Fur File User Guide
Keep track of your pets' health records, medications, vaccinations, and important dates.
Table of Contents
Getting Started
How do I add my first pet?
On the Pets tab, tap "Add Pet" (or the "+" button once you have pets). Enter the pet's name and species, which are required, and optionally the breed, sex, birth date and adoption date. For a profile picture, tap the avatar and choose "Choose from Library" or "Use Symbol Icon" to pick from over 100 symbols in 10 categories, then choose a color. Tap Save (✓) to create the profile.
How do I find my way around?
Fur File has five tabs: Pets (your pets and their records), Reminders (everything scheduled), Media (every photo and document you've attached), Settings, and Search. On iPad the tabs can also be shown as a sidebar. The Reminders tab shows a badge when reminders are overdue.
How do I set up iCloud sync?
There's nothing to switch on in Fur File: it syncs automatically when your device is signed in to iCloud and iCloud is turned on for Fur File in the Settings app. Check Settings > Sync & Data in Fur File: the "iCloud Sync" row shows the status, such as "Up to Date" and when it last synced. Use the same Apple Account on all your devices.
I installed Fur File on a new device. Where are my pets?
If you've used Fur File with iCloud before, your pets download automatically. While they arrive, the Pets screen shows "Checking iCloud" or "Syncing with iCloud for the first time…". Pull down on the list to check again.
What's the difference between Events and Reminders?
Events are things that have happened, such as vet visits, medications given, illnesses or a weight reading. Reminders are things you need to do in the future, such as an upcoming appointment or the next dose, and they can notify you.
Managing Pet Records
What's on a pet's screen?
Tap a pet to open its screen. At the top is its profile; tap it to edit the pet. Below are cards for "Upcoming Reminders", "Vets" and "Recent Events", each with a "+" button to add one. "See All Events" lists every event, newest first. The "…" menu offers "Edit Pet", "Add Event", "Add Reminder" and "Export Pet Data".
How do I log a vet visit?
Open your pet and tap "+" on the "Recent Events" card, or choose "Add Event" from the "…" menu. Set the type to "Vet Visit", enter a title (required) and the date and time, and optionally the location, cost and notes. Add photos or documents under "Attachments", then tap Save (✓).
What event types are there?
Vet Visit, Medication, Illness, Behavior, Observation and Other. Medication events add fields for the medication name, dosage, frequency, duration and who prescribed it (you can pick a vet from your directory). Observation events record a reading such as weight or temperature.
How do I track medications?
For a dose that was given, add an event of type "Medication" with the medication name, dosage and instructions. For upcoming doses, add a reminder of type "Medication" and choose how often it repeats.
How do I add photos and documents?
In an event's "Attachments" section, tap "Add Photo" to choose from your photo library or "Add Document" to choose files such as PDFs. Swipe an attachment to delete it. Attachments sync to your other devices through iCloud, and location data is removed from photos when they're attached.
How do I edit or delete a pet or event?
To edit a pet, tap its profile on its screen, or touch and hold it in the Pets list and choose "Edit Pet". Swipe a pet in the list to delete it, or use "Delete Pet" at the bottom of Edit Pet. This also deletes its events, reminders and attachments. Tap an event to see its details, then tap "Edit". "Delete Event" is at the bottom of the form.
Reminders and Notifications
How do I set up medication reminders?
On the Reminders tab tap "+", or choose "Add Reminder" from a pet's "…" menu. Set the type to "Medication" and enter the medication (required), dosage, frequency and pet. Under "Schedule", choose the date and time and how often it repeats, then tap Save (✓). Other types are Custom, Vet Appointment and Event Follow-up.
What repeat options are available?
Never, Daily, Weekly, Monthly or Yearly. A monthly reminder set for the 29th–31st, or a yearly one on February 29, falls on the last day of shorter months.
How do I mark a reminder done?
Swipe right on a reminder and tap "Done", or touch and hold it and choose "Mark as Done". For a repeating reminder this completes only the current occurrence; the next one is shown, with "Undo" for a few seconds. You can also tap "Mark Done" or "Snooze 15 min" right on the notification. Use the All, Upcoming, Overdue and Done filters at the top of the list.
