Questions and answers

Squirrels, birds, cats and dogs, plus your own pets. Birds are one group for now, so a pigeon and a sparrow get the same response. More species will come through updates. You choose which ones to deter.

When an animal you selected shows up, it plays a short, natural predator call chosen for the species, with a light pattern, and sends a notification to your phone at the same moment. Calls and patterns vary every time, so unlike repellers on a timer there is no rhythm to learn. If you are home, the notification is your cue to step out and shoo the animal away.

Eventually, unless you back it up. Like other scare-based deterrents, sound and light lose their effect if nothing follows them. Early on, when your phone buzzes, step out and shoo the animal away. That helps it associate the call with you showing up. Varying calls and lights helps, but does not replace reinforcement. Results depend on the animal and your consistency.

A motion repeller reacts to everything that moves: you, your cat, leaves in the wind. Animals learn it quickly, and it never tells you what happened. BalconyPatrol recognises who is there, reacts only to the animals you chose, stays quiet for people and pets, and shows you every visit.

Yes. Deterrence is off by default per animal, so it works as a solar wildlife camera with a gallery and visit history until you decide otherwise.

Add your cat or dog in the app and BalconyPatrol stays quiet when it recognises them, while you can still deter visiting cats. In Basic mode (no Wi-Fi or full darkness), it stays quiet while a phone or a Bluetooth tag, like a collar AirTag, is nearby. No tag? Keep Basic mode off whenever your pet is outside.

Unlikely. With recognition active, it plays short predator calls for the animals you selected, rather than reacting to every movement. Volume is adjustable; quiet hours are planned.

No. The camera sleeps until motion wakes it. Point it at the area you want to watch. Local AI checks photos before upload and discards those recognised as containing people, keeping your gallery focused on wildlife.

Designed for balconies, patios and backyards. Put it on a railing, a shelf or beside a garden bed, facing the area you want to watch. One device covers a typical balcony. No drilling, wires or wall socket.

It switches to Basic mode: it cannot tell species apart, so it responds to motion unless a phone or Bluetooth tag is nearby. People carry phones, your pet can wear an AirTag, wildlife carries nothing, and a person seen by the camera is ignored too. You can turn Basic mode off instead. Wi-Fi brings species recognition, the photo gallery and updates.

Several days to several weeks, depending on how busy your space is. It sleeps most of the time and a small solar panel tops up the battery. If it ever runs flat, any USB-C phone charger brings it back.

Yes. At dusk and in low light it recognises animals as usual. In full darkness the camera cannot see who is there, so it switches to Basic mode. Prefer silence at night? Turn Basic mode off and it sleeps until morning.

Yes. The enclosure is sealed against rain and snow, and charging is tuned for cold, cloudy and rainy days.

An optional one is planned, alongside a free tier. We’ll share what each includes before launch.

The first 50 people to join the waitlist will be selected for a free beta unit. Beta testers keep the app free for as long as they use it. In return, we ask for honest feedback and a few photos along the way. What they report shapes the final version.

It’s designed in Canada and tested outdoors in Canada, through a full winter of snow and rain. The beta starts with people in Canada.