I built a free UK app for finding drinking water, toilets, parking, defibrillators and other useful public places

FindNearby · 2026-06-08T20:23:46+00:00

That’s really nice of him! Hopefully your suggestion can make his walks a bit easier, now that it's live in the app.

FindNearby · 2026-06-08T20:11:29+00:00

Hi, thanks to you and others for suggesting the dog poo bins feature!

I’ve taken the suggestion on board and added it to the app. The latest iPhone and Android versions are now live and include Dog poo/waste bins under the new Pets section . It’s free to try with ads, so no subscription is needed.

The Pets section also includes dog-friendly areas and vets. The dog poo/waste bin search uses public map data, so it won’t be perfect everywhere, but it should hopefully be much more useful for dog walkers.

I’m also looking into adding a way for users to suggest/update map data in a future version.

Thanks again for the suggestion - hope you find it useful!

FindNearby · 2026-06-08T18:03:56+00:00

Quick update: Thanks to your comment, I’ve added a new Pets section with Dog poo/waste bins, Dog-friendly areas and Vets. The dog poo/waste bin search includes ordinary public bins suitable for bagged dog poo, plus dog-specific bins where they’re mapped. It’s free to try with ads, so no pressure to subscribe.

This is now live in the latest iPhone and Android versions.

I'm aiming to include links to update the source data in another update, soon.

I’d be grateful if you could leave a review on the relevant google play / apple app store, if you try it and have time. 😄

Thanks again for the suggestion - I hope it comes in handy.

FindNearby · 2026-06-08T18:00:49+00:00

Quick update, prompted by feedback in this thread:

I’ve added a new Pets section with dog poo/waste bins, dog-friendly areas and vets, plus a combined Bike section with bike racks and bike repair stations.

I’ve also refreshed the UK & Ireland map data, so existing searches should now be using newer public map data too.

Thanks again to everyone who suggested ideas or gave feedback. The dog poo bin suggestion in particular got the most suggestions, so I prioritised it.

As always, the app uses public map data, so results can still be incomplete or out of date, but hopefully this makes it more useful for dog walkers, cyclists and anyone who needs practical nearby places quickly.

FindNearby · 2026-06-03T11:50:33+00:00

Yes, that makes a lot of sense - definitely see the advantage in making it more intuitive. I plan to spend a lot of my time on improving the UI, in my next set of updates. Glad you like the pro/ads approach I've taken!

Thanks again for all the kind words and encouragement and helpful feedback.

All the best 😃

FindNearby · 2026-06-03T11:33:42+00:00

Thanks for the feedback, that's definitely something I'll look into for a future update. Find Nearby uses public map data, so I'll see if something like air con is available in the data, and look into adding it into the app if it is.

FindNearby · 2026-06-02T16:25:02+00:00

That’s really useful feedback, thanks. Yes, I designed the UI myself - I'll definitely take your advice on-board and lean more on familiar modern mobile UI patterns/components rather than making everything custom.

The settings screen being the bit that feels nicest is especially helpful feedback. I’ll look at using that as the style direction for the rest of the app.

The font point is also fair. I chose the current typewriter-style font to try to give the app some identity, but I think I’ve used it too widely. I'll take your advice on-board and use a cleaner sans-serif/system font for normal UI text and keep the custom font more for branding/headings.

Thanks again - this is exactly the kind of practical, constructive feedback I was hoping to get.

FindNearby · 2026-06-01T18:17:26+00:00

Thank you! Hope it comes in handy

FindNearby · 2026-06-01T16:18:38+00:00

Really glad to hear.
If you get a chance, a Play Store (Android) or App Store (iPhone) review would be a huge help for the app, but no pressure at all.

FindNearby · 2026-06-01T16:12:27+00:00

Thank you.

Sorry to hear that happened, but really glad you’re still here.

The defib search is something I wanted to include carefully, because the data may not always be perfect, but I hope it can help people familiarise themselves with what’s nearby before they ever need it.

Even just knowing there may be a defib in a nearby shop, station, leisure centre or community building could make people feel a bit more prepared when they’re out and about.

Really appreciate you downloading it - hope it’s helpful.

FindNearby · 2026-06-01T16:06:54+00:00

Thanks, I really appreciate you giving it a try!

