BEFORE YOU SET OFF
A little guide
to a calmer journey.
From your first alarm to your everyday route: a few simple steps to get to know Durak and check that it works on your phone.
This guide follows the website language. The current mobile beta interface is in Turkish; the button descriptions below explain what each control does.
01 · Let’s set up your first journey.
- Choose your city and transport type. Start with Ankara or İzmir. Choose the correct line from the list and, if available, the direction.
- Mark your boarding and destination stops. Check that your destination comes after your boarding stop. Alternatively, use “Set an alarm by address” on the home screen; check the name and coordinates in the result.
- Set your alarm area. Choose a 200, 300 or 500 metre preset, or adjust the range from 100 m to 10 km. These are straight-line distances, not the remaining route length or travel time.
- Check permissions and start your journey. Background tracking requires “Always” location access and enabled notifications. Check that the distance updates on the tracking screen.
The same route every day?
Tap “Save journey” on the summary screen and give it a name, such as “Heading home”. Open it again from saved journeys, update its distance or name, or delete it.
Arrival and departure: what’s the difference?
Arrival alerts you when you enter the area around your destination. Departure alerts you when you leave an area after first detecting you inside it. A small distance margin helps reduce false triggers from GPS jitter at the boundary.
02 · GPS and internet are different things.
Your phone can receive GPS signals without mobile internet. Durak can open downloaded transit data and saved journeys offline, but not every feature is available offline:
- Address search connects to your device’s address service and may require internet.
- The first ESHOT download and updates require internet. The initial download is large and may take a while.
- Current stop sequences for Ankara EGO buses are fetched from EGO when you select a line. A previously saved journey opens its saved stop snapshot offline.
- İZBAN, İzdeniz and Ankara rail data are bundled with the app and updated with app releases.
Don’t rely on the alarm alone in tunnels. GPS may be unavailable underground. Without fresh location updates, a distance alarm may not trigger. Also follow stop announcements and your journey.
How accurate is the remaining stop count?
The tracking screen shows an estimate based on your phone’s proximity to stops. It is not live vehicle or timetable data. The alarm is triggered by distance to your destination, not this stop count.
How up to date is the data?
İzmir data comes from the municipality’s GTFS feeds. Ankara bus coordinates are matched to an ABB publication dated 15 March 2022, so new or relocated stops may be missing. Ankara rail data was compiled in September 2026. Read the source and missing-stop notes on the selection screen.
03 · Check the sound before you leave.
- In Settings, choose your alarm tone, sound and vibration preferences.
- “Test the alarm in 10 seconds” starts a test without using your real location. It schedules an operating-system notification.
- Lock your phone and check the alarm. Try it first in a safe place; if you use headphones, test with those too.
- On the alarm screen, dismiss it with “I’m awake, close” or ask for another reminder in one minute.
On iPhone, standard notifications do not override Silent or Focus mode. Vibration and audio output also depend on system settings. On Android, the scheduled test may ask for the “Alarms & reminders” permission.
If something isn’t working as expected.
It says “Waiting for GPS location”.
Check location services and Durak’s background location permission. If you are in a tunnel or indoors, try again with a clear view of the sky. Make sure the distance on the tracking screen is actually updating.
The alarm is silent.
Check Durak’s notification permissions, your phone’s volume, Focus/Silent mode and headphone connection. Run the 10-second test again. An in-app setting cannot automatically restore a permission you changed in the system.
My phone stops the app.
Some Android devices restrict background apps to save battery. Check your phone’s battery settings for Durak. Don’t force-stop the app during an active journey; the operating system may then block location tracking or alarms.
To report a problem, send your device model, operating-system version, route and any error message to info@getdurak.com. You don’t need to share your full location history or other personal information.