Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the most common questions. For fuller instructions, see the user guide.
Getting started and your account
Does Awuu cost anything?
No. The app is free, and it is funded by advertising.
How do I create an account?
With an email address and password, with Google, or with Apple on an iOS device. If you sign up by email, you need to confirm the address from the link before your first sign-in.
Can I add more than one dog to the same account?
Not at the moment. The dog profile is also the user profile, so it's one dog per account.
Is there an age limit?
Yes. You must be at least 16 years old to use Awuu.
I forgot my password. How do I reset it?
Tap "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in screen and open the emailed link on the same phone you requested it from. The link is tied to the device that made the request, so it won't work on another phone or on a computer. If you opened it on the wrong device or removed the app in between, request a new link from the app on your phone.
The confirmation email never arrived. What now?
Check your spam folder. You can also request the message again from the sign-in screen. If that doesn't help, contact info@awuu.app.
Dog friends and location
How are nearby dogs found?
The Browse tab shows dogs as a list or on a map, starting from the closest. Distance is measured from the home location you set yourself.
Can others see where I live?
No. A random offset of 200–500 metres is always added to your location, and others are shown only your city, an approximate point on the map and the distance — not your address.
How do I change my location?
From the Browse tab menu: pick a city or use your device's location. If you move far from the location you set, the app points it out and offers to update it.
Do I have to grant location permission?
No. You can choose your home city from a list without giving the app any location permission. Permission is only requested if you want to set the location from your device or make a hazard report.
Events
Who can create an event?
Any user. Give a place, a time and a description — and optionally a cover photo, a participant limit and limits on dog breed, size, energy level and age. The time can be marked as negotiable.
What's the difference between a public and a private event?
A public event is visible to users nearby. A private one does not appear on the Browse tab, and only invited dogs can take part.
Why does joining need approval?
The organiser always approves participants themselves. The Join button sends a join request, and you're notified once the organiser has handled it.
What happens if an event is cancelled?
All participants are notified.
Who can see an event's photo gallery?
Only the participants and the organiser. When you upload a photo, you're asked separately whether it may be used on Awuu's social media channels — answering is optional, and without permission the photo stays in the gallery only.
Messages and security
Can Awuu read my messages?
No. The text of private messages and event group chats is end-to-end encrypted, so only the devices of the people in the conversation can decrypt it. On the server the messages are encrypted.
Why doesn't the notification show the message?
Because of that same encryption. The server that sends the notification cannot see the text, so the notification only tells you that a message has arrived.
I changed phones and my old messages are gone. Why?
The new device needs the conversation's encryption key. The key is kept on the participants' devices — yours and the other people's — and one of them hands it to your new device the next time it is online. So the history usually appears by itself after a short delay.
What if the old device no longer exists?
That usually doesn't matter either, because the other participants' devices can hand over the key too. Old messages are lost for good only if every device of every participant is gone. New messages still work normally even then.
Can I send photos in a conversation?
Yes, and links too. The message text is end-to-end encrypted; photos are stored in private storage without end-to-end encryption, and only the participants of the conversation can access them.
Hazard map
What is the hazard map for?
Warning other dog owners and searching for lost dogs. The report types are Dog loose, Dangerous place, Other hazard and Poisoned bait. The first three get a severity of 1–5, shown as the marker colour (yellow, orange, red); poisoned bait is always red.
How do I make a report?
Tap Report a hazard on the map. The location defaults to your device's current position, or you can pick a point on the map up to 5 km away. A description and a photo are optional for every type. You can make at most three reports per day, and the reporter stays anonymous to others.
How long does a report stay visible?
24 hours, poisoned bait 7 days. Each sighting on a Dog loose report extends it by 24 hours from the sighting, up to 7 days from when the report was created.
How do sightings work?
A sighting can be added to every Dog loose report by choosing I saw the dog — at this spot or elsewhere by marking the map, with a photo if you like. Sightings are drawn on the map as a trail. One sighting per hour can be added to the same report. With Follow sightings you get notified about new sightings; the reporter gets them automatically.
My own dog is lost. How do I report it?
Make a Dog loose report and choose My dog is lost. The breed and photo are filled in from your profile, and the location can be marked on the map up to 20 km away. Your name and your dog's photo are shown to others only if you give separate permission — then a finder can message you. When the dog is found, close the report with the Found! button.
Will I be notified about hazards near me?
Yes. A new hazard within 5 km of your home location sends a push notification, poisoned bait within 10 km. The notification gives the type and distance, not the description.
A marker is out of date or wrong. Can it be removed?
Whoever created it can edit it, mark it resolved or delete it. Others can confirm a correct report or report an incorrect one to moderation. The hazard layer can also be hidden from the map buttons.
Safety and privacy
How do I block another user?
From their profile or from a conversation. A blocked user cannot message you or see your profile, and neither of you gets notifications about the other. You can see and remove your blocks from the Blocked users row on the Account tab.
How do I report inappropriate content?
Messages, profiles and hazard reports can be reported directly in the app. Moderation reviews reports and can warn, mute or remove a user.
Are uploaded photos checked?
Yes. Every photo is screened automatically before it is published.
Why does the app show ads?
Ads pay for the app being free. In the EU your consent is asked separately, and you can change it later from the Ad settings row on the Account tab.
How do I delete my account and my data?
From the account section of the Profile tab. Deletion permanently removes your user account and profile, dog profile, images, conversations, event participations, hazard reports and sightings with their photos, and your blocks and feedback. Moderation reports are kept without user identifiers, and photos already published on Awuu's social media channels with your permission must be requested for removal separately — see the data deletion page and the privacy policy.
Still no answer to your question? Write to info@awuu.app — or privacy@awuu.app for privacy matters.