Questions
Common questions about FriendOrFoe. Email hi@friendorfoe.garden if yours isn't here.
How is this different from other bug ID apps?+
They stop at the species name. FriendOrFoe gives you a friend or foe verdict, an organic management plan, the companion plants that deter the pest, and the beneficial insect that already kills it. Identification is the start, not the product.
How accurate is the bug identification?+
Our identifier is trained on millions of verified observations. 14,000+ insect taxa with 90%+ top-three accuracy in independent testing. We show a confidence score on every identification and let you correct results.
Does this work for plants, or just bugs?+
Both. When you photograph a bug, we also identify the plant it's on so the management advice fits the actual scene. Standalone plant ID ships in a later phase.
What happens after my 7-day trial?+
You drop to the permanent free tier: 5 identifications a month with the full intelligence layer. No paywall on the verdict card itself, ever.
Can I share a verdict without signing up?+
Yes. Every saved identification can be made public with a single per-card toggle, generating a shareable URL like friendorfoe.garden/v/abc123. Default is off; you decide one verdict at a time.
What if the app gets the bug wrong?+
Tap the 'Was this right?' prompt and submit a correction. Your photo and label feed into our quality loop. Premium users get priority on identification re-runs.
Will I get spammed with notifications?+
No. We ask for push permission only after your third successful identification. Notifications are capped at one per day, respect 9pm to 7am quiet hours, and every push has a one-tap 'stop notifications like this' link.
Do you sell my photos or location data?+
No. Your photos are stored privately by default. We never sell, share, or syndicate them. Anonymized aggregate features (like neighborhood pest counts) are strictly opt-in and respect k-anonymity.
Does this work outside the US?+
Identification works globally; the identifier covers worldwide taxa. The intelligence layer is strongest for North American climates and crops in v1; we expand by region based on user concentration.
When is it launching?+
mid-June 2026. We are aiming for the week of June 15 to 22, ahead of peak pest season.
Who built this?+
Andrew Christison, a homesteader and developer on the Olympic Peninsula. I grow food, raise livestock, and built the data layer behind this app from my own garden. The bug photos in the app are from real pests on real plants, not stock libraries.
Can I use it without a subscription?+
Yes. Five identifications a month, free, forever. Full intelligence layer on every one. Premium is for unlimited use, seasonal alerts, and the garden journal.