Fern

Support

Something not working?

Email support@cmdv.dev. Say which iPhone and version of iOS you are using, what you did, and what you expected. If identification gave a wrong answer, attaching the photo is the fastest way to get a useful answer. If an error message appeared, include its exact wording.

Common questions

I'm not getting reminders.

Check Settings › Reminders in Fern. Daily reminder must be on, and you need at least one plant. If a row there says notifications are off or quiet, tap Open Settings and allow alerts for Fern. Until you have logged your first watering, reminders are delivered quietly to Notification Centre rather than as banners.

How do I change when the reminder arrives?

Settings › Reminders › Time. The default is 9:00. Turn on Remind me a day early to see tomorrow's plants in today's reminder as well.

The reminders stopped.

That is deliberate. If you stop opening Fern, reminders thin out over two weeks and then stop, rather than piling up. Open the app and they start again.

Why does Fern say to water every eleven days?

On a plant's page, tap the interval to see how it was worked out: the species' starting point, adjusted for light, pot, the season, and what Fern has learned from you. You can reset what it has learned from the same screen.

How does Fern learn?

Swipe left on a plant in today's list and tap Still wet, or use the button on the reminder, and Fern pushes that plant back a few days and lengthens its interval a little. Watering well ahead of schedule shortens it a little, and two late waterings in a row lengthen it. Changes are small and bounded, and Fern tells you when it adjusts.

Can I set the interval myself?

Yes. Edit the plant, open More details, turn on Set watering interval by hand, and choose anything from 1 to 90 days. Fern stops adapting that plant until you turn it off.

How many photo identifications do I get?

Ten a month on the free tier, with at most three a day and two in a new device's first day. Allowances reset at the start of each day and month in UTC, so the reset may fall at an odd local time. Settings › Identification shows how many you have left. Sending the same photo again within 30 days doesn't use one up, and a failed attempt doesn't either.

Identification says it's at capacity, or I've used my allowance.

Try again tomorrow, or pick the species yourself. Choose Pick it manually on the camera screen, or None of these on the results, and search the care table. If your plant isn't listed, you can use any name, and Fern estimates a schedule from the light setting.

Identification says this device cannot verify itself, or isn't registered.

Fern uses Apple's App Attest to confirm requests come from a genuine copy of the app. If the device isn't registered, Fern registers again on the next attempt, so try once more. If it says the device cannot verify itself with Apple, identification isn't available on that device, but picking species manually works as normal.

Does Fern work offline?

Everything except photo identification works offline, including reminders, logging, and schedules.

What does “Estimated schedule” or “Draft care values” mean?

Estimated means the species isn't in the care table yet, so its schedule is based on the light setting. Draft means the species is in the table but its values have not yet been checked against two independent horticultural references. Settings › Identification › Care data sources shows the table's version and how many species have been reviewed. The table updates itself weekly. If a care value looks wrong, email us and say which plant.

Is the toxicity information reliable?

It comes from the ASPCA and the Pet Poison Helpline and is shown for cats, dogs, and people. Where the sources are unclear, Fern says unknown rather than guessing. Treat it as a guide, not veterinary or medical advice.

How do I move to a new phone?

Restore the new phone from an iCloud or computer backup of the old one, and Fern comes across with everything, photos included. Alternatively, use Settings › Data › Export and import to export everything as JSON and import it on the new phone. That carries your plants, log, and settings, but not the photo files.

Does importing replace what's already there?

No. Import merges: matching records are updated if the imported copy is newer, new ones are added, and nothing is deleted.

Something went wrong with my data. Can I go back?

Fern keeps the last seven daily backups on your phone, under Settings › Data › Backups. Tap one to restore it. Unlike an import, restoring replaces your current data with that day's copy, and the current data is set aside rather than deleted.

Does Fern sync, or work on iPad?

No. Fern is designed for one iPhone, with no account and no server holding your plants. It requires iOS 26 or later.

How do I add the widget?

Touch and hold an empty area of your Home Screen or Lock Screen, tap Edit, then Add Widget, and choose Fern. The Due today widget comes in small and medium sizes for the Home Screen and two sizes for the Lock Screen. Tapping it opens Fern's checklist.

How do I turn off usage statistics?

Settings › Privacy › Share anonymous usage signals. The signals are anonymous counts of feature use, and never include plant names, photos, or notes.

Privacy

Your plants stay on your phone. Read the privacy policy.