Arthritis Tracker User Guide

This guide is packed with lots of information about how to use Arthritis Tracker.

If you cannot find what you are looking for or have a question, please reach out to us at apps@versusarthritis.org and we will do our best to help.

It is important to us that you can reach out to let us know what you think of the app, what could be improved or to report a problem.

There are two ways you can do this:

Feeding back through the feedback hub:

• Tap on the big pink button on the main screens that says “Feedback”.
• Tap “Give Feedback” and fill out the form.

Feeding back or reporting a problem via email:

• Send an email with your feedback to apps@versusarthritis.org.

If you are reporting a problem, please describe the problem as best as you can by telling us the steps that you took leading up to it and providing:

• a screenshot of your phone showing the problem (if you think that would help)
• the make and model of your device e.g. Samsung S9 or iPhone 13
• the operating system if you know it.

We will get back to you as soon as we can and try our best to resolve the issue.

Arthritis Tracker makes it quick and easy to track how you have been feeling, so you can get on with your day.

Face icons

Tracking pain using the body map

Once you rate your day it is time to use the body map. Clicking the purple ‘Body Map’ button at the top of the daily rating screen beside ‘Pain’ will show the body map screen. Using this body map you will be able to track where on your body you have felt pain. Tap on a body part to zoom in, and then tap on a pain point to record how that joint is feeling. You can cycle through the joints by using the blue left and right arrows on either side of the ‘Done’ button.

• Tapping once on a pain point will mark that body part as red to represent a bad day.
• Tapping a second time on a pain point will mark it as yellow to represent an okay day.
• A third tap will change it to green to represent a good day.
• A final tap will reset it back to grey (no rating).

When you are finished recording hit the green ‘Done’ button and then the green ‘Save’ button, this will return you to the daily rating screen. You can access the body map to add more, or to change, information at any time by tapping the ‘Body Map’ button beside ‘Pain’.

Adding a note

You can also add a note about your day, for example giving a reason why you are feeling particularly sore, tired or emotional that day. These notes can also be used for recording information for your next appointment.

To do this, scroll to the bottom of the track screen, and tap on the button 'Add a note'. If you are looking for ideas for how you can use the notes section then our blog on keeping a Pain Diary may help you.

You can find all your previous notes by clicking on the summary section and then clicking on ‘My Notes’. You can edit or delete a note by tapping on the pencil icon.

It is easy to forget to track some days, especially if you are going through a flare-up.

Using the calendar, you can track how you felt on any day in the past; whether it was yesterday, last week or six months ago. To open the calendar, go to the ‘Track’ page and tap on the blue underlined date in the top left corner, or scroll down to the bottom of the page and tap ‘View Calendar’.

Simply select a date on the calendar and you are ready to start tracking.

Once you have been tracking your wellbeing for a few days or weeks you may find it helpful to start using your summary section, which gives you an overview of how you have been and allows you to look back on your previous notes. The summary is particularly helpful when you have an appointment coming up with a healthcare professional, as it will give you some hints on what to say when they ask how you have been feeling.

Along the bottom of the app there are four buttons: Track, Summary, Info and Tips and In Your Area. Tap on ‘Summary’. Switch between the main summary and your notes by tapping on ’My Notes’ and ‘Summary’.

Choosing a time period

You can filter the information in your summary by different time periods e.g. ‘1-Month View’, ‘3-Month View’, ’6-Month View’ and ’9-Month View’. You can change the time period by tapping on either the blue writing in the top left corner or the three-lined icon on the top right, just under the cog icon.

Main Summary

Viewing Previous Notes

Tap on ‘My Notes’ in the summary section, and you will see all the previous notes that you have saved, with the date and time that you saved them.

Info and tips for young people age 13-25

Arthritis Tracker is packed full of really helpful information and tips, including managing your symptoms and medication, school, exams, friends and more. It also includes links to real-life stories from other young people who have arthritis.

Along the bottom of the app there are four buttons: Track, Summary, Info and Tips and In Your Area. Tap on ‘Info and Tips’ to see all the categories. Select a category to view the topics under each. When you tap on a button, it will take you to a page on our website with information on that topic.

