Dog walking, mapped.
Record the walk. Know the route before you set off. Let one person know where you are.
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.
Android
Two steps, because Google only lets people who are already on the tester list open the test.
Android 9 or later. Step 2 won't work until step 1 is done.
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 a couple of weeks. Google requires testers to remain in the test for 14 continuous days before an app can go to the public store. If you drop out early, the clock restarts.
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.
- 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 rather just ask a person? Email us and we'll sort it out.
What it actually does
Everything listed here is built and working today.
Records the 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.
Knows who came
Tag which of your dogs are on this walk. Each one keeps its own history, so you can see who has actually been out.
Suggests a route
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.
Warns about what's ahead
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 as a household
Set up a family, share pets, and give children supervised accounts with a parent's recorded consent.
Counts properly on iPhone
Reads steps and calories from Apple Health for a real walk summary, and writes the finished walk back as a workout.
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.
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.