Troubleshooting & FAQ
Most surprises in MuirWave aren't faults — they're the app being honest about what it knows. Here are the questions that come up most, with a plain answer to each.
A control or toggle is greyed out
That control belongs to a paid edition you don't currently have. MuirWave never hides features — it shows them dimmed so you know they exist. Tapping one opens a screen explaining what it unlocks.
| If this is greyed out… | You need… |
|---|---|
| Live data chips (SSP · WIND · CURRENTS) | MuirWave Live |
| Regional Forecast packs (live ocean-model data) | MuirWave Live |
| Formal EIA report / methodology PDF export | MuirWave Pro |
| Offline Climatology & Bathymetry packs · Markdown methodology · Brief Sheet | Free — never greyed out |
Working offline / no signal at sea
MuirWave is offline-first. Every core prediction — ray paths, transmission loss, the sound field, detection and impact ranges — runs entirely on data bundled in the app, with no connection needed. You can work all day at sea with the network off.
- Placing pins & running predictions anywhere on Earth
- Global bathymetry, sediments and WOA23 climatology
- All readouts, plots and impact ranges
- Any regional packs you downloaded while online
- Fetching live ocean/weather conditions (the LIVE chips)
- Downloading new regional data packs
- Live vessel traffic
A live-data chip shows "fallback" or looks dim
The chips at the top (SSP, WIND, CURRENTS) report where the current reading comes from. This is a feature — it keeps every prediction honest and auditable.
| Chip state | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ● LIVE | A fresh real-time reading is in use (requires MuirWave Live + a connection). |
| CLIMATOLOGY | Using the built-in WOA23 baseline — either offline, no Live subscription, or the live feed was unreachable. |
A readout is blank or a plot is empty
This is by design. When Depth Excess is negative (a depth deficit), MuirWave shows no number — it's a well-defined state that doesn't need a figure. Any positive value is shown and colour-coded (see Reference → Depth-Excess bands).
A prediction needs a complete scenario. If you haven't set the source and the key geometry yet, the solver waits rather than showing a half-finished answer. Fill in the remaining inputs (the app marks which are still needed) and the results appear.
Measured entries: unit traps & staleness
The two mistakes that put a wrong number into a measured-noise entry, and what the STALE chip actually means.
The chip says STALE — is my prediction broken? No. A measured entry older than 24 hours is flagged amber ◆ SSP · MEASURED · STALE but keeps driving the solver — MuirWave never blocks or pops up. When you're ready, tap the chip and choose REVERT TO MODEL (your entry is kept), or just enter a fresh observation. The same token ambers on distance once you're ~30 nm from where you measured.
Restoring a purchase on a new device
Your purchases are tied to your Apple ID, so they move with you. On a new iPad, or if an upgrade looks missing:
- Sign in to the same Apple ID you purchased with.
- Open MuirWave → Settings → Restore Purchases.
- Your MuirWave Pro and/or active MuirWave Live entitlement re-enable within a few seconds.
Still stuck?
If something here didn't cover it, we'd genuinely like to know — it's how the app and this guide get better.