1.1 How can I filter stores by location?

While the app currently does not support entering the address or location of a store, you can use categories to simulate that: Simply define categories like "@Sheffield" or "@Leeds" and assign the stores to one of these categories.

Now you can easily filter your stores by choosing one of the "locations" from the categories list.

1.2 What happened to the Open Times app?

In version 1.3, the Open Times app was renamed to Opening Hours UX.

1.3 Which version do I have?

Open the Settings application and select Opening Hours in the list of app settings. The version number is shown at the bottom of the list.

1.4 Will you do Opening Hours for iPad?

Yes, Opening Hours supports iPad (and has done so since version 1.2, i.e. September 2014). If you have both an iPad and an iPhone, you can keep your data synchronized between your devices using iCloud.

1.5 When will Opening Hours be ported to Android?

There are currently no plans to port Opening Hours to Android.

2.1 How do I backup my store data?

Version 1.1 supports backup and restore via Dropbox or email. Version 1.5 only supports backup via email. When viewing the (textual) store list on your iPhone, tap the menu button at the lower-left and select "Backup \/ Restore". On your iPad, the menu button is on the main screen near the top left.

For backup via e-mail, a message with an attachment is generated which you should send to yourself. To restore it, view the message on your device and select the attachment; if prompted, select to open it in Opening Hours UX.

You can also save the attachment on iCloud Drive and access it via the Files app.

2.2 File Format: .ogz

The .ogz file is a gzip-compressed JSON text file. It is used since version 1.3 and replaces the .otz file. Using the Terminal, you could unpack it with a command like this:

cat Shops.ogz | gunzip -c > Shops.json

To re-package a JSON file, use:

cat Shops.json | gzip -c > Shops.ogz

2.3 File Format: .otz

The .otz file is a zip-compressed SQLite database file. Beginning with version 1.3, the .otz file format is no longer supported.

You could unpack it as explained below, but due to SQLite changes with newer versions of iOS, it may not be possible to re-load an old .sqlite file into Opening Hours.

2.4 Reloading from iCloud

To eliminate synchronization issues, it can be a solution to remove all data stored on a device and reload it from the copy stored on iCloud (provided you have such a copy).

While you cannot inspect the data on iCould, you can verify that you have some data using the Settings app on your iOS device: iCloud > Storage > Manage Storage, where you may need to open press "Show All" under Documents & Data. Opening Hours should be listed there together with the amount of data that is stored on iCloud.

Also, you may have the data on a second device that is kept up-to-date via iCloud. If so, it may be a good idea to create an additional backup on that device.

Using the following steps, you can delete the data and refresh it from iCloud:

1. If Opening Hours is seen to crash directly after opening it (i.e. when iCloud synchronization starts), then you will need to open the "Settings" application, select the Opening Hours category and turn off "Use iCould".
2. Alternatively, on the "Sync \/ Backup" screen in the Opening Hours app, disable "Sync with iCloud".
3. Before you start deleting your date, make a backup from within the "Sync \/ Backup" screen.
4. Go back to the Shop list and press "Edit".
5. At the bottom of the list of shops, press the "Delete All" and in the confirmation dialogs that will pop up, confirm that you wish to delete all data.
6. The list of shops should now be empty.
7. Go to the "Sync \/ Backup" window, and re-enable "Sync with iCloud".
8. Wait for the data to appear. This can take multiple seconds, but it shouldn't take minutes.

2.5 Resetting iCloud

It is possible to delete the data that Opening Hours has stored and to upload a fresh, new set.

1. Make sure all your devices use the most recent version of Opening Hours.
2. On the device that holds your correct data, save a backup or send yourself an email with the data attached.
3. In the "Sync \/ Backup" screen, disable "Sync with iCloud". Make sure to do this on all devices.
4. On one device, select "Purge iCloud Data". N.B. This button is only enabled when "Sync with iCloud" is off.
5. Wait a few minutes to make sure the data is erased on Apple's iCloud servers.
6. On the device that holds your pristine data, enable "Sync with iCloud".
7. Give it another minute to allow the data to settle in the cloud.
8. On the other devices, clear the data: In the store list, select "Edit" and press "Delete All" at the bottom of the list.
9. On the other devices, enable "Sync with iCloud".
10. Wait for the data to appear. This can take multiple seconds, but it shouldn't take minutes.

3.1 The app crashes at startup

This has been observed on rare occations when the local data fails to properly synchronize with the data stored on iCloud. As a solution, you can remove the local data and restore it from iCloud.

3.2 Failed save the object model, (null)

This error is known to appear in versions prior to 1.1.4. You can safely ignore this error. Please upgrade to version 1.1.4 once it becomes available.

3.3 The time dial may be an hour off

Update: This has been fixed in version 1.1.2 (released 22nd April 2012).

There is a fault related to the handling of daylight savings time (summer time), whereby the hour selected on the time dial may be one hour different from the hour shown in the text fields (and it is the text fields that matter). To get the correct time, you will need to turn the dial until the correct time is shown in the text field.

3.4 My shop images are not saved in full quality

This is not a bug. Opening Hours is not an image archiving app. The images are intended as visual aids, such that you can quickly identify a store. For this purpose, it is not necessary to use full quality images with multi-million pixel resolutions. Therefore, since version 1.3, images that are larger than 640 x 640 pixels are intentionally scaled down to allow optimized database access. This also facilitates faster iCloud synchronisation.

N.B. If you take a picture with the camera from within the app, a full size copy of the image is still stored in your camera roll.

4.1 How can I become a beta tester?

Simple, please contact me.

4.2 When will Opening Hours become available in my language?

The localization process requires sufficient knowledge of your language, which I may not have. If you would like to help, please contact me.

4.3 I think I found a bug. What should I do?

Within the app, you can select "Email Your Feedback" from the menu (on the iPhone app when you browse the list of shops). If you like, you can save the message as a draft (tap Cancel, then Save Draft) and continue editing it from within your email program.

Please send an email to tredje.bugreport@mailnull.com (don't put this address in your address book as it is temporary), or use the online contact form.

The following information would be helpful:

• Which version of Opening Hours are you using?
• Which device do you use?
• Which version of iOS is installed?
• If it crashed, what was it that you were trying to do when it happened?
  (Please sync your device with iTunes and include the crash log: ~/Library/Logs/CrashReporter/MobileDevice/*/Opening Hours-*.crash).

4.4 My question is still unanswered. What can I do now?

Why don't you post your question on this contact form?