App Features and Modes

There are many ways to find, filter and view information in the Culture App. To start, find the Options bar, which displays the various icons to access our content, on the bottom of your screen.

The Culture App contains over 5,000 historical maps that have been converted from 2D images into 3D objects that are geotagged and conformed to the earth’s surface. Map View, accessed through the Map icon in the Navigation bar, displays maps from a variety of time periods, some going back over 7,000 years. Maps are grouped in a scrolling column on the right side of the app screen and related files are grouped in a scrolling column on the left. When chosen, these maps are overlaid on top of the geographic location to allow you to zoom in for a better understanding of the topography and country borders in that region during that time period. The Opacity scale along the bottom of the map allows the current geography to show through the map. To exit Map View, simply click anywhere on the screen outside of the map to get back to Globe View.

Globe Mode is accessed through the Globe icon on in the Navigation bar. In this mode, you are able to spin the globe with a swipe of your finger and zoom in on any geographic area to find out more about the key people, places and events in that location.

Globe View Filters are located within the Settings section indicated by the Gear icon in the far right of the Navigation bar. The default “On” settings allow you to see every city with a population of 500,000 or more, mountains and lakes on the globe to orient yourself. This also where you can filter the articles shown to display each of the following disciplines: Architecture, Art, Commerce, Costume, Cuisine, History, Literature, Miscellaneous, Music, Performing Arts, Philosophy, Religion and Science.

To turn off any of these settings and filters, simply turn them off by moving the toggle for each to the left.

The Library, represented by the list icon, is where you can access the many videos and other interactive features that bring the Culture App to life. This is also where you find articles on a variety of topics, maps, videos, and interactive narratives, called Journeys.

The Featured section highlights the newest or most timely videos and articles in the Culture App database.

The immersive Videos are arranged by continent and country and allow you to get an insider’s view of places and topics ranging from Armenian Music to Zimbabwe. These 2-10 minute videos enable you to experience the details of daily life in these countries and are sure to satisfy your wanderlust or give you some great travel ideas.

Journeys tell the stories of important expeditions, travels and trade routes throughout history, like the travels of explorer Marco Polo, the Shackelton Expedition or The Columbian Exchange. Follow the prompts as we lead you on an interactive journey across the globe, allowing you to learn more about important figures and events along the way.

The Resources section lists dozens of indexes of world cultures that link to sources outside the App for for additional content and more information

The Filters feature in the Library can be used to filter the content within the library (videos, maps and journeys) by region and time period.

The Search function, represented by the magnifying glass, allows you to search for any person, place or thing that you’d like to learn more about. Just type your topic into the Search bar and be transported directly to that part of the world.

Bookmarks allow you to save your favorite locations, articles, maps, and videos so you can revisit them over and over.

Tutorials showing how to use all of the features in the App to and how to access the diverse content, can be found in the Settings section represented by the Gear icon on the Navigation bar.