On July 14, 2026, Geocaching.com's president and co-founder Bryan Roth introduced a new subscription feature from Geocaching HQ called Shareables (Read the announcement).
In the Official Geocaching Blog post, Ryan stated, “Geocaching
has always been about more than finding a container. It’s about discovery,
surprise, and the connections we make along the way.”
I don’t think the majority of geocachers would agree with that
statement. I would instead argue that most geocachers would claim geocaching
has, in fact, always been simply about finding containers.
Now, Bryan does go on to say that, “For 25 years,
geocachers have created and shared signature items—from geocoins and wooden
nickels to handmade art, stickers, and trading cards—as a way to express
themselves and connect with others” which is true, however, again I would
make an argument that most geocachers who enjoy this aspect of the activity
enjoy the physical qualities of these items; especially creating, finding,
trading, and collecting them.
SO, WHAT ARE SHAREABLES?
When I first mentioned Shareables to my wife, she was certain I was talking about cannabis-derived products. I laughed, and then remembered that caches were once called "stashes" and renamed due to the illicit references the word was associated with, but then I corrected her and shared what I had just read online. According to the blog, “Shareables are custom pieces of digital artwork that players can create, collect, and share with the geocaching community. They might celebrate a recent hide, a milestone, a pet, or a favorite geocaching adventure.”
This is where I see Sharables differ from Signature Items,
in that the latter are unique items left by geocachers as a personal calling card
and act as a thank-you note of “signature” in a cache. Shareables can only be
shared with other geocachers through an online database, and moreover, require
the creator to pay and maintain annual membership (two Shareables cost $11.99 a
year) outside of the normal Geocaching Premium Membership.
Shareable Price Schedule
DOES GEOCACHING NEED THIS?
The blog post/announcement answered plenty of FAQ-style
questions, but failed to address the one question most geocachers are asking in
the comments, and in the geocaching.com forums - does geocaching need
this?
My short answer is no.
But this requires some explanation, because in addition to
just “no,” I would add “because Geocaching HQ has plenty of other issues and
concerns brought to their attention by members that it should be addressing.”
It is apparent that Shareables are another attempt by GCHQ to
leverage its mobile app and today's cellular capabilities, and primarily to
generate revenue, not improve geocaching. This has been done before, first with
Wherigo, then Geocaching Challenges, and then Adventure Labs – all of which are
more about the (mobile) platform than they are about geocaching.
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Additionally, I simply do not see a need for Sharelables, nor
have I ever heard from the geocaching community (in forums or at events or
anywhere else) that there was ever even a desire for such a feature.
Personally, I see Shareables as just another iteration of digital collectibles
(such as Souvenirs and Treasures), all of which have no real value to
geocaching itself. And, while I respect that many people like these features and
collect them, do we really need another color of the same shape?
WHAT TO DO INSTEAD
If Geocaching HQ really wants to release features that geocachers
will get excited about, then they need to listen to what its members have been continuously
saying and refocus its collective effort on two priorities: first, fix the
problems with the features that already exist (app and platform
functionality, management of features like Souvenirs and Treasures, Adventure
Lab find counts, and a dedicated Challenge Cache icon); and second, return to
what has proven to work and has been appreciated by the geocaching community,
such as the campaigns and community initiatives that have resonated with
players worldwide (global and community Events, legendary Trackables,
meaningful partnerships, and high-engagement Souvenir challenges).
FIXING THE PROBLEMS
Reading through the hundreds of forum posts and comments related to the Shareables announcement post, I would list the following features as those repetitively mentioned by users that Geocaching HQ needs to address before offering new, undesired features:
- Correct mobile app functionality — downloadable maps, offline lists, and other core features that currently don't work reliably.
- Let
members manage all “add-on” feature participation through their Settings. Give members the option to opt in or
out of these features the same way they manage other aspects of their
profile.
- Adjust
Adventure Lab find counts. Award 1 find per completed adventure
(matching Multi-Cache logic) rather than 1 find per stage — or spin
Adventure Labs off as its own separate site and game entirely.
- Phase
out Wherigo caches. Plenty of players love this cache type, but the
platform has long been abandoned by Geocaching HQ developers, is poorly
supported, and have been effectively replaced by Adventure Labs.
I suggest GCHQ "grandfather" in active Wherigos that
still function correctly, Archive those with unresolved reported errors, and
run annual "purges" (as is done with EarthCaches) to keep dead
listings out of search results and free up room for new caches or ALs.
- Give
Challenge Caches their own icon — or fold them into Traditional Caches.
As they are, Challenge Caches don't fit the Mystery/Unknown
category or guidelines since the container sits at the posted
coordinates. All they actually need is a Challenge Cache attribute
(like the existing Scuba or Climbing attributes) and a checker.
They should either get a distinct, filterable map icon or be reclassified
as Traditional caches.
- Continue
the Virtual Rewards program, but create a sustainable,
predictable model for future Virtual Rewards that balances baselines,
continuous quality, and a persistence multiplier.
- Create Tiered Membership Accounts. Close the “permanently free” revenue leak of casual geocachers by placing a 50-find or 90-day cap on a Trial tier. Introduce an affordable $24.99/year (or $3.99/month) Basic tier that provides an affordable option to casual users who either don’t want to pay for, or use, the features of a full Premium pricing tier, monetizing millions of previously unmonetized accounts. Continue to support the Premium membership with all its current functionality and perks.
The three-tier membership model
optimizes Groundspeak's revenue and server efficiency, protects game quality through tiered access, and established a natural, three-step player progression from free to premium.
RETURNING TO WHAT WORKS
To maintain a genuine sense of community, Geocaching HQ
needs to return to the campaigns and initiatives that have resonated with
players worldwide:
- Global
and Community Events — Block Parties, Community Celebration Events,
Going APE, GIFF, and CITO Weeks.
- High-Engagement
Souvenir Challenges — limited challenges to four per year.
- Legendary
Trackables and Partnerships — such as the Jeep 4x4 Challenge, the
International Space Station (ISS) Travel Bug, and the PBS Dinosaur Train
campaign.
IN SUMMARY
Geocachers don’t really want things they haven’t asked for, but they do want the things they have asked for. Geocaching.com is a business who charges membership fees to generate revenue, but they are also beholden to the stakeholders and need to listen to what they are saying. Geocachers want to be part of something bigger than themselves – a worldwide community of likeminded people - and many of us are willing to pay for a Membership, but we expect our money to be used for features we want, not those we do not. Shareables is an interesting concept with its own merit and might be a good idea for its own mobile app or website, but, in my opinion it just isn’t for geocaching.