MikaRippleMikaRipple Support
MikaRipple is an iOS app that records your pet's respiratory rate using camera-based image analysis and manual counting.
Q. Measurement doesn't work well
Try these tips:
- Measure while your pet is sound asleep
- Don't hold the phone — prop it against something stable
- Keep the moving chest–belly area inside the guide frame (about 30–60 cm away)
- Turn on the light (top right) when the room is dark
- A 60-second measurement is more stable
If it is still difficult, use manual counting (tap while watching the screen). If a measurement fails, you can enter the count you observed on the spot.
Q. Are the values accurate?
The app is not a medical device. Values are for reference; always consult a veterinarian for decisions about your pet's health. You can always correct a result with your own observed count.
Q. Where is my data stored?
On your device. Your records are never stored on the developer's server. Data reaches the developer's server only when you ask a question in AI Chat in Pet Secretary (after you agree; the question and a summary of the pet's records are sent, and the server does not keep their content — only usage records such as counts remain; see "What does AI Chat send?" below). Otherwise, The app sends it automatically only in the cases you have turned on, all of which stay inside your own iCloud (the developer cannot see the contents):
- When you start Record Sharing (your records also reach their devices)
- While Backup is on (a copy is kept in your own iCloud Drive; this works even if you are not sharing)
- While "Also save to Photos" is on in the Pet Secretary settings (off by default; measurement videos go into your Photos library, and if your iPhone's iCloud Photos is on they are uploaded to your own iCloud from there)
Data also leaves your device when you send it yourself (a summary, a CSV, photos or videos, and so on). And if you have your iPhone's own backup (iCloud Backup) turned on, this app's data is included in it just like any other app's (that copy stays in your own iCloud, and the developer has no access to it). See the Privacy Policy for details.
Q. What happens to my records if I delete the app?
If a copy is still in your iCloud Drive, you can restore it. After deleting and reinstalling the app, go to Settings → Backup → "Restore" and pick the row with the device name and the backup date and time from before you deleted it. Your records and photos come back.
⚠️ If you are sharing, for records the other person deleted, restoring before that deletion has reached this device means the deletion can remove them again when it arrives (especially likely right after a reinstall).
⚠️ Check that a copy exists before you delete the app. "Last backed up" in Settings → Backup tells you. While Backup is off, no new copies are made (copies already made remain, and you can still restore from them).
If you are sharing, the records also remain on their devices. Reinstall and sign in to the same iCloud account and your records come back. Note that deleting the app does not leave the share — if you want to stop sharing, do it from the Record Sharing screen before deleting.
If there is no copy and you are not sharing, your records are deleted. Deleting the app removes its data from the device, and reinstalling does not bring it back. Before deleting, export your data to a file from Settings → "Transferring your data".
Q. How do I share records with someone else?
Open the Record Sharing screen in the app to show an invitation QR code, and have them scan it on their device. From then on, whoever takes a measurement, both devices stay up to date. You can stop sharing at any time from the same screen.
They also need MikaRipple installed and need to be signed in to iCloud. Anyone who can scan the invitation QR code can join, so please don't pass it to anyone you don't want to share with.
Q. Will sharing create duplicate pets?
If the joining device already has pets registered, the app shows a screen asking whether they are the same pet. Mark them as the same pet there and the records are combined into one. On a device with no pets registered yet there is nothing to check, so that screen doesn't appear.
Q. What does AI Chat send?
When you send a question in Pet Secretary's AI Chat, your question and a summary of that pet's records made on the device (name, species, age and breathing threshold; per-day summaries of breathing measurements and diary entries for up to the 90 most recent days with records; the names of diary items; reminders with their done/skipped status; the last 3 exchanges of the same conversation) are sent through the developer's server to OpenAI, and the answer comes back. Emergency contacts, photos, videos, raw measurement data and who wrote an entry are never sent. If you use Record Sharing, diary entries written by the other person are part of the pet's records and are included in the same way (who wrote them is not included).
The developer's server does not store questions or answers. The request to OpenAI is made with storage turned off. Answers are stored on this device and are not shared with the other person. Before the first use, an explanation screen appears and only those who agree can use AI Chat (you can withdraw consent at any time in the Pet Secretary settings). See "7. AI Chat" in the Privacy Policy for details.
Q. Can I trust the AI's answers?
AI answers are not a substitute for a veterinarian's diagnosis. Use them to make sense of the records and to prepare notes for your vet. The AI is instructed not to diagnose or give medication instructions, but this is not a guarantee about its answers. Always consult a veterinarian for decisions about your pet's health, and if in doubt, contact your vet or an emergency clinic right away.
Q. I reinstalled the app after cancelling and the paywall appeared
If you reinstall the app after cancelling, the paywall may appear when you open Pet Secretary. This is because your device has not yet received your purchase history from Apple — you do not need to buy it again.
On the paywall, tap “Already subscribed, or subscribed before?”, just below the subscribe button. The app re-checks with Apple, and everything you recorded stays readable and exportable, for as long as you like (no payment is taken). If you receive the subscription through Apple’s Family Sharing, use “Receive Again” at the top of the screen instead.
Note that reinstalling clears the records stored on the device. If you share records with someone else, rejoin to get them back; otherwise you can restore them from Backup.
Bug reports / Contact
Email: mikaripple@garland-i.com
When reporting a measurement issue, if possible export the relevant CSV from Settings → Support → Raw Measurement Data and attach it — it helps investigate the cause (the CSV contains no video or personal information).