Info and tips for adults age 25+

Adults of all ages are welcome to use Arthritis Tracker, particularly for tracking your wellbeing. However, if you are over 25 we recommend going directly to our website for information and tips. This is because the content in the ‘Info and Tips’ section was written for the Arthritis Tracker’s original audience: young people under 25.

You’ll find plenty of helpful information on a wide range of topics at https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/.

Navigating back to the app

To navigate from the web browser back to the app, just tap the ‘back’ button on the bottom right of most Android phones, or ‘back to Arthritis Tracker’ on the top left of most iOS phones. You can also use the function on your phone to pull up all recent apps and select Arthritis Tracker. Depending on what phone you have this might mean tapping a button on the bottom left of your screen, swiping up from the bottom, holding and then letting go or double tapping the home button.

We know how important it is to be able to connect with other people who understand what it’s like to have arthritis. That is why we have included links to information about our social media platforms so you can feel more connected with us and other people living with arthritis.

Along the bottom of the app there are four buttons: Track, Summary, Info and Tips and In Your Area. To find out how you can connect with others via social media, first tap on ‘In Your Area’, and then on the ‘Join us on social media’ button.

This will bring you to a page on the Versus Arthritis website which lists all the different ways you can connect with us on social media, depending on what age you are and what area you are from.

To navigate from the web browser back to the app, just tap the ‘back’ button on the bottom right of most Android phones, or ‘back to Arthritis Tracker’ on the top left of most iOS phones. You could also use the function on your phone to pull up all recent apps and select Arthritis Tracker. Depending on what phone you have this might mean tapping a button on the bottom left of your screen, swiping up from the bottom, holding and then letting go or double tapping the home button.

We know how important it is to be able to connect with other people who understand what it is like to have arthritis. That’s why we have included links to information about events and activities coming up near you, so you can meet other people who really understand life with arthritis, share tips and usually have a bit of fun along the way!

Along the bottom of the app there are four buttons: Track, Summary, Info and Tips and In Your Area. To find out about events coming up in your area, tap on ‘In Your Area’, and then tap on the ‘Find Events Nearby’ button.

This will bring you to a page on the Versus Arthritis website where you can search by your town, city or postcode to find events happening near you. These events will usually be for people of all ages, including adults.

If you cannot find an event in your area for young people, reach out to us at YPFSUK@versusarthritis.org and one of our team will be happy to see if there is anything coming up in your area.

To navigate from the web browser back to the app, just tap the ‘back’ button on the bottom right of most Android phones, or ‘back to Arthritis Tracker’ on the top left of most iOS phones. You can also use the function on your phone to pull up all recent apps and select Arthritis Tracker. Depending on what phone you have this might mean tapping a button on the bottom left of your screen, swiping up from the bottom, holding and then letting go, or double tapping the home button.

You can now export a back-up copy of your data on to your phone.

How to export your data quickly and easily:

1. On your Arthritis Tracker app, go to ‘Settings’ by tapping on the cog symbol in the top right of the screen.
2. Tap on ‘Export My Data’, and then confirm by pressing the button ‘Export Data’.
3. Once you see the words ‘Data Exported’, you’re done!

Once you have exported a copy of your data, you do not need to do anything else. The file will be sitting on your phone, so you can rest assured that you have a back-up. It is important that you keep your back-up file(s) safe and secure. This is your own personal information and we have no control over that file once you have exported it.

If you need to find your back-up file

The file that will be downloaded on to your phone will be in a special format called JSON. This file is designed to perfectly integrate with Arthritis Tracker, so that we can help to restore all your historical data if we ever need to, though that is highly unlikely.

When registering for the Arthritis Tracker app you create an online account that automatically backs up your data safely and securely in the cloud. This means that you should not need this exported file. This also means that you can easily move your Arthritis Tracker App and data to a new device.

If you do run into problems, remember we are here to help. Contact us at apps@versusarthritis.org and tell us that you have a back-up ready, and we will try to help you to restore your data. Follow the steps below to find your back-up file on your phone so that you have it ready when we contact you.

