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Whats New and Coming soon - June & July 2026

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LukeModerator

@everyone The end of June and July has already been a busy month on PostboxMap. Here is what is new, what is in beta now, and what is coming next.

Field Mode (coming soon)

We have been building Field Mode for spotters who are out and about with a phone, often with patchy signal.

What it is

Field Mode is a mobile-first workflow inside the installed PostboxMap app (add the site to your home screen). You capture postbox photos in the field, optionally add quick details, and save everything offline as drafts. When you are back on Wi‑Fi, open Review & upload to send your queue in one go.

GPS and photo EXIF help pin locations. You can photograph several shots of the same box before moving on to the next one.

When

Field Mode is in final testing. We plan to start turning it on for contributors soon. Access will roll out gradually while we watch how it performs in the real world. If you would like early access, say so in Site Feedback & Suggestions or reply below.

Huge thanks to @DJHarris for this suggestion and for helping test it.

Sorting Office (beta – ready to try)

Sorting Office is live in beta and ready for you to try.

What it is

Sorting Office is PostboxMap's community verification game. You are shown a postbox photo and a simple question (for example, which royal cypher or form best matches the box). Your vote joins others who have seen the same postbox. When enough players agree, that answer becomes crowd consensus: it is queued for moderator review and may update the public record.

It does not replace moderators. It helps the community surface likely corrections faster, and you earn contributor points when your vote matches the winning label.

How to play

  1. Open PostboxMap from your installed app (home screen), not a normal mobile browser tab.
  2. From your Dashboard, open Sorting Office.
  3. Tap the label that best matches the photo, or use Neither / Skip when you are not sure.

There is a short in-app tutorial the first time you visit. More detail is in Help → Sorting Office.

Challenges (coming soon)

Challenges are the next big feature on the roadmap.

What they are

Optional goals built from the visits, photos, and submissions you already make on PostboxMap. Examples include visiting every postbox in a town, photographing a set number of George V boxes UK-wide, or submitting matching postboxes in a calendar month. Progress is calculated automatically from your existing activity; there is no separate challenge form to fill in.

Some town challenges also include British-style boxes known from OpenStreetMap that are not yet on PostboxMap, so you can help complete a place over time.

When

Challenges are in active development and beta testing. We expect to open them up to more contributors soon. Completed challenges will show on your profile when they go live. If you would like to help test, email us or reply below.

Short testimonials for the homepage

We would love a few more short member quotes for the PostboxMap homepage.

Why

New visitors often want to know what the site is actually like in practice: how people use it, what they enjoy, and why they keep coming back. A single sentence from a real spotter is worth more than any marketing copy we could write ourselves. Your words help others feel welcome and give the project a human face.

What we are looking for

  • Short testimonials only (up to 60 characters), for the homepage Member quotes section
  • Honest and specific: what you use PostboxMap for, what you enjoy, or what surprised you
  • Examples of tone: "My weekly excuse to explore somewhere new." or "Finally a map that cares about the details."

Longer stories are welcome too, but those go on the member stories page rather than the homepage.

How to submit

Sign in, then open Share your testimonial (also under Profile → Testimonials). Choose Short testimonial (homepage), write your quote, and submit. We review everything before it goes live.

Published testimonials earn 500 contributor points. You can stay anonymous if you prefer.

If you have already submitted one, thank you. If not, we would really appreciate a line or two.

Thank you

A big thank you to everyone who has joined, contributed, started discussions, followed postboxes, and helped moderate and improve the map this month. Whether you are new or have been here since the early days, you are what makes PostboxMap work.

Please keep the feedback coming in Site Feedback & Suggestions or [email protected], or reply here if you have questions about Field Mode, Sorting Office, or Challenges. I'll read it all.

Happy spotting.

Luke

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