Can I pause a repeating reminder?
Yes. Tap the reminder to edit it and turn on "Paused" in the "Status" section. It stops notifying until you turn Paused off.
What happens to reminders when I travel?
Repeating reminders follow the local clock: a daily 8 AM reminder alerts at 8 AM wherever you are. One-time reminders keep their exact moment, so a 3 PM reminder set in Denver alerts at 5 PM in New York.
How do I manage notification permissions?
Go to Settings > Notifications, or tap the bell on the Reminders tab. The status shows whether notifications are on. Tap "Turn On Notifications" to allow them, or "Open Settings" if they were turned off. Use "Send Test Notification" to check that they arrive.
Data Management
How do I export my pet data?
Go to Settings > Sync & Data and tap "Export All Data". Fur File creates a ZIP file with all your pets, events, readings, reminders and vets, plus the photos and documents themselves, which you can save or share. Location data is removed from photos. To export one pet, open it and choose "Export Pet Data" from the "…" menu.
How do I import an export?
Go to Settings > Sync & Data and tap "Import Export…", then choose the ZIP file. Fur File shows what the export contains before you confirm. Importing adds what's missing and updates older copies with newer ones. It never deletes anything.
How do I back up my data?
Your data is kept in your private iCloud when sync is on, so it's safe if you lose your device. Fur File also keeps backups on your device, made automatically before each update and before a restore; find them in Settings > Sync & Data > Backups. For a copy you keep yourself, use "Export All Data".
How do I restore a backup?
Go to Settings > Sync & Data > Backups, tap the backup (for example "Before Update to 1.6"), and choose "Restore Backup". Then close Fur File in the app switcher and open it again to finish. Your current data is kept as another backup. Tap "Learn More" to see how long backups are kept.
Sync says "Needs Your Choice". What should I do?
Sometimes sync waits for you to decide, for example when this device has pets that aren't in iCloud after an update. Fur File shows a short question naming what's affected. "Keep on All Devices" uploads it; "Replace With iCloud's Data" removes this device's data and downloads iCloud's (you're asked to confirm first). Tap "Why am I seeing this?" for the reason, or "Decide Later". Nothing is uploaded or deleted until you choose.
How do I delete all my data?
Go to Settings > Sync & Data > Delete All Data and confirm. This permanently deletes all your pets, events, reminders, vets and attachments from this device and iCloud. Warning: This action cannot be undone.
Search and Organization
How do I search for information?
Use the Search tab to search everything at once: pets (name, species, breed), events (title, notes, location, medication), reminders, vets, and pet knowledge. Results are grouped by kind. On a keyboard, press ⌥⌘F.
How do I filter and sort search results?
In Search, tap the filter button to narrow events by type, date range (such as This Week or Last Year) and cost range, then tap Save (✓). "Clear All Filters" removes them. The sort button orders results by date, name or cost.
How do I organize events?
Each event has a type, such as Vet Visit or Medication. A pet's screen shows its most recent events, and "See All Events" lists them all, newest first. To find events by type, date or cost across all pets, use the filters in Search.
How do I sort my pets?
On the Pets tab, tap the sort button (↑↓) and choose to sort by Name, Species, Age or Date Added, in ascending or descending order.
Where can I see all my photos and documents?
The Media tab shows every attachment, with the event and pet it belongs to. Tap one to preview it, or touch and hold to share it, open its event, or delete it. Search by file name, event or pet, then narrow to Images, Documents or Recent. The "Storage" button shows how much space they use.
Settings and Customization
How do I change units?
In Settings under "Units", choose the weight unit (pounds, kilograms, ounces or grams), temperature unit (°F or °C) and currency. Units update immediately throughout the app, and readings you've entered are converted for display. Costs you've already entered keep their amounts when you change currency. These settings sync to your other devices.
How do I adjust haptic feedback?