Finding your back-up file

Arthritis Tracker back-up files are stored in different locations, depending on the make and model of your phone, as well as the phone’s settings. Below are some examples of where you might be able to find the file, based on the two most commonly used makes.

If you have any issues finding your file, please reach out to us at apps@versusarthritis.org with the make and model of your phone and we will help you to find it.

iOS Devices (ie iPhones and iPads):
Try going to the 'Files' app, then select ‘On My iPhone’. It should be located here under a folder called ‘Arthritis Tracker’.

Samsung Devices:
Go to ‘My Files’, then ‘Internal Storage’ and then look under the folder ‘Download’. There should be a file that begins with ‘versus-arthritis’ and ends with ‘. json’.

Setting up and verifying your account

You need to create an account to use Arthritis Tracker. You will be taken through the steps needed to create an account once you download or open the app. Please check you are using the most recent version of Arthritis Tracker if you have not been asked to set up an account.

To set up an account you will need to provide an email address and a password. You will also need to verify your account by tapping on a link sent to you via email.

Didn’t receive the verification email?

It can take up to 10 minutes for the email to come through. While you’re waiting, check your junk mail or spam folder.

If it still has not come through after 10 minutes, tap the ‘resend’ button.

Received an error message?

There are two types of errors you might experience:

404 error: If you see this error it might be because:

• you have opened the link on a device that Arthritis Tracker is not installed on. To fix this, copy and paste the link from the verification email and send the link to the correct device, or forward the email to an email address which is accessible on that device.
• You have opened the link on a browser (eg Chrome or Safari) instead of with Arthritis Tracker. If you are given the option, choose to open it on Arthritis Tracker.

’An error has occurred’ message: If you see this message it might be because

• you tapped on a link from an old email, eg if you tapped the ‘Resend’ button and received two emails. Check your inbox again and make sure you are clicking on the link sent in the most recent email.

If none of the advice above helps, please reach out to us at apps@versusarthritis.org and we will do our best to help you to get your account set up.

When you download the Arthritis Tracker on your new device open the app, after opening the app you will be prompted to enter your age. Once you have done this click ‘Already have an account? Sign in’. On the next screen log in with the email address and password associated with your Arthritis Tracker account. The data associated with this email address will transfer over to this new account and appear in your summary.

If you are having problems logging in to your Arthritis Tracker account or have forgotten your password you can reset it by tapping on ‘forgot password’ on the log in screen. This will take you through the steps needed to reset your password using your email address.

If you would like to change your password while you are logged in, just tap on the cog icon to go to Settings and then tap on ‘My Account’, ‘Edit’ and then ‘Edit Password’. You will need to confirm your current password before changing it.

Unfortunately, you cannot change the email on your account within Arthritis Tracker. Please email us at apps@versusarthritis.org if you need to do this, and we will do our best to help you.

A passcode is a simple four-digit number which you can use to stop other people from picking up your phone, opening the Arthritis Tracker and seeing your notes and other data. Once you have it switched on, each time you enter the app, you will be asked to provide this passcode before you’re allowed in.

How to switch passcode protection on or off

When you create an account you will be given the option of setting up a passcode, however you can switch it on or off at any point within Settings.

To do this, tap on the cog icon to open Settings. Then tap on ‘My Account’ and finally tap on the toggle button beside ‘Passcode’.

If you can’t remember your passcode

If you have forgotten your passcode, you can reset it at any point by tapping on ‘forgot passcode’. This will take you through the steps needed to reset your password using your email address.

Once you are logged in to your account, the information you add into Arthritis Tracker will automatically be backed up online. You do not have to do anything as it will automatically do this for you.

You do not need an internet connection to track your day: the app will hold on to the information for you and save it online the next time you are connected to the internet.

Once you have created an Arthritis Tracker account, you will be able to log in to your account on another device e.g. a mobile or tablet. This is great if you get a new phone and would like to move your data to that device.

Just download Arthritis Tracker on your new phone, sign in and you are ready to go.