Identify Animal Tracks Offline: A Pocket Track Guide for iPhone
Last updated 2 June 2026
To read an animal track in the field without a signal, you want a reference that already lives on your phone. FOC includes an offline animal-tracks guide that sorts what you find into five groups: deer, boar, predators, rodents, and birds. Open a group, tap an entry, and you get the track description, where the animal lives, how it behaves, a short note on what to expect in Scandinavia, and a safety tip. It runs fully offline, so it works the same in a forest with no bars as it does at home.
How the guide is organized
The guide opens to a row of category chips. You pick one group, and the entries for that group appear as cards you can tap to expand. The five groups are fixed and cover the tracks you are most likely to meet in a Northern European forest.
- Deer includes red deer, roe deer, and fallow deer.
- Boar covers the wild boar, its piglets, and the rooting signs a sounder leaves behind.
- Predators covers fox, marten, and badger.
- Rodents covers hare, squirrel, and beaver.
- Birds covers eagle, woodpecker, and owl.
Each group holds three entries, so the whole guide is a tight, curated set rather than an exhaustive field manual. The aim is fast recognition of common tracks, not a complete catalogue of every species.
What each entry tells you
Tap any entry and it expands into five short, labelled sections, always in the same order, so you learn where to look:
- Track: what the print itself looks like, so you can match it to the ground in front of you.
- Habitat: the kind of terrain where the animal lives and where its tracks turn up.
- Behavior: when the animal is active and how it moves, which helps you read a trail rather than a single print.
- Scandinavia: a short note on what to expect for that animal in the Nordic region specifically.
- Safety tip: a practical caution for that animal, set apart so it is easy to spot.
Below the entries there is also a general safety section with four standing tips: keep your distance and observe, move calmly, do not approach or feed wildlife, and photograph rather than touch. It is a reference you read, not a tracker that records anything, so nothing about your walk leaves the phone. For the rest of what is inside the app, see What's inside FOC.
How it compares
| Factor | FOC | A printed field card |
|---|---|---|
| Works with no signal | Yes, fully offline on the phone | Yes, but only what fits on the card |
| Always with you | Yes, it is on the phone you already carry | Only if you remembered to pack it |
| Organized by group | Five groups, tap to expand each entry | Fixed layout, you scan the whole sheet |
| What each entry covers | Track, habitat, behavior, Scandinavia note, safety tip | Usually just the print outline |
| Cost | Free, no ads, no in-app purchases | Per-card purchase, can wear or tear |
| Survives the weather | Stays on a sealed phone | Gets wet, creased, or lost |
Frequently asked questions
Does the animal-tracks guide work without internet?
Yes. The whole guide is stored on the phone, so it opens and reads the same in a forest with no signal as it does at home. FOC is built as an offline reference.
Which animals does the guide cover?
It is sorted into five groups: deer (red, roe, fallow), boar (wild boar, piglets, and rooting signs), predators (fox, marten, badger), rodents (hare, squirrel, beaver), and birds (eagle, woodpecker, owl). Each group holds three entries.
What information do I get for each track?
Tap an entry and it shows five sections in a fixed order: the track description, the habitat, the behavior, a Scandinavia note for the Nordic region, and a safety tip for that animal.
Is there a safety angle to the guide?
Yes. Every entry carries its own safety tip, and there is a separate general safety section with four standing tips, including keeping your distance, moving calmly, not feeding wildlife, and photographing rather than touching.
Does FOC cost anything or show ads?
No. FOC is free, with no ads and no in-app purchases, and it does not track you. The track guide is part of the app at no cost.
Can I use the guide to identify tracks anywhere, or just Scandinavia?
The track, habitat, and behavior notes apply across Northern Europe, and each entry adds a separate Scandinavia note for what to expect in the Nordic region specifically.
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Sources
This is general reference, not medical, safety, or professional advice. Skills like first aid and foraging carry real risk. In a real emergency, call your local emergency number (112 in the EU, 911 in the US).