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User en Getting Started
Install Sparkilo from the Google Play Store — the public production release.
Coming from the beta? If you joined the Open Testing (beta) programme, Google Play keeps serving you beta builds — the listing shows the app name with a (beta) tag and a "You're a beta tester" note. To switch to the public production version:
- Open the Play listing → under "You're a beta tester", tap Leave the programme.
- Uninstall the beta build, then reinstall it from Play.
Want new features first? Stay in the beta programme instead — new builds roll out to the beta channel before production, so testers get every update earlier.
Sparkilo also ships a fully GMS-free build through its own F-Droid repository (OpenStreetMap maps, no Google services, no tracking). In the F-Droid app open Settings → Repositories → + and add:
https://fdittgen-png.github.io/tankstellen/fdroid/repo
Then search for Sparkilo and install. (If you already have the Play build installed, uninstall it first — the F-Droid build is signed with a different key, so it cannot update over the Play version.)
- APK — download a release APK from GitHub Releases.
- iPhone — the iOS build is in TestFlight beta; request an invite via GitHub Issues until the App Store listing is live.
No account, no sign-up, no email — the app works fully the moment it's installed.
Minimum Android: 7.0 (API 24). Target: Android 15. Minimum iOS: 15.5. Target: iOS 18.
On the very first launch the app shows a dedicated GDPR consent screen before any other UI. It explains every permission and only proceeds when you tap Accept.
- Location permission — required to find stations near you. Choose While using the app. You can use a postal code instead if you prefer never to share GPS.
- Notifications — needed only if you want price alerts.
- Diagnostics — optional. Nothing is sent unless you explicitly tap Report issue.
If you deny location, you can still search by postal code or by picking a city on the map.
The app auto-detects both from your system locale. If detection is wrong:
- Settings → Country — choose from the 17 supported countries.
- Settings → Language — choose from 23 translated locales (bg, cs, da, de, el, en, es, et, fi, fr, hr, hu, it, lt, lv, nb, nl, pl, pt, ro, sk, sl, sv). The whole UI refreshes immediately.
Switching country clears cached station data so you get fresh results for the new country.
The app can be as simple or as deep as you like. In Settings → Use mode you pick one of three presets — each one just bundles features so you don't have to hunt through toggles:
- Basic — the essentials: find cheap fuel and EV charging, favourites, price alerts, route planning. The bottom bar is just Favourites · Map · Search. Pick this if all you want is cheaper fuel.
- Medium — everything in Basic, plus a Fuel tab so you can log your fill-ups and track your real consumption and cost. Trips can be recorded with your phone's GPS alone — no extra hardware. The bottom bar adds Fuel.
- Full — everything in Medium, plus a Trips logbook with hands-free recording and eco-coaching, and support for a plug-in OBD2 adapter for the most accurate numbers. The bottom bar adds Trips.
You can switch any time, and Custom lets you flip individual features in Settings → Features for your own mix.
Most countries work the instant you open the app. Germany is the one exception: its official price service asks each user for a free key.
- Open creativecommons.tankerkoenig.de
- Click Get an API key and fill in the (short) form
- Copy the key — it looks like
00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000002 - In the app: Settings → API keys → Germany → paste → Save
The key is stored in a hardware-protected vault on your phone (Android Keystore / iOS Keychain) and is only ever sent to the German price service — never to us.
The bar across the bottom of the screen has five spots. The big round Search button sits in the middle, raised into a little notch so it's always the easiest thing to tap:
- ⭐ Favourites — your saved stations and price alerts
- 🗺️ Map — every nearby station as a coloured pin
- 🔍 Search (the central button) — find the cheapest fuel or charging near you, or along a route
- ⛽ Fuel — your tank, your consumption and your fill-ups (appears on Medium / Full)
- 🛣️ Trips — your trip logbook and eco-coaching (appears on Full)
Settings isn't a tab — tap the gear / profile button in the top-right corner of any screen to reach it.
On a tablet or a phone held sideways, the app splits into two columns so you see a list and the map (or details) at the same time.
Tap the big Search button in the middle of the bottom bar. It's smart about what you need:
- From most screens, it opens a short Criteria sheet where you choose your fuel type, how far to look, and whether to search nearby or along a route.
- Tap Search again inside that sheet to run it.
You get a list of stations with the cheapest first. Tap any station to see its prices, opening hours, amenities and a button to get directions. See Finding Stations for the full tour.
Go to Settings → Landing screen. You can choose what opens when you tap the app icon:
- Cheapest nearby (default) — instant search with your last criteria
- Nearest station — single result, fastest route
- Favorites — straight to your saved stations
- Map — full map with cluster markers
Under Settings → Units you can pick how distances, volumes and prices are shown. Defaults are per country: metric (km, L, €/L) in continental Europe; imperial-ish (mi for distance signs in the UK, c/L for AU, etc.) where appropriate.
Next: Finding Stations →
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