General support
Questions about the app, features, or anything else? We read every message.
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Privacy questions
Questions about data, privacy, or our policy? Reach our privacy contact directly.
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Frequently asked questions
Getting started
Do I need to create an account?
No. Furrow requires no account, login, or sign-up of any kind. Just open the app and start gardening.
What iOS version does Furrow require?
Furrow requires iOS 17 or later on iPhone.
Does Furrow have a dark mode?
Yes — full dark mode arrived in Furrow 3.0. By default Furrow follows your iPhone's system appearance setting, switching automatically with the rest of your device. You can also pin it to always light or always dark in Profile › Appearance.
What's the difference between the Growing and Saved tabs?
Growing holds the plants actually in your garden right now, grouped by plant with days since planting and care history. Saved is a holding area for plants you're interested in but haven't planted yet — anything you identify with Plant ID is saved here automatically with the date you spotted it. Tap Plant Now on a saved plant to move it into one of your beds.
How does Furrow know my growing zone?
Enter your ZIP code and Furrow automatically looks up your USDA hardiness zone (Zones 3–13) using 2023 zone boundary data. Your ZIP code is stored on your device only — it's never sent to our servers.
Can I change my ZIP code or zone?
Yes. Tap the edit button on your zone card on the Home screen to update your ZIP code at any time.
Plants & catalog
How many plants are in Furrow?
Furrow currently includes 499+ plants across six categories: Vegetables, Flowers, Fruits, Herbs, Succulents, and Houseplants — and we continue to add more with each update.
What does "Plant Now" mean?
"Plant Now" means this plant is currently in its ideal planting window for your specific zone this month. Plants showing a month label (e.g. "Aug") are coming up soon but not quite ready to plant yet.
How accurate are the planting calendars?
Planting windows are based on USDA zone data and university extension program recommendations. They reflect general best practice for your zone — local microclimates, elevation, and soil conditions can shift your ideal timing by a few weeks. The zone-specific tips on each plant detail page account for regional nuance where possible.
What are native plants and why does Furrow highlight them?
Native plants are species that evolved naturally in a region. They're adapted to local soil and climate, require less water and maintenance, and support local wildlife including bees, butterflies, and birds. Furrow curates 30–50 native plants for every US state, accessible by entering your ZIP code.
AI features
How does the Garden AI assistant work?
Garden AI lets you ask any gardening question in plain language. It's powered by OpenAI. To use it, you'll need to provide your own API key (available free at openai.com). Your key is stored in your device's iOS Keychain and is never transmitted to Furrow servers.
How does plant identification work?
The Identify feature uses Google Gemini's API (Gemini Flash 2.5) to identify plants from photos. Take or upload a photo of a plant — works best with leaves, flowers, or fruit — and Furrow returns the most likely species match. Plant ID is AI-generated and may not always be correct. Do not consume any plant based solely on an AI identification; always verify with a qualified botanist or local expert.
Are the AI features required to use Furrow?
No. Garden AI and Plant Identifier are optional features. The entire plant catalog, planting calendars, zone detection, native plants guide, and pollinator filter all work without them.
Privacy & data
What data does Furrow collect?
Furrow collects almost nothing. Your ZIP code is stored on-device only. Plant photos for identification are sent to iNaturalist but never stored by Furrow. API keys are stored in iOS Keychain only. There is no tracking, no analytics, and no advertising. See our full Furrow Picks
Privacy Policy for details.
How do I delete my data?
Since Furrow stores no data on servers, deleting the app from your device removes everything. There's no account to close or server-side data to request deletion of.
Troubleshooting
My ZIP code isn't being recognized. What should I do?
Make sure you're entering a valid 5-digit US ZIP code. If your ZIP is very new or in a remote area, try the nearest major ZIP code. If the problem persists, email us at [email protected] with your ZIP code and we'll look into it.
The Garden AI isn't responding. What's wrong?
Garden AI requires a valid API key. Verify your key is entered correctly in Settings → API Key. If your key is correct and the issue persists, check that you have an active internet connection. API outages are rare but can occur — check status.openai.com or status.google.com for updates.
Plant identification returned an unexpected result. Is that normal?
AI plant identification is imperfect. For best results, photograph the plant in good natural light, focusing on distinctive features like leaves, flowers, or fruit. Avoid blurry or partially obscured photos. Always verify identifications with a qualified expert before making any decisions based on the result.
I found a bug or have a feature request. How do I report it?
Email us at [email protected] with a description of the issue or your idea. We read everything and genuinely appreciate the feedback.