Support

OmniDex is a library of field guides in one app, from wildlife, birds and sharks to dinosaurs and space.

If something is not working, or if you have a question, email us and we will take a look.

Contact

Email: [email protected]

The quickest way to reach us is Settings → Contact Support in the app. It sends the app’s recent activity log to us and opens an email with a reference to it, so we can see what happened. See the Privacy Policy for what the log contains.

We aim to respond within a few business days. If you email us directly, please include your iOS version, your device, your OmniDex version, and what you were doing when the issue happened.

Common questions

Why do I need to sign in?

Dexes and entries are loaded from our server, and your purchases belong to your OmniDex account. OmniDex uses Sign in with Apple, so you don’t need a new password, and you can choose to hide your email address.

Which Dexes are free?

WildDex and AstroDex are free. BirdDex, SharkDex, ReptileDex, OceanDex and PaleoDex are one-time in-app purchases. Everything unlocks every paid Dex, including ones added later. Before you buy, a locked Dex shows what it covers and a few of its entries.

I bought a Dex but it’s still locked.

Make sure you are signed in to the same OmniDex account you used when you bought it, and that you’re online. Then tap Restore Purchases in Settings → Purchases, or on the locked Dex’s screen. If it still doesn’t open, use Contact Support.

Can I use my purchases on another device?

Yes. Sign in with the same Apple Account on the other iPhone, iPad or iPhone Duo, then use Restore Purchases if the Dexes don’t open straight away. Purchases are not shared through Family Sharing.

How do I get a refund?

Purchases and refunds are handled by Apple, not by us. Request a refund at reportaproblem.apple.com.

Which Dexes can I scan?

WildDex, BirdDex, SharkDex and ReptileDex. Open one and tap Scan, then point your camera at an animal and press Scan, or tap Choose a Photo to pick one from your library. The Scan button in the library checks all of them at once. If the match is in a Dex you haven’t bought, OmniDex shows which Dex has it. Matches are best guesses, shown with how sure OmniDex is.

How many scans can I do?

Each account has a daily number of scans. The scan screen shows how many you have left, and so does Settings → Account. When they run out, you can scan again after the daily reset.

Why does Scan need me to sign in?

Your photo is sent to our server to be identified, and scans are counted per account. Your discoveries are kept with your account too, so they are still there after you reinstall the app or move to a new device.

Scan asks for my camera and location. Do I have to allow them?

Before your first scan, OmniDex asks whether you agree to your scan photos being sent to be identified; you can change your choice later in Settings. The camera is needed to take a photo to scan; without it, you can still use Choose a Photo, which doesn’t need photo library access. Location is optional: if you allow it, OmniDex shows where you are while scanning and adds it to the scan photo; if you don’t, scanning works the same. You can change either in iOS Settings → Privacy & Security. The Privacy Policy explains what a scan sends and keeps, and how to ask for your scan photos to be deleted.

Why didn’t my photo count as a discovery?

Only animals you find with the camera count as discoveries. A photo chosen from your library is identified but not counted, and a scan counts only when OmniDex is reasonably sure of the match.

What is Research?

In WildDex, AstroDex, BirdDex, SharkDex, ReptileDex and PaleoDex, when a search finds nothing, you can tap Research with OmniDex: OmniDex researches the subject and adds what it finds as a new entry. A scan match that no Dex has an entry for can be researched the same way. Writing an entry can take up to a minute. Entries you have researched, or found with a scan, are listed in that Dex under Researched entries. In a Dex you haven’t bought, you can research once it is unlocked.

Why is a researched entry marked “Unverified”?

Researched entries are written by an AI model and haven’t been checked yet, so they are a best guess and can be incomplete or wrong. They are marked as researched and unverified, have no entry number, and may be corrected or removed. If you spot a mistake, tell us which Dex and entry.

Can other people see what I research?

Researched entries are shared: each subject is researched once, and anyone who researches or scans the same thing gets the same entry. The entry doesn’t say who asked for it. Only what you typed, or the scan match’s name, is sent, and the list of researched entries you have found is kept with your account. Please don’t research a private person or type personal information. See the Privacy Policy.

How much can I research?

Each account has a daily number of new research requests. The research screen shows how many you have left, and so does Settings → Account. Researching something that has already been researched doesn’t use one up; a subject OmniDex can’t research, for example one the Dex doesn’t cover, still does.

Does OmniDex work offline?

OmniDex needs an internet connection to load Dexes, search, scan and research. Your five most recently opened entries and up to 25 favourites are saved on your device, so you can still read them when you lose your connection. Researched entries are not saved on your device.

How do I keep my favourites?

Star an entry to add it to your favourites, then filter a Dex to show just those. Favourites are stored on your device only, so they are not moved to a new device.

Some figures say “Estimated” or “Disputed”. Why?

Where a figure is not firmly established, OmniDex labels it so you know how solid it is. If you think an entry is wrong, tell us which Dex and entry, and what you found.

How do I delete my account?

Open Settings → Account → Delete Account. Your account is deleted and this cannot be undone. Deleting the app from your device removes your favourites and other on-device data.

Feedback & corrections

For bugs, tell us what you tapped, what happened, and what you expected to happen. For content corrections, include the Dex, the entry, and a source if you have one.