# Beacon - Digital Guide — Digital Guide to Student Life > Digital student life guide for university services, campus navigation, and information. (iPhone/iPad app by University of Staffordshire.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beacon-digital-guide/id1435526583 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [University of Staffordshire](https://appshunter.io/developer/1157433122) - Category: Education, Social Networking - Price: Free - Rating: 4.50/5 from 2 App Store ratings · 14 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 17+ - Requires: iOS 13.4 · 40 MB - Languages: English - Released: 2019-01-16 - Data updated: 2026-06-04 - Monetization: ad-supported - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beacon-digital-guide/id1435526583/reviews.md ## What is Beacon? Beacon is your intelligent digital guide to student life. Just like you, it will be learning more and more skills and knowledge over the years to come, some of the things it can do include: - View your timetable - View campus maps and find points of interests - View the contact details for your lecturers, personal tutor and course leader - Search the staff directory - Check PCs availability - Find contact details for the university services - Request important documents - Browse news and events - Order a new student card - Search the societies and clubs you can join - Get directions to rooms and places on the campus - Get answers to common questions across all our services: Careers, Counselling, Digital, International Student, Library, Student Enabling, Student Services and Students' Union ## Key features - View timetable - Campus maps and points of interest - Staff and service contact details - PC availability checks - News and events browsing - Societies and clubs search - Answers to common service questions ## Recent user reviews (10 of 14) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beacon-digital-guide/id1435526583/reviews.md ### 3/5 — Not compatible with My Mac *2025-03-26, version 4.0.7* Needs a fix to allow compatability for my MacBook Pro, it is annoying to not be able to have it open when in lecture for signing in and getting to blackboard quickly etc ### 1/5 — Ceased support to Mac *2025-03-10* This worked fine when I started my studies last year, but recent updates did not include Macs (tho they did include iPads). Typing up work and submitting on a tablet is not as comfortable or practical as using a Mac. Nor will everyone who has purchased a Mac have access to a tablet. Please reconsider. ### 2/5 — not working *2023-03-28, version 3.4.8* keeps showing black screen and won’t let me do anything ### 3/5 — iPad Support is limited. *2022-08-19, version 3.2.7* Using this app on an iPad will make your neck hurt since the screen doesn’t rotate to horizontal when used on one. This needs fixing. ### 3/5 — Crashing *2022-04-04, version 3.0.6* Very convenient, but for the last couple weeks it has been crashing, so preventing me from recording my attendance. ### 2/5 — Needs fixing. *2022-02-23, version 3.0.1* Timetables keep disappearing. ### 1/5 — Simply Annoying to Work with *2021-10-18, version 2.8.5* Never ask beacon a question because they’ll simply ignore you or answer the question five minutes later. Also the attendance system is annoying to work with as sometimes it will not log in your attendance. ### 1/5 — Unfit for purpose *2021-09-30, version 2.8.4* As frustrating as every other aspect of communication with the university unfortunately. What use is a timetable without location information? OK I now know when I have a class but where? Also, one of my modules is missing altogether! So I don’t know when half my classes are and where the rest are located! Automating this sort of thing and putting a friendly little robot face on it would be one thing if it actually worked but it doesn’t and then it just makes it harder to access human help, a few days till classes start and several increasingly frantic phone calls and emails later, still no idea where! While welcome week didn’t feel very welcoming when there was such limited information on how to access the events, again I had to call around to find out the location of physical events because that wasn’t on Beacon and was unable to access online events as there was no information on Beacon except that they were online! This has so many gaps that they shouldn’t really be presenting it as a finished project, let alone expecting students to rely on it. The one thing that seems to work well is tracking non-attendance at events you are unable to attend because no information on how to access them is included in the app! ### 2/5 — Wouldn’t let me log Attendance *2021-09-29, version 2.8.4* The app itself is easy to navigate however it’s very flawed. Wouldn’t allow me to log my attendance meaning I received an absent mark. Bugs need to be fixed ### 5/5 — Yes *2021-09-24, version 2.8.4* Sends memes and tells jokes when asked nicely. A true friend we all need. ## Frequently asked questions about Beacon ### What can Beacon do for students? Beacon provides a digital guide to student life, allowing users to view timetables, campus maps, contact details for staff and services, check PC availability, and browse news and events. ### Is Beacon free to use? Yes, Beacon is available for free download and use. It is supported by advertisements. ### What devices does Beacon support? Beacon is available on iPhone, iPad, and iPod devices. ### How often is Beacon updated? The latest version is 4.6.0, last updated on March 16, 2026. Update frequency is not explicitly detailed but indicates ongoing development. ### What is the age rating for Beacon? Beacon has an age rating of 17+, suggesting it contains content suitable for mature teenagers and adults. ### Does Beacon offer offline access to features? The description does not specify offline functionality. Features like viewing timetables and maps may require an internet connection. ### Can Beacon help me find specific rooms on campus? Yes, Beacon can provide directions to rooms and places on campus, aiding in navigation. ### Does Beacon have ads? Yes, Beacon contains advertisements as part of its ad-supported monetization model. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 4.6.2 — 2026-04-30 Fixes an issue logging out users ### 4.6.0 — 2026-03-16 - Bug fixes ### 4.5.9 — 2026-03-12 - Beacon for visitors - Bug fixes ### 4.5.7 — 2026-02-25 - Faster page load - Various bug fixes ### 4.5.5 — 2026-02-23 - Technologies upgrade - Various bug fixes ## Apps similar to Beacon | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [UWS Student App](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/uws-student-app/id1598343106) | — | Free | Education | | [Ripon Area School District](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ripon-area-school-district/id1495189064) | 5.0 (2) | Free | Education | | [Studii.md](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/studiimd/id1476252316) | 1.6 (14) | Free | Education | | [Aula - Classroom Communication](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aula-classroom-communication/id909131134) | 2.7 (3) | Free | Education | | [Driving Theory Test 2026 Kit](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/driving-theory-test-2026-kit/id1078352542) | 4.8 (276) | Free | Education | | [National Museum in your pocket](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/national-museum-in-your-pocket/id1539401601) | 4.8 (425) | Free | Education | ## More apps by University of Staffordshire - [Staffordshire University Maps](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/staffordshire-university-maps/id1423078237) All apps by University of Staffordshire: https://appshunter.io/developer/1157433122 ## Related topics [my beacon portal](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/my-beacon-portal) --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-04.*