This guide will walk you through using “Otto”, the app that automatically logs all your trips to provide the information you need to claim back your business mileage from your employer or the taxman.
Data Security
We have no access to your personal trip data.
Your trip data is backed up to iCloud by default, along with all the other data and settings on your device. If you switch to a new phone, or wipe your current device, please follow Apple’s recommended procedure of restoring the new device from iCloud to transfer the data for this and other apps. If you do not restore from iCloud, the data will not be recovered.
A further precaution against data loss, is to regularly export a spreadsheet every month or so, to save all your data up to that date.
Trips
Adding a trip
The iPhone 5S, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 plus contain a low-power motion sensor chip which Otto will use to automatically log the journeys you take in a vehicle. (You can disable this from the “Settings” page of the app, if required.)
When automatic recording is not available, use “Start Trip” and “Stop Trip” on the Trips page.
Add details manually for a trip using “+”, at the top of the Trips page.
View the current trip
Whilst a recording is in progress, tap “View Trip” to see a map of the trip so far, and the distance travelled, or mark its type.
Viewing and editing a recorded trip
To view or edit the details of a recorded trip, select it from the Trips page.
Deleting a trip
Delete a trip from the Trips page by swiping from right to left across it, then tapping “Delete”.
Trip Types
This used to mark whether a trip can be claimed against expenses. The type is indicated by a briefcase icon (Business), a house (Personal), or a question mark (Unset)
A selector at the bottom of the Trips page chooses which types of trip are displayed.
The app icon will show a badge to indicating how many trips are unassigned. This information also appears on the Today notification on your device, and in the Glance notification on an Apple Watch.
Assigning a type to a trip
Select the trip to view it on the Details page, then tap the Type selector to choose a journey type.
Alternatively, consider deleting trips that you do not intend to claim for, to save storage space on your device.
Reports
By default, generated reports only include trips marked as “Business”.
On option on the report settings page allows you to include Personal and unassigned trips, sorted into their own sections on the report.
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