Return Direction vs GuideDog Nav
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Return Direction
This app helps you find your way back to a previously saved location. It displays the direction and distance to your chosen spot, with the option to add a photo for visual reference. Ideal for remembering meeting points or return destinations.
- Save current location
- Display direction to saved location
- Show distance to saved location
- Add photos to saved locations
- Useful for meeting points
- Helps find return paths
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When you want to return to your current location later, this app will show you the direction and the distance. Let this app remember the place you are and check it later. If you register a photo, it will help you remember the place. - When you want to meet again at the place you part with others at an amusement park or a zoo - When you get off at the station and want to return to the same station again after visiting the destination such as shopping - On a bus trip, when you want to return to the bus after sightseeing
GuideDog Nav
This navigation assistant uses your iPhone's sensors and AI to detect obstacles, stairs, and hazards in real-time. It provides voice and haptic feedback to help blind and visually impaired individuals navigate safely. All processing is done on-device for enhanced privacy.
- Real-time obstacle detection
- LiDAR distance sensing
- AI object identification
- Voice and haptic alerts
- On-device processing
- Voice command controls
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GuideDog Vision is a navigation assistant designed for blind and visually impaired individuals. Built as a student project, it uses your iPhone's LiDAR sensor, camera, and AI to detect obstacles, walls, stairs, and hazards in real time. How it works: - Automatic protection: constantly scans and warns about obstacles - LiDAR distance sensing: real-time measurements in feet - AI object detection: identifies people, chairs, vehicles, and more - Cloud AI: detects stairs, wet floors, doors, and hazards on scan - Voice alerts with haptic feedback Controls: - Hold screen: speak a voice command - Double tap: scan surroundings - Swipe left/right: check sides - Voice: "What's around", "Is it safe", "Left", "Right", "Scan", "Help" Privacy: - All detection runs on-device - Cloud AI optional, only on scan - No images stored, no account needed Works best on LiDAR-equipped iPhones (12 Pro and later). Camera and microphone access required. Built as a student project to make navigation safer for the visually impaired community.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: GuideDog Nav at 5.0 against Return Direction's 1.0. GuideDog Nav also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 13 months) and ratings volume (3 vs 1). Return Direction's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
GuideDog Nav holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 1.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 3 respectively.
Return Direction ships an update every 13 months, GuideDog Nav every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Return Direction | GuideDog Nav |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.0 (1 ratings) | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 3 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 13 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 17 MB | 93 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Ryohei Minowa | Premkumar Krishnamurthy |
In-app purchases
Return Direction
No in-app purchases
GuideDog Nav
No in-app purchases









