Owner FAQ
Setting up and using your Bark Marker.
Rod, who built Bark Marker, walks you through setup in about two minutes. Press play when you are ready. Captions are on by default, and the full transcript is below the video. The answers underneath cover the same ground, plus a few more.
Read the transcript
Hi, I'm Rod. Congratulations on your Bark Marker. Hopefully we can work together to resolve your problem barker. Setup takes about ten minutes.
Put the box under cover, near a power point, with the microphone facing where the dog barks. A good rule of thumb: if you can hear the dog, the box should be able to hear it too. Plug it in and give it two minutes. The light shows a red glow for power, solid green when it's ready, a slow blink while it starts up, and a fast blink if there's a problem.
On your phone, join the Bark Marker's own hotspot. The name and password are on your guide, along with a QR code to make things easier. If your phone warns that the network has no internet, choose Connect only this time, not Always connect. The wording varies by phone.
Now open the setup page. There's another QR code for it in your guide. Your browser might say Not secure. That's normal on the box's own network.
Choose how the box connects: its own hotspot, or your home Wi-Fi. Keep the password somewhere safe, because the box can't show it again.
Tap Go to the dashboard, then add it to your home screen, so it opens like an app.
When you hear the target dog bark, tap Bark. Do this often in the first couple of days. Tagging gives the box more known examples to match against, so it gets better at finding the bark you're after. Record what happens naturally. Don't provoke the dog.
Once a day, open the review queue and play each clip. Then tap the answer that fits: Target dog, Other dog, Not dog or noise, or Not sure. Your answers decide which clips are kept, and give the box more known examples to match against.
That's it. More videos are coming on advanced features, and on generating and reading a report. Bark Marker is designed to help. If you have feedback, ideas or feature suggestions, reach out on [email protected]. Thanks for watching.
Common questions from owners.
Thinking about buying? The questions people ask before they buy are on the home page.
Where should I put the box?
Put it under cover, near a power point, with the microphone facing where the dog barks. A good rule of thumb: if you can hear the dog, the box should be able to hear it too. Plug it in and give it two minutes.
What do the lights mean?
A red glow means it has power. A slow blink means it is starting up. Solid green means it is ready. A fast blink means there is a problem.
How do I connect my phone to the box?
Join the Bark Marker's own hotspot from your phone's Wi-Fi settings. The name and password are on your guide, along with a QR code that makes it easier. If your phone warns that the network has no internet, choose Connect only this time, not Always connect. The wording varies by phone. Then open the setup page using the second QR code in your guide.
My browser says Not secure. Is something wrong?
No. That warning is normal on the box's own network. Carry on.
Should the box use its own hotspot or my home Wi-Fi?
You choose on the setup page: the box's own hotspot, or your home Wi-Fi. Keep the password somewhere safe, because the box can't show it again.
How do I get the dashboard on my phone's home screen?
Tap Go to the dashboard, then add it to your home screen so it opens like an app.
How do I tag barks?
When you hear the target dog bark, tap Bark. Do this often in the first couple of days. Tagging gives the box more known examples to match against, so it gets better at finding the bark you are after. Record what happens naturally, and don't provoke the dog.
What is the review queue, and how often should I use it?
Once a day, open the review queue and play each clip. Then tap the answer that fits: Target dog, Other dog, Not dog/noise, or Not sure. Your answers decide which clips are kept, and give the box more known examples to match against.
How long should I run it for?
As a rule of thumb, plan to capture at least a week of continuous data, and ideally a fortnight, only counting days you are actually home. A longer run that shows the barking happening again and again is far more persuasive than a single bad day.
What happens to the recordings and my privacy?
Detection happens on the unit in your home, and by default your recordings stay on it. Bark Marker has no accounts, sends no telemetry and does not phone home, and remote support is available only if you choose to turn it on. The unit keeps a rolling archive of raw audio on its own storage, and human speech is muted or withheld from the clips you can play and download.
Who do I contact if I get stuck?
Email [email protected]. Your unit comes with 12 months of software support.