BarkWatch
Support
Questions, bugs, or feedback about BarkWatch? Email us at jeremiah@virada.net and we'll get back to you within a couple of days. Including your iOS version and what you were doing when the problem happened helps us fix things faster.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I set up the two devices?
BarkWatch uses two of your own devices signed into the same Apple Account with iCloud on. On the device that stays home with your dog, choose Recorder and tap Start Listening. On the device you carry, choose Monitor. Events and clips from the Recorder appear on the Monitor's timeline automatically.
The Monitor shows no events.
Check three things: both devices are signed into the same Apple Account, iCloud is on for BarkWatch on both (a warning row appears in the app when it is off), and both devices have a network connection. New events usually arrive within seconds but can take a few minutes on a slow connection.
Does the Recorder work with the screen locked?
Yes. Detection keeps running while the device is locked or the app is in the background. Keep the Recorder plugged in; listening around the clock uses more battery than normal standby, and the app shows a warning when it is unplugged.
I'm not getting alerts.
Allow notifications when the Monitor asks, and check that a Focus mode isn't silencing them. Alerts are delivered through iCloud and arrive even when the app is closed. Alert frequency can be tuned in Settings on the Monitor.
What audio does BarkWatch record?
Only barking. Audio is analyzed on-device in real time, and a clip is saved only when barking is detected, starting a few seconds before the first bark and capped at 30 seconds. Everything else is discarded immediately. Clips sync only through your private iCloud database; nobody but your own devices can access them.
It records too much, or misses barks.
Open Settings on the Recorder. Raising the threshold ignores fainter sounds; lowering it catches more. The confidence setting controls how strict the bark classifier is. Loud non-bark noise should not trigger clips; if it does, raise the confidence.
How long are clips kept?
You choose the retention window in Settings, and older events delete automatically. You can also delete any event by opening its clip and tapping Delete; the deletion syncs to both devices.
What does the one-time unlock include?
BarkWatch is free to use for the first 7 days after install. After that, a single one-time purchase keeps everything working: detection, alerts, clips, and sync. It's not a subscription.
How do I restore my purchase?
Tap Restore on the unlock screen while signed into the same Apple Account that bought the unlock. The purchase applies to every device on that account, so the Recorder and Monitor are both covered by one purchase.
See also the BarkWatch Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.