Dog walking, mapped.
Record the walk. Know the route before you set off. Let one person know where you are.
Free, no ads, nothing sold. It records your location only while a walk is running — never otherwise.
Be one of the first to use it
TrailGuard is in testing, it's free, and there's no catch — no ads, no data selling, no card. We need walkers who'll actually use it and tell us what's broken.
iPhone
Testing runs through Apple’s TestFlight app. Email us and we’ll send you the link.
Ask for an inviteiOS 17 or later. We’ll send the link within 24 hours.
Android
Two steps, because Google only lets people who are already on the tester list open the test.
- Ask to be added to the tester list
- Then open the test on Google Play — only works once step 1 is done.
Android 9 or later. We’ll email you when you’re on the list, usually within 24 hours.
What it actually does
Everything listed here is built and working today.
Records every walk
GPS track, distance and time, with the screen locked and the phone in your pocket. It stops when you end the walk — and only then.
Tag who’s on the walk
Tag which of your dogs are on this walk. Each one keeps its own history, so you can see who has actually been out.
Finds you a loop
Ask for a loop of roughly the distance you want. Anywhere on earth gets an answer immediately from open map data; walked areas get a better one.
Tells one person where you are
The safety beacon shares your live position with a single person you nominate, for the length of the walk. Not a broadcast, not a social feature.
Shows hazards other walkers found
Walkers report hazards — a loose dog, a broken path — and nearby walkers see them. Reports are posted by people, not verified by us.
Keeps messages private
Direct messages, family chat and loop chat are end-to-end encrypted. The key stays on your phone. We cannot read them.
Works for the whole family
Set up a family, share pets between everyone at home, and keep one family chat that only the household can read.
Syncs with Apple Health and Health Connect
Reads steps and calories from Apple Health on iPhone, or Health Connect on Android, for a real walk summary, and writes the finished walk back as a workout. Only with your permission; without it the numbers are estimated and labelled as estimates.
What it doesn't do
Worth saying plainly, because other apps in this shape do these things:
- It does not sell your data or advertise to you. There is no ad network in it and no analytics sold on.
- It does not track you when you are not walking. No walk running, no location recorded.
- It does not route you around hazards. It shows you what has been reported; deciding what to do about it is yours.
- It is not an emergency service. The beacon shares a location. It does not call anyone. If you are in danger, call 000.
What we're asking of you
- Walk your dog, like you already do. That's the test. You don't have to fill anything in.
- Tell us when something's wrong — a screenshot and what you expected to happen is worth more than a bug report.
- Stay opted in for 14 continuous days. Google won’t let TrailGuard leave testing until 12 Android testers have stayed in for 14 days straight. If one person drops out early, the clock restarts for everyone — so it is worth knowing before you say yes, not after.
What you should know before you say yes
- It's a beta. There will be bugs, and data may be lost.
- It records your location only while a walk is running — never otherwise. The privacy policy says exactly what is collected, in plain words.
- It will use battery. Recording a walk means the GPS is on for as long as you are out, the same as any map or fitness app. It stops when the walk stops. We have not measured a figure we would stand behind, so we are not going to quote you one.
- The hazard map starts quiet. Reports come from other walkers, and at the start there are very few of you. It fills up as people use it.
- Messages are end-to-end encrypted. We can't read them.
- Nothing is charged, and there's no card to enter.
- You can delete your account and its data at any time, from inside the app.
Would you rather just ask a person? Email us and we'll sort it out.
It's a beta, and it behaves like one
TrailGuard is in testing on iPhone and Android. There will be bugs, features will move, and data may be lost — don't make it the only record of something you'd be sorry to lose. Everything is free while it is in beta and nothing is charged.
If you want in, or you've found something broken: support@debeers-labs.xyz.