Catch'Um binoculars logoCatch’Um

Help

Support

How to use Catch'Um in the field, plus where to write if something goes wrong.

Contact

Email us at hello@catchum.app. We read every message. Include your iOS version, Catch'Um version (Settings, at the bottom of the screen), and a short description of what happened.

How to use Catch'Um

Catch'Um is a wildlife discovery game. You photograph animals in the real world, unlock species cards, and build a Catchbook that spans habitats around you.

  1. 01Become an explorerOpen Catch'Um and tap Start Exploring. Enter your name, then swipe to pick where you're starting — Forest, Ocean, Park, or Countryside. You'll get a short walkthrough: go outside, find an animal, then snap it. The first catch is a practice card so you can see how a discovery feels.
  2. 02Snap a real catchThe round shutter button in the middle of the tab bar opens the camera. Frame the animal, keep a safe distance, and take the shot. Catch'Um identifies the species, then reveals a discovery card. On your first real catch, slide the card up to add it to your Catchbook.
  3. 03Read the cardTap a collected species to open its card. Flip it for rarity, habitat, where you found it, and a fun fact. Rare and legendary encounters get a bigger reveal. You can share a card with another explorer from the card viewer.
  4. 04Fill your CatchbookCatchbook is your collection grid — locked slots until you catch that species. Tap an unlocked entry to reopen its card. The first 24 species are free. Catch 25 and beyond with Explorer Pass, a subscription billed through Apple.
  5. 05Earn awardsThe Awards tab tracks medals across Getting Started, Daily Streak, Exploration, and Collection. Streaks count days you open Catch'Um. Collection awards need real-world catches, not the practice card. Open the menu on Awards any time to reread how medals work.
  6. 06Check ExploreExplore is your explorer passport: your name, collection progress, recent catches, and latest awards. Add a profile photo from Settings — or when Catch'Um offers after a catch — so the passport looks like you.

Better photos

Identification works best when the animal is the subject of the shot.

  • Get closer only if it is safe and legal. Never feed, touch, or chase wildlife for a scan.
  • Hold the phone steady. Blurry, dark, or distant photos are the most common miss.
  • Fill the frame with the animal — not sky, water, or your finger.
  • You need a network connection. Identification runs in the cloud.
  • Not every species is in Catchbook yet. If the app says it isn't in the catalog, that animal isn't collectible yet.

Settings & account

Notifications

Evening reminders help you keep a daily streak. Turn them on or off in Settings. If they don't arrive, allow notifications for Catch'Um in iOS Settings.

Explorer Pass

Explorer Pass unlocks the full Catchbook beyond the first 24 species, including rarer encounters. Manage or cancel the subscription in your Apple ID subscriptions. Deleting your Catch'Um account does not cancel Explorer Pass — cancel that separately if you don't want it to renew.

Delete account

Settings → Delete account permanently removes your explorer profile, catches, awards, and photo. You can also email hello@catchum.app and we will help.

Common questions

The app couldn't identify my photo

Try a clearer, closer shot with the animal in focus. If the photo is fine and Catch'Um still says the species isn't in Catchbook, that animal isn't collectible yet.

I lost my catch after a rare encounter

Free explorers can collect the first 24 species. After that, Catch'Um asks you to start Explorer Pass to keep the catch. If you close the paywall without subscribing, that catch is not saved.

My streak broke

Streaks count calendar days you open Catch'Um. Missing a day resets the current streak. Longest streak is kept. Turn on evening reminders in Settings so you don't forget.

Camera or photos won't open

Catch'Um needs camera access to scan wildlife, and photo library access to set a profile picture. Enable both in iOS Settings → Catch'Um.

Free on iOS

Take Catch'Um into the field

Snap an animal. Unlock the card. Collect the world.