The general FAQ — what Aster is, how it compares with other trackers, and how organisers get set up — lives on the website: aster-track.com/faq. This page keeps the questions that come up in support.
Cost and accounts
Does Aster cost anything? Not for the things most people do: taking part in events, watching and spectating, following, and recording your own Just Rides are all free and stay free. Two paid options exist. Aster Plus is an individual membership that unlocks full club membership — the roster, chat, RSVP and meet-ups — and is what you need to be part of an open club that has grown beyond the free tier (a small club is free, up to three members). It also lifts the free three-route cap on your personal My Routes library (see Glossary). The Event Organiser plan is a subscription for people running events, sized by how many registrations each event needs, with a larger enterprise option by arrangement. Try the whole flow first by hosting a free club meet-up before picking a tier. Clubs themselves never pay a subscription. Current prices are on aster-track.com/pricing.
Do I need an account to watch? No. Public and unlisted events, and any ride shared with you by link, are watchable in a browser with no account and no app install. Only private and members-only events require signing in. See Watching an event.
Safety
Does Alert call the emergency services? No. Raising an Alert notifies the people watching your ride and, in an event, the organiser, with your live location. It does not contact the emergency services, and nobody at Aster is monitoring your ride. The Alert screen offers a one-tap call to 999, and if nobody is watching, the app tells you so plainly. Treat it as a way to alert your people, not as a rescue service. See Alerts and crash detection.
Offline and signal
Can I start a ride with no phone signal? Yes. Starting and finishing both work fully offline; your points are saved on the phone and upload when signal returns. See What happens when I lose signal?.
My ride saved short, or a section is missing. If you were offline, the missing part usually fills in once your phone uploads its saved points — open the app somewhere with signal and let it catch up. Don't reinstall the app: unsent ride data is stored on the device.
My battery died mid-ride — did I lose my ride? No. Everything recorded so far is saved on the phone. Charge up, reopen the app, and it uploads what's queued.
Battery
Will the app drain my battery? Tracking all day costs battery — Aster is honest about that. You choose a battery mode to match your ride length, and the app can drop to a more economical mode when your battery runs low. See Battery modes and the website's battery guide.
Do I need to keep the screen on or the app open? No. Leave the app in the background with the screen off — it keeps recording. Just don't force-quit (swipe away) the app mid-ride. See Tips for a reliable track.
Riding and results
Will the app ever stop my ride or log me out by itself? No. Your ride continues until you end it, you cross the event's finish line, or the organiser's cut-off passes — and no server or network error ever signs you out mid-ride. If your session needs refreshing you'll see a banner; your ride carries on regardless.
Why doesn't my race time start when I tapped Start? In a mass-start race everyone is timed from the gun, not from the moment they individually tapped Start. See Starting and tracking a ride.
I forgot to stop my Just Ride and it tracked my drive home. Stop it as soon as you notice — use the slide-to-end control on the ride screen. For events this isn't an issue: finishing freezes your ride at the line, and nothing after it counts.
Can I change my category or withdraw after registering? Usually yes, while registration is open — what's allowed, and until when, is set by the organiser. See Manage or cancel your registration.
Does it work with my watch or bike computer? Tracking is done by the phone app — there's no separate smartwatch or head-unit app today.
Privacy and data
Who can see my location? Only while you're tracking, and only the right people: in an event, whoever can view that event (per its privacy level); on a Just Ride, just the people you share the link with. See Who can see your location?.
Is the app tracking me when I'm not riding? No. Your location is only recorded between the moment you start a ride and the moment it ends.
Will tracking use a lot of mobile data? No. The main download is the route and map data (done when you register — do it on Wi-Fi if you can); tracking itself is light, and with no signal it uses no data at all. Watching others live uses more. See Mobile data, battery and what runs offline.
Account
How do I reset my password? Use Forgot password on the sign-in screen. See Account and signing in.
How do I delete my account or download my data? Both are in your settings. See Export or delete your data.