In Settings under "Haptic Feedback", turn haptics on or off and set the intensity to Low, Medium or High. This setting applies only to the device you're using.
How do I check storage and sync problems?
Settings > "Storage & Diagnostics" shows how much space the cache uses, with "Clear Cache" to free it. Clearing the cache doesn't affect your pet data. If the last sync failed, "Last Sync Error" shows the details. For sync status, see Settings > Sync & Data.
Troubleshooting
My attachments aren't syncing.
Make sure every device is signed in to the same Apple Account with iCloud turned on for Fur File. Check your iCloud storage space and internet connection. Large files can take time to upload and download. Settings > Sync & Data shows if changes are waiting to upload.
I'm not receiving notifications.
Go to Settings > Notifications in Fur File and check the status; tap "Turn On Notifications" or "Open Settings" if needed, then "Send Test Notification". Check that the reminder's time is in the future and isn't paused or marked done, and that a Focus mode isn't silencing notifications.
My data isn't syncing.
Confirm all devices use the same Apple Account and have iCloud turned on for Fur File, and check your internet connection. In Settings > Sync & Data, read the "iCloud Sync" status and tap "Sync Now", or pull down to sync. If it says "Needs Your Choice", answer the question shown there.
It says "Another device needs updating".
One of your devices still runs an older version of Fur File and has changed your data recently. Update Fur File on all your devices from the App Store. Tap ⓘ for details, or "Hide Notice" to hide it.
Fur File says it couldn't open my data.
Nothing has been deleted. Fur File runs on temporary storage, so changes you make won't be saved until it can open your data again. Choose "Restore from iCloud" to download your data, then close and reopen Fur File. Your previous data is kept as a backup in Settings > Sync & Data > Backups.
The app is running slowly.
Check your device's free storage space. Clear the cache in Settings > Storage & Diagnostics. Restart the app if issues persist.
Privacy and Security
What data does Fur File collect?
All pet data is stored on your device and in your private iCloud account. Fur File doesn't send your data to us or share it with third parties, and it has no ads or tracking.
Is my data secure?
Your data is protected by your device and by iCloud, which uses Apple's security and encryption. Location data is removed from photos you attach and from exports. Backups stay on your device. You maintain complete control over your information.
Can I use Fur File offline?
Yes, all features work offline. Your changes sync when your internet connection is restored.
Advanced Features
How do I add veterinary contacts?
Your vets live in one directory: go to Settings > Vets and tap "Add Vet". Enter the name (required), clinic, phone, email, address and specialties. To link a vet to a pet, open the pet and tap "+" on the "Vets" card, then choose from your directory or add a new vet. Swipe right on a vet to make them the pet's primary vet, or touch and hold to add a note. "Find Nearby Vets" opens Maps.
How do I contact my vet quickly?
Open the vet from your pet's "Vets" card or Settings > Vets and tap "Call", "Email" or "Directions". Or touch and hold a vet on the pet's card for the same actions and to copy their details.
Can I track multiple pets?
Yes, add unlimited pets with individual profiles. Each pet has its own events and reminders, and one vet can be linked to several pets. Use Search to find information across all pets.
How do I track pet weight?
Add an event of type "Observation" and choose "Weight", then enter the value. You can also record height, water intake, activity, stool, temperature or a custom reading. Weight and temperature use the units set in Settings, and earlier readings are converted when you change units.
Where can I learn about my pet's breed?
Fur File includes Pet Knowledge about breeds of dogs, cats, horses, small mammals, birds, reptiles and fish, plus care guides. In Search, tap "Browse Pet Knowledge", or search for a breed. When adding or editing a pet with a known breed, tap "About This Breed".
Are there shortcuts?
Touch and hold the Fur File icon on the Home Screen for "Add Pet", "Add Event", "Add Reminder" or the pet you viewed last. Pets and events also appear in Spotlight search. With a keyboard on iPad: ⌘N new pet, ⇧⌘N new reminder, ⌥⌘F search, ⌘1–⌘5 switch tabs, ⌘S save and Esc cancel. On iPad you can open more than one window.