Need a hand?
Email is the fastest way to reach Thalo support. I usually reply within a couple of days.
Getting started
How do I get the app?
Thalo is a free Android app on Google Play. To install it:
- Open the Thalo listing on Google Play and tap Install.
- Updates then arrive automatically, like any other app.
There is no iPhone version yet. Thalo is Android only for the time being.
How do I add a plant?
Open a garden and tap Add plant. You may either:
- Type the name. Thalo autocompletes from a built in species database and fills in a sensible watering schedule automatically.
- Take a photograph. If you are not sure what it is, use "Not sure what it is?" to identify the species from a few angles.
How does sharing a garden work?
Gardens are invite based. From a garden, open the share sheet to send an invite link, or to invite a friend directly. The recipient accepts under Settings, then Friends. Once they have joined, everyone in the garden can see the plants, log waterings and receive reminders.
You may assign a plant to a specific member, or leave it as "Anyone" so that all members are reminded.
Notifications and reminders
I am not getting watering reminders. What should I check?
Watering reminders are scheduled on your device, so a few phone settings matter, particularly on OnePlus and Oppo handsets (OxygenOS and ColorOS) and other aggressive battery saving ROMs:
- Allow notifications. Make sure Thalo has notification permission, under Android Settings, then Apps, then Thalo, then Notifications.
- Exclude the app from battery optimisation. Set Thalo's battery usage to "Unrestricted" or "Do not optimise", and enable auto launch if your phone offers it. Aggressive ROMs will otherwise delay or drop scheduled reminders.
- Check the reminder time. Under Settings, then Notifications, confirm your reminder hour (08:00 by default) and that the relevant toggles are switched on.
- Open the app at least once after a plant becomes due, so that the reminder can be scheduled.
Can I change when reminders arrive?
Yes. Go to Settings, then Notifications, then Reminder time and choose the hour that suits you. All of the plants due that day are grouped into a single reminder at that time, and the change applies immediately.
Plants and AI
How accurate are plant identification and health checks?
Identification and health checks use a third party plant analysis service, and they work best with clear, well lit photographs taken from a few angles. They are a helpful guide rather than a guarantee, so please use your own judgement, and consult a vet or a professional for anything serious, such as concerns about toxic plants around pets.
What happens to my photographs?
Photographs you attach to a plant or to your profile are stored securely and, in the case of garden plants, are visible to that garden's members. Identification and health photographs are sent to the analysis service in order to return a result. Full detail is set out in the Privacy Policy.
Account
How do I delete my account or my data?
You may delete individual plants, photographs and gardens in the app at any time. To delete your entire account, open Settings, then Danger zone, then Delete account in the app and confirm. This is immediate and permanent, and it does not require reinstalling anything.
Gardens that only you own, together with their plants and photographs, are deleted with your account. Gardens you share with others are handed to another member instead, so that their shared history stays intact.
If you would rather not use the app, email sem.merzlikin@gmail.com from your account address and we shall delete it for you. Please see the Privacy Policy.
I signed in with Google, but my avatar colour disappeared
That is by design. Thalo shows your chosen avatar colour and initials unless you upload your own photograph, and signing in with Google will not replace it with your Google picture. Upload a photograph from your profile if you would prefer an image.
Terms of Use
Last updated: 6 September 2026
1. Acceptance
By installing or using Thalo (referred to here as "the app"), you agree to these Terms of Use. If you do not agree, please do not use the app.
2. The service
Thalo is a personal, independently developed plant care app, offered free of charge for Android. Features may change, be added or be removed as the app develops, and the app is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis.
3. Your account
- You are responsible for the activity under your account, and for keeping your sign-in secure.
- You must be at least 13 years old, or older if your country sets a higher minimum age of digital consent, in order to create an account and use the app.
- You must provide accurate information and keep your sign-in details up to date.
4. Acceptable use
You agree not to misuse the app. This includes uploading unlawful or infringing content, attempting to disrupt or reverse engineer the service, and using it to harass other members of a shared garden.
The app lets you report content or a user. We review reports and may remove content or suspend an account in response. Please do not file reports in bad faith.
5. Your content
You keep ownership of the plants, photographs and notes that you add. You grant Thalo the limited permission needed to store, process and display that content so that the app can function, which includes sharing it with members of gardens you join, and sending photographs to the plant analysis service for identification and health checks.
6. AI results disclaimer
Plant identification, health assessments and any care suggestions are provided for general guidance only, and they may be inaccurate. They are not professional horticultural, medical or veterinary advice. Please always use your own judgement, especially regarding plants that may be toxic to people or pets.
7. Advertising
The app may display third party advertisements, through Google AdMob, in order to remain free. We are not responsible for the content of third party advertisements, nor for the sites to which they lead.
Plant identification and health checks are paid for by advertising rather than by you: each one is unlocked by watching one or more rewarded video advertisements. The number required may change as the app evolves. If you refuse advertising outright, those two features become unavailable, since there is then no way to pay for them; the rest of the app is unaffected, and you may change that choice at any time.
8. Limitation of liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, Thalo and its developer are not liable for any indirect or consequential loss, nor for any harm to plants, arising from your use of the app. The app is a helper, not a guarantee of plant health.
Nothing in these terms limits or excludes our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or for anything else that cannot lawfully be limited or excluded. If you are a consumer, you have statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and other consumer protection law, and nothing in these terms affects them.
9. Termination
You may stop using the app, and request deletion of your account, at any time. We may suspend or end access if these terms are breached, or if the service is discontinued.
10. Changes
We may update these terms as the app evolves, and the "last updated" date will reflect the latest version. Continued use means that you accept the changes.
11. Governing law
Thalo is operated from the United Kingdom. These terms, and any dispute arising out of them or out of your use of the app, are governed by the law of England and Wales.
If you are a consumer, this does not take away the protection given to you by the mandatory law of the country in which you live, and you may bring proceedings in the courts of that country. If you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you may bring proceedings in the courts there. Otherwise, the courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction.
12. Contact
If you have questions about these terms, please email sem.merzlikin@gmail.com.