Frequently asked questions

Barnaby is available for iPhone (iOS) and Android. Your walks, statistics and achievements sync automatically through your account – no matter which device you’re using.

Via the “Walk” tab and the green start button — that’s all it takes. Barnaby then records your route automatically via GPS.

In Settings under “Your dogs” → “Add dog”. Up to 5 dogs can be managed in one account.

Barnaby is free — every feature, no subscription and no ads.

Barnaby is for ages 16 and up. For users under 18 the profile is private by default and no product analytics take place.

In German, English, Spanish and French. You can switch the language anytime, right in the app.

Barnaby uses your smartphone’s GPS. In open terrain the accuracy is usually within a few metres. Between tall buildings or in dense forest the signal can weaken — your walk still comes out as one continuous track.

Yes. Via the plus button as a photo post — one or more photos with a caption, with no route recorded.

Yes. Open the walk in your profile or on the map and choose “Delete” from the three-dot menu.

Yes. In the walk via the three-dot menu → “Edit”. The title, photos, the dogs and people involved and the visibility can all be changed.

No harm done: a walk can still be ended later — when you finish it, you decide whether to discard or post it. And a walk you’ve already posted can be edited or deleted at any time.

Yes. In the walk via the three-dot menu → “Export GPX”: you get your full route without any Home Zone trimming, just for you. A complete export of all your data lives under Settings → Manage account → “Download your data”.

For every walk: distance, duration, pace per kilometre and elevation. Plus summaries per week, month and year, a pace trend and the distribution by time of day.

In the Goals area via the “+” at the top right: choose the type (distance, walks, time or streak), target value and time window. Progress is calculated automatically from your walks.

Once the time window ends without the target being reached, the goal moves to the “Done” tab marked as “Not achieved”. In the detail view you can restart it with “Try again” using the same target and a fresh time window.

Achievements are badges you unlock automatically through real activity (e.g. total kilometres, streaks or night walks). A pop-up appears when you unlock one; you'll find all achievements in the Goals area under “Achievements”.

No. The tips in the Stats tab are rule-based pointers based on breed, age and weight. They're no replacement for veterinary advice — for any health concerns, please reach out to your vet.

No. You decide per account who sees your walks. With a private account, others first have to send you a follow request that you can approve or decline. Only then do your walks become visible to them – and that’s enforced on the server.

Wuffs are Barnaby's version of a like. When you enjoy someone's walk, give it a Wuff — a small gesture that means a lot for motivation.

You follow the dog, not the person. Dog profiles turn up via search or the feed, and each one has a “Follow” button. If the dog belongs to a public account you follow instantly; if an owner is private, a request is sent to that person.

A person’s profile lists all of their dogs under “Dogs” — from there you go straight to each dog’s profile.

Via the three-dot menu on the profile: “Report” or “Block”. Individual posts and comments can be reported too. Blocked accounts can no longer see your content; manage them under Settings → Privacy → “Blocked accounts”.

Yes. Set your account to private and simply don't approve any follow requests — then no one sees your walks, and you use Barnaby as a personal walking journal with stats, goals and achievements.

No. Your way is only recorded as a route while a walk is active – from the moment you tap “Start”. Beyond that, the app reads your location while you have it open: for the map and for location-based hints such as the current weather or a heat warning for your area. Those lookups are not stored as a track. Nothing runs in the background, and no movement profile is ever created.

The home zone hides the start and end of your route (typically your home) from others. Under Settings → Privacy → “Hide home zone by default” you set whether, which ends (start/end/both), and at what radius (25–125 m) it's hidden.

No. The setting only applies as the default for new walks. Walks you've already posted stay unchanged. When you finish a walk you can also turn the home zone on or off individually.

Your account is either public or private: under Settings → Privacy → Profile you decide whether everyone or only approved followers can see your activities. On top of that, you set the visibility of each walk individually when you post it.

If your account is private, people who want to follow your dog must be approved by you. Only approved followers can see your walks (including the shortened route), goals and achievements. Existing followers stay when you switch to private. Change it under Settings → Privacy → Profile.

Your app data is stored with Google Firebase in the European Union, and the website is hosted in Germany. The GDPR applies – you’ll find all the details in our privacy policy.

Under Settings → “Share dog” you create an invite code or QR code. The other person enters it under “Join” — and the dog shows up in their account too. Everyone involved can record walks with the dog, shared stats included.

Yes. When you finish a walk you can select multiple dogs and the people who came along. The walk is saved once and appears in the feed exactly once — even if you follow several of the accounts involved.

We're so sorry. It's your choice: you can keep the profile — all your shared walks, photos and achievements stay as memories. Or you can delete the dog in Settings; under “Deleted dogs” you can restore them if you change your mind.

Yes. Change your own username under Settings → Edit Profile, and your dog's from its profile. Every username is unique — so it has to still be available. After a change, the next one is only possible 7 days later.

Under Settings → Password and Security. For security you'll need to re-enter your current password. For an email change we send a confirmation link to the new address.

Under Settings → Password and Security → Device security you can set a 4-digit app code and enable Face ID / Touch ID. The app then locks when opened.

Deactivating only hides your profile temporarily — sign back in and everything is as before. Deleting permanently removes your account and all data and can't be undone. Both are under Settings → Manage account.

Under Settings → Manage account → “Download your data” you can export your walks, dogs and posts. A data summary also shows what Barnaby stores about you.

Yes. Everything is safely stored in your account: just sign in on the new device and your walks, dogs, stats and achievements are right back — whether iPhone or Android.

First check your internet connection and that you're on the latest app version. Important: always sign in with the same method you registered with (email/password or Google) — otherwise you'll end up in a new, empty account. If it still won't work, write to us at support@barnaby.at.

Make sure you've granted Barnaby location access in your device settings — ideally “Always Allow”, so recording keeps going even when your screen is off. Either way, nothing is recorded unless a walk is active.

This is almost always your phone's battery optimisation shutting apps down in the background (especially on Android). Set Barnaby's location access to “Always” and turn off battery optimisation for Barnaby (device Settings → Apps → Barnaby → Battery). While a walk is running, a notification keeps you posted on your live progress.

GPS isn't equally good everywhere: between tall buildings, under dense trees or in bad weather the signal can jump. Barnaby smooths the track and filters out outliers, but small deviations are still normal. In open terrain accuracy is usually within a few metres.

Barnaby only uses GPS during an active walk — that costs some battery, like any tracking app. You can turn off the screen and pocket your phone; a normal walk barely makes a dent. Outside of walks, nothing is being recorded.

Under Settings → Notifications you decide what you're informed about (followers, wuffs, comments, reminders and more). If no push arrives, also check the permission in your device settings.

Under Settings → Language. Barnaby is available in German, English, Spanish and French — your choice takes effect across the whole app right away.

Not at the moment — recording runs through your smartphone. But you can keep your phone completely in your pocket while you're at it.