Race Mode and troubleshooting

Prepare voice notes before a race and resolve readiness or playback problems.

Race Mode is part of the iOS app. It plays prepared voice notes during your race. The readiness check in the app is the authority for whether your selected race can be turned on.

Prepare before race day

  1. Open your planned race and add voice notes, including notes from people you invite.
  2. While connected to the internet, allow received notes to finish downloading and preview the audio.
  3. Open the Race Mode readiness check and resolve each item it shows.
  4. Connect your headphones and check the playback volume.
  5. Choose Turn On Race Mode when the app allows it.

Turning on Race Mode currently requires a signed-in Layer account, Pro access, a course and playable notes. It also needs Always location permission for background progress. The app checks the race time window, so a race can be too early to turn on or its window may already have ended.

Notes are not ready

If notes are still downloading, keep Layer open with an internet connection. Failed, unplayable or missing audio must be resolved before the readiness check can pass. Preview the affected note again and follow the action shown in the app. If it still fails, contact support with the visible message.

Downloaded notes are prepared on the phone, but this Help Center itself has no offline mode. Open these instructions before you lose connectivity. Do not rely on an undownloaded note arriving at the start line.

Location or Live Activity needs attention

Follow the readiness check to allow background location in iOS Settings. Location progress depends on the phone being able to receive a usable signal.

If Live Activities are disabled, the app can let you acknowledge that the Lock Screen card will be unavailable. That acknowledgement does not replace location permission or audio readiness.

A note does not play

Check that Race Mode is turned on for the intended race, your headphones are connected and the audio volume is audible. Keep the phone charged. Do not force-quit Layer during the race.

A note's timing depends on race progress and the location signal. Use the note preview to distinguish an audio-output problem from a progress-trigger problem. If playback remains wrong, report the approximate race time and the note's scheduled point. Do not post your exact route or account details publicly.

Report an unwanted voice note

Open the note in Layer and choose Report. You can also delete a received note. Read Support for the reporting process and response commitments.

Still need help? Email help@layertoday.com.