where it’s heading.
A bus that’s gone past your stop comes off the board straight away.
Picked a stop? The bus card shows when it gets there, big.
A new live icon, a splash screen, and taps on the map that pick the bus you meant.
Ferries: better matching, including Mātiu/Somes Island and East by West sailings.

27 September 2026 · version 2026.09