Support
Getting started, answers to common questions, and how to reach us.
Getting started
- Add your catIn Cats, type your cat's name and tap Add cat (with Pro). Build a look-alike now or later.
- Record or filmOn Record, pick the cat, choose Sound or Video, and tap Record. Up to 30 seconds.
- Keep or discardPlay it back. Tap Keep and analyse, or discard it. Nothing is saved until you keep it.
- Read the bubbleYour cat says what the sound might mean. The paws show how sure the app is.
- Teach itTap the meaning that fits, or "Something else…" to write your own words (with Pro). It goes in your cat's phrasebook.
- Share the funSave a reel of your video, or a picture of your cat dressed up.
Questions people ask
Is it really translating my cat?
It makes a good guess, and there is real sound analysis behind it. Tell Me Meow compares the sound with thousands of cat sounds, and with the clips you have labelled for your cat, and suggests what it might mean. Think of it as a fun way to pay closer attention, not a dictionary.
Is Tell Me Meow free?
You can use it free with any cat as "Not my cat": record, get a reading and make reels. Tell Me Meow Pro adds your own cats, their phrasebooks and sharing with a cat sitter. Try Pro free for 7 days.
What does Pro include?
Your own cats, with their own look and outfits. A phrasebook for each cat: label what a sound meant, and the app learns your cat. Sharing a cat with a cat sitter, and opening one someone shared with you.
How does the free trial work?
Choose monthly or yearly in the app, and the first 7 days are free. Apple handles it. If you cancel at least a day before the trial ends, you pay nothing.
Does it work with any cat?
Yes, any cat. Add each of your cats in the Cats tab (adding your own cats is part of Pro). For a friend's cat or a video online, choose "Not my cat" so the clip doesn't teach any of yours.
Do I need an account?
No. There is no sign-up and no password.
Is anything uploaded?
No. Your clips, labels and cats are stored on your iPhone, and the listening happens on the phone too. Something leaves only when you share it. Read more in the privacy policy.
What do the paws mean?
The paw meter shows how sure the app is about a reading, from one paw ("Just a guess") to five ("Quite sure").
It said "No cat sound found". Why?
Quiet or distant sounds can be missed. Try again closer to your cat, or drag across the waveform on the clip screen to point at the sound and tap "Analyse selected part".
It said "Sounds like a person".
That happens when the clip is mostly talking and very little cat. Try recording without chatting at the same time. (Yes, it also catches people pretending to meow.)
Where is my video?
Tell Me Meow keeps the sound of a video as a clip, but not the video itself. To keep the video, tap "Save video to camera roll", or save the reel, before you leave the clip.
How do I change a label?
Open the clip from Record's latest clips or from your cat's phrasebook, and pick again. The new label replaces the old one for future readings.
How do I delete a clip?
Open the clip and tap "Delete this clip". The recording, what the app read from it and its label are removed. This cannot be undone.
How do I back up my cats?
Your clips are part of your iPhone's normal backups. You can also go to Cats → Settings → Backup and tap Export backup: you get one file with all your cats and clips to save wherever you like.
I'm getting a new iPhone. Do my cats come along?
Your cats live only on your phone, not online. If you move to the new iPhone from a backup of the old one, or with Apple's phone-to-phone transfer, they come along. Setting the new iPhone up from scratch? Then move them yourself: on the old phone, go to Cats → Settings → Backup, tap Export backup and save the file somewhere you can reach from the new phone, such as iCloud Drive, or AirDrop it. On the new phone, install Tell Me Meow and tap Restore from backup… in the same place. If you have Pro, tap Restore purchases under Cats → Settings → Tell Me Meow Pro on the new phone.
I bought Pro. How do I get it on a new iPhone?
Open Cats → Settings → Tell Me Meow Pro and tap Restore purchases, signed in with the same Apple ID.
Can my cat sitter use it too?
Yes, with Pro. In your cat's phrasebook, tap Share with a cat sitter. They open the file on an iPhone with Tell Me Meow Pro, and their app knows your cat's look and phrasebook. The recordings go too only if you include them.
How do I cancel Pro?
On your iPhone, open Settings → your name → Subscriptions → Tell Me Meow. Or in the app: Cats → Settings → Tell Me Meow Pro → Manage subscription.
What happens to my cats if Pro ends?
Nothing is deleted. Your cats and clips stay on your iPhone with a small lock, and they open again as they were if you buy Pro again. You can always export a backup in Settings.
Can I pay once instead?
Yes. Pro for life is a single purchase, with no subscription.
How do I get a refund?
Purchases are made through Apple, so refunds are handled by Apple at reportaproblem.apple.com.
It says the microphone or camera is blocked.
Open the iPhone's Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone (or Camera) and turn on Tell Me Meow.
Can it tell if my cat is ill?
No. Tell Me Meow is for fun and for getting to know your cat. It is not a vet. If you are worried about your cat's health, please ask a vet.