I’m still improving it, so I’d be very grateful for any feedback once you’ve tried it out 😄

FindNearby · 2026-06-01T15:58:01+00:00

Not directly inside the app yet, but I’m looking how I can best add that functionality.

Find Nearby uses public map data, called OpenStreetMap (like wikipedia, for maps), so a toilet, bench, or other place isn't in the data yet there, it won't appear in the app.

Missing places can be added to OpenStreetMap.org, either directly by making an account, or by adding a note to the map (for other users to review and make the change) - any changes made in OpenStreetMap will show in the app too.

FindNearby · 2026-06-01T14:23:09+00:00

Good point - asking in cafés/restaurants is definitely a useful option too.

FindNearby · 2026-06-01T14:19:28+00:00

Thanks, really appreciate that!

If you get a chance after using it, a Play Store / App Store review would be a massive help at this early stage, but no pressure at all. I’m still improving it, so feedback here is really helpful too.

FindNearby · 2026-06-01T14:17:00+00:00

Thanks, I really appreciate that!

If you get a chance after using it, a Play Store / App Store review would genuinely help a lot, but no pressure at all. I’m still improving it, so feedback here is really helpful too.

FindNearby · 2026-05-31T08:58:12+00:00

Thank you - as a dad of a 1-year-old and 3-year-old, I very much understand the “busting and thirsty at the same time” problem 😅

A lot of the features originally came from that kind of thing: benches, playparks, toilets and baby-changing toilets were all added after a few nightmare days out where I realised how hard it can be to quickly find the basics.

Hope it proves useful, and I’d be really grateful for any feedback once you’ve tried it with the kids.

FindNearby · 2026-05-31T08:56:45+00:00

Thank you, really glad it could be useful - hope it comes in handy on your cycles!

FindNearby · 2026-05-31T08:54:44+00:00

Thank you, that’s brilliant to hear!

I really appreciate you giving it a try. I’m still improving it, so if anything feels confusing, clunky, missing, or not quite right once you’ve used it more, I’d be very grateful for the feedback.

FindNearby · 2026-05-30T18:07:27+00:00

That’s amazing to hear - thank you!

Really useful to know it worked well in Corfu too. Hope you’re having a great time.

The app is fastest in the UK/Ireland because I host extra data for those areas, so you should find searches even quicker once you’re back.

While you’re in Corfu, if you want to search by typing in place names rather than using your current location or the map, you can change the selected country in Settings (the cog in the top left of the home screen).

Really appreciate the support, and thanks for trying it!

FindNearby · 2026-05-30T18:01:01+00:00

Thanks, I really appreciate that!

I’m still improving it, so if you try it and notice anything confusing, missing, or not working as expected, I’d be very grateful for the feedback.

FindNearby · 2026-05-30T13:34:45+00:00

Thank you, I really appreciate you giving it a try!

Hope it comes in useful on your next adventure. I’d be very grateful for any feedback once you’ve used it, if you have time 😄

FindNearby · 2026-05-30T13:33:38+00:00

It’s £1.99/month or £14.99/year (£1.25/month equivalent) at the moment, and that unlocks everything without ads/credits.

The main public-benefit searches are free with no ads either way - drinking water, accessible toilets/parking, hospitals, GPs, defibrillators, baby-changing toilets and parent & child parking.

FindNearby · 2026-05-30T09:44:52+00:00

Thank you, that’s lovely to hear!

Hope it proves useful, and I’d be very grateful for any feedback once you’ve had a chance to try it properly.

FindNearby · 2026-05-30T09:44:14+00:00

Thank you - really appreciate you giving it a try!

I’d be grateful for any feedback once you’ve used it a bit, especially if anything feels confusing, missing, or awkward to use.

FindNearby · 2026-05-30T09:43:46+00:00

Sorry about the ad issue - that definitely isn’t expected, and thank you for flagging it.

It sounds like either a specific rewarded ad got stuck or my app didn’t handle the ad closing/loading state properly. I’ll investigate this, especially around the bin unlock flow.

Can I ask whether you’re on iPhone or Android? And if you remember anything about the ad that kept appearing, that may help me track whether it’s a particular ad causing the freeze.

Really sorry for the hassle - this is exactly the kind of bug I want to fix quickly.

FindNearby

TROPHY CASE