How Cobblehop works

Say where you're going. Get one clear route. Ride with a buzz before your stop.

The flow, step by step

1. Ask. Type or say where you're going, the way you'd text a friend: "Salem", "Fenway Park", "get me to Logan by 6" or "last train to Providence". To speak, tap the microphone. It appears when the text box is empty, if your browser supports voice input.
2. Get one route card. Instead of a list of options, you get one plan, drawn as a card: what to board, when it leaves, the stops, when you arrive and the walking at each end.
3. Watch the countdown. The big number at the top tells you when to leave, like "Leave in 12 min". It updates on its own.
4. Start a live ride. Tap "Buzz me before my stop". Cobblehop follows your train or bus and shows how many stops are left, the next stop and your arrival time.
5. Get buzzed before your stop. When your stop is next, your phone vibrates where the phone allows it, plays a chime and flashes "Your stop is next". If you've allowed notifications and switched to another app, you also get a notification.
6. Get to the door. Move to the door one stop early, so you're ready when it opens.

What's on the route card

• A leave-in countdown and your arrival time
• One short line per step: walk, take, change, get off
• Each ride in its line's color, with the direction it's heading and its time
• "Get off at" your stop, with "Get ready after" the stop before it
• The track number for Commuter Rail trains, once it's posted
• A walking-directions button for each walk, which opens Google Maps
• Other departure times under the card. Tap Later for more

Live departures

Not sure where you're headed yet? Ask "next trains at North Station" or "what's leaving South Station" to see the next departures from an MBTA station, with track numbers for Commuter Rail once they're posted.

Where your trip starts

If you don't say where you're starting, Cobblehop uses your location if you've allowed it. If not, it picks a sensible main station, such as North Station or South Station, and shows it on the card. Tap the starting point to change it, or just say "from Back Bay instead". If you don't give a time, Cobblehop plans for now. You can also say "arrive by 6" or "leave at 9".

Tips for the best experience

Allow location

When your browser asks, tap Allow. Cobblehop can then plan from where you are and find nearby stations. You can also tap the arrow button next to the text box at any time.

Add Cobblehop to your home screen

iPhone (Safari):

1. Open cobblehop.com in Safari.
2. Tap the Share button, the square with an arrow pointing up. On some iOS versions, it's inside the "…" menu.
3. Scroll down and tap Add to Home Screen.
4. Tap Add.

Android (Chrome):

1. Open cobblehop.com in Chrome.
2. Tap the three-dot menu in the top right corner.
3. Tap Add to Home screen or Install app.
4. Tap Add or Install.

The exact wording can differ a little between phones and versions.

Keep Cobblehop open during a ride

The buzz works while Cobblehop is open. During a live ride, Cobblehop asks your phone to keep the screen awake. If you close the tab or swipe the app away, the ride stops.

Turn off silent mode

Silent mode can mute the chime. Turn it off and turn up the volume before you ride. Allow notifications when Cobblehop asks, so you still get an alert if you switch to another app.

Watch out for battery saving

Low Power Mode on iPhone and battery saver on Android can let the screen sleep sooner and slow down open pages. Turn it off for the ride if you can, or keep the phone in your hand.

What powers Cobblehop

• Schedules published by the MBTA, MassDOT, the regional transit authorities, Amtrak and the coach and ferry operators.
• Live MBTA data, including predictions and vehicle locations, wherever it's available. Elsewhere, Cobblehop uses the published schedules.
• Map data from OpenStreetMap, for walking routes and finding places.
• An AI model that reads your request and decides what to plan. The times on your card always come from the transit data, not from the AI.

Transit data: MassDOT/MBTA and other public transit agencies. Cobblehop is independent and not affiliated with the MBTA or MassDOT.

What Cobblehop can't do yet

• It doesn't book rideshares, taxis or hotels. If you ask, it notes the request for future features and still plans the transit part of your trip.
• It doesn't work offline. It needs a data connection to plan trips and follow your ride.
• Native iPhone and Android apps are coming. For now, it runs in your phone's browser.