Frequently Asked Questions

Kanatago is a virtual adventure app. We connect to your phone's step counter (via Apple Health) and use your real-world steps to move you along virtual routes, like walking across Iceland or trekking through National Parks, right from your neighborhood.

Magic Insights are AI-generated features that bring your virtual route to life! There are three types:

1. Local Lore: Tap the purple Sparkle icon to discover a fascinating, obscure fun fact about your current virtual location on the map.
2. Journey Stories: Tap the blue Map icon to get a short, immersive story about the virtual terrain and landscapes you've just traveled through, complete with the current weather conditions of that virtual location.
3. StoryTime Recaps: Tap the green Film Strip icon to be "flown" cinematically from the beginning of your virtual route up to your current position. The AI acts as a narrator, recapping your journey and highlighting the virtual events and Memories you've encountered along the way.

No. Magic Insights are generated entirely based on your virtual position on the in-app map (e.g., the coordinates of the virtual path in Iceland you are currently walking based on your step count). We never send your physical, real-world GPS coordinates to our AI provider.

Furthermore, for features like StoryTime, only your virtual progress distance is sent to Google's AI. Personal data—including your username, custom route names, and the actual text/photo contents of any "Memories" dropped on the map—are swapped with anonymous placeholders before hitting the AI. Your personal data never leaves the app's secure ecosystem.

Because generating these custom stories and facts requires external AI processing power, they are handled via a quota system. Subscribers to our paid tiers (Plus, Premium, Ultra) receive a monthly allowance of free Magic Insights. If you are on the Free tier or if you run out of your monthly allowance, you can easily top up by grabbing a refill pack in the in-app Perk Store.

We are committed to keeping Kanatago 100% ad-free. However, features like Teams, map syncing, and "Memories" require continuous cloud server processing and data storage.

Your subscription covers these ongoing server costs and supports our small team in developing new routes and features.

No! That's the magic. You walk wherever you are; your local park, your commute, or a treadmill. We take those steps and apply them to the virtual map, so you can explore distant lands without buying a plane ticket. Your avatar's position on the map is strictly a virtual representation of your step count.

Yes, but indirectly. Kanatago reads data exclusively from Apple Health.

If you use a Garmin or Fitbit, you must ensure that its companion app (or a third-party syncing app) allows writing "Steps" data into Apple Health. Once the data appears in Apple Health, Kanatago will pick it up automatically.
Note that some fitness devices may not sync steps to Apple Health in real-time, so there could be a delay between your activity and it reflecting in the app.

1. Check Kanatago Permissions
Open the Health app on your iPhone, tap your profile icon, go to Privacy > Apps > Kanatago