For the person who counts heads
Every walking group has one: the person who stops at the stile and counts. CRAGGEN is for them — the whole group, front to back, in one press.
Groups stretch. The fast pair are four hundred metres ahead, the photographer has stopped, and the gap grows on every climb. Phone calls are one-to-one and need answering; group chats need eyes and thumbs. A walkie-talkie channel is the old, correct answer: "Slowing at the gate" once, heard by everyone, hands back on poles.
The honest bit, before anything else. CRAGGEN works over mobile data or Wi-Fi — every phone in the group needs a working connection. It is not a radio, it cannot work with no signal at all, and it cannot call the emergency services. In an emergency, call your local emergency number directly — in the UK that is 999, and you can register for 999 by text at emergencysms.net before you head out.
Built for how walking actually works
- Works with the screen off. Join at the car park and pocket the phone. CRAGGEN is designed to remain connected; the Android notification shows the service is running.
- The talk control is half the screen. It is large enough for a gloved hand when the phone is out. Pro and Crew can use a compatible, tested physical PTT button while the phone stays packed.
- Private by default. Channels use generated four-word codes with an optional PIN. Anyone with both can join, so share them only with the group and check the visible roster.
- Leaders' groups welcome. DofE supervisors, club leaders, guides: no accounts means no account profile to administer for participants. Ages 13+, and every member can mute or report instantly.
A leader's two-minute setup
Tap Create a new private code, add a PIN, and read the code out at the briefing (or share the invite link the night before). That's the whole rollout. When someone's phone dies — someone's always does — the group loses one voice, not the system.
Questions people ask
Does it work in the fells and mountains?
Only where every participating phone has usable mobile data or Wi-Fi. CRAGGEN avoids dialling and answering a call, but it cannot bridge a dead zone. For remote routes carry suitable radio and emergency equipment as well.
Is it suitable for DofE or youth groups?
CRAGGEN is for ages 13 and up and has no accounts or location tracking in the app. A leader can use a generated code and optional PIN; every participant can see the roster, mute and report. Display names are not verified identities, so normal supervision is still required.
What about battery?
CRAGGEN is designed to remain connected with the screen off, but battery use varies by phone, signal strength and how much the group talks. Start charged and carry suitable power for a long route.
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