Help and feedback

Here are answers to the questions that come up most. If yours isn’t here, or something isn’t working, write to us at [email protected].

Adding plants

How do I add a plant?

Tap Add a plant, then take a photo of it or choose one from your photos. Plant Cove suggests what the plant is. Confirm the match and it joins your plants, with its light, watering and pet-safety basics filled in.

Plant Cove got my plant wrong, or couldn’t tell what it is

A photo works best with the whole plant in the frame, in good light, in front of a plain background. Tap Retake photo to try again. When Plant Cove shows a few close matches, pick the one that looks right. You can also tap Enter details myself and name the plant yourself.

Can I add a plant without a photo?

Yes. Choose Add without a photo, or Enter manually on the camera screen, and fill in the details yourself. You can give the plant a photo later.

The camera won’t turn on

Plant Cove needs your permission to use the camera. Open your device’s settings, find Plant Cove and allow the camera. You can also add a plant from a photo that is already in your library.

Looking after your plants

How do I change a plant’s name, room, icon or photo?

Open the plant from the Plants tab. From there you can edit its details, move it to a room, add it to collections, and change its icon or photo. Rooms and collections themselves are renamed or removed in You › Rooms and collections.

How do care schedules work?

On the Care tab, set up a schedule for watering, feeding or rotating and choose how often it comes round. A schedule can cover all your plants, one collection or the plants you pick, and it can change with the seasons or rest in winter. If a check-in comes at a bad time, choose Skip the next one on the schedule.

The care details don’t suit my plant

The light, watering and pet-safety notes describe the species in general, and every home is different. Treat them as a starting point and set your schedules to what your own plant tells you. If you think a pet has eaten a plant, contact your vet.

What is the journal?

Every plant keeps a journal of notes, photos and moments such as a new leaf, a flower, a repotting or a move. Add an entry from the Journal tab or from the plant itself.

How do I remove a plant?

Open the plant, scroll to the bottom and tap Remove from my plants. You can choose to keep its journal entries when you do.

Your account

I forgot my password

On the sign-in screen, tap Forgot password? and we’ll email you a link to set a new one. If the email doesn’t arrive within a few minutes, check your spam folder. The link expires after a while, so ask for a new one if yours no longer works.

How do I change my password, or sign out of my other devices?

Both are in You › Sign-in and security.

How do I switch between the light and dark look?

Go to You › Appearance and choose Daylight, Evening or Automatic, which follows your device.

How do I delete my account?

Go to You › Sign-in and security and tap Delete account. Plant Cove shows what will be deleted and asks you to confirm it’s you, then deletes your account along with the plants, photos and journal entries in it. It can’t be undone. If you can’t get into the app, ask us to delete it instead.

Your photos and privacy

What happens to the photos I add?

Your photos are stored with your account, so they’re there on any device you sign in on. When you add a plant from a photo, that photo is sent to Pl@ntNet, a plant identification service, to work out the species. Nothing else about you goes with it. Our Privacy Policy has the details.