Check whether monitoring is working
- Open up your parent app / dashboard.
- Tap on your kid's avatar at the top.
- Tap Monitoring.
- Look at the symbol and text below your kid's device:
❗ Red exclamation mark: monitoring is not working. Tap on Fix in the alert or look for more tips below.
✅ Green checkmark: monitoring is working! Analyses will happen automatically and wirelessly but you can always manually start one if needed.
Fix monitoring
Check whether Bark detects your kid's iOS device over Wi-Fi.
- On your kid's iPhone or iPad, open the Settings app.
- Make sure it's connected to your home Wi-Fi network.
- Set it aside.
- Open up your parent app / dashboard.
- Tap on Monitoring.
- Find their iPhone or iPad in the list.
Not seeing it on the list? Get it set up. - You should see
Connected under your kid's device.
- Not showing the device is connected?
Fix Wi-Fi Detection
Check whether Bark detects your kid's iOS device while plugged in
- Plug in your kid's iPhone or iPad into your computer (or Bark Home) with a charging cable.
- Check your kid's iOS device screen for a "Trust" prompt and tap Trust if present.
- Set it aside.
- Open up your parent app / dashboard.
- Tap on Monitoring.
- Find their iPhone or iPad in the list.
Not seeing it on the list? Get it set up. - You should see
Connected under your kid's device.
- Not showing the device is connected?
Fix USB Detection
"Please clear up some space" error
iOS monitoring could be affected by a lack of storage on your computer or a lack of space on your child's device.
Learn more and free up space:
"Not Paired" error
iOS devices are known for their security. Periodically, an iOS device may revoke its trust of Bark due to an update, a reset, or due to the length of time since it last connected to Bark.
If this happens, we'll let you know that the device needs to be paired with Bark again.
Follow these steps:
"Data is encrypted" error
A setting or third party app may be encrypting the data on your kid's iOS device. No worries — it's an easy fix.
Click here to take care of it:
"There was a problem analyzing the iOS device" error
Usually this error message is accompanied by text that explains what the issue was.
If you still need help, let's tackle it together with this guide:
"The application is not responding" error
If the Bark Desktop App is not responding to your clicks, it's good practice to completely quit out of it.
Note Simply clicking X may not be enough.
Mac
- Click on
Bark at the top (by the time).
- Select Quit Bark.
- Click on Finder.
- Select Applications.
- Double-click on Bark to re-open it.
Windows
- Click the ^ symbol at the bottom (by the time).
- Click on
- Select Exit.
- Re-open Bark from your desktop or apps list.
"Update iTunes" alert
When you see a message or alert asking you to install Apple software, like iTunes, go ahead and click the link to get it installed. Then, restart your computer. This helps Bark better monitor your kid's iPhone or iPad.
Learn more below:
My Bark Desktop App is not opening.
Mac
How this issue looks:
- App doesn't open, or opens for a second and immediately disappears.
- A pop-up saying, "Bark can't be opened because it was not downloaded from the App Store."
- A pop-up saying, "Bark can't be opened because Apple cannot check it for malicious software."
Find solutions here:
Windows
How this issue looks:
- App doesn't open, or opens for a second and immediately disappears.
- App opens as a blank screen.
- A pop-up saying, "Your PC's settings only let it install verified apps from the Store."
Find solutions here:
Check-in requests don't send push notifications
If you or your children are not receiving a particular push notification, then there are a few potential culprits.
Learn more:
Location alerts are showing the wrong address or not triggering
Bark's location features rely on the accuracy of the device's GPS. There are a number of variables that can temporarily throw off the GPS on your child's device, leading to a check-in or location alert that seems to be slightly off from the child's true location.
Check out our guide for more information:
FAQs
Does Bark monitor iOS via iCloud?
Because of Apple's security over their iCloud system, we do not monitor your child's iOS device from iCloud backups. Instead, we monitor iPhones, iPads, and iPods with the help of the Bark Desktop App that is installed on a home computer.
Will I have to plug in my child's device to my home computer every time?
No! Analyses will happen automatically and wirelessly but you can always manually start one if needed.
Does Bark monitor iOS wirelessly even if my computer is connected to the router via an ethernet cable?
Yes, as long as they are sharing the same internet network.
Does the Bark Kids app monitor text messages?
The Bark Kids app only blocks apps and sites — it does not monitor text messages. We monitor iPhones, iPads, and iPods with the help of the Bark Desktop App that is installed on a home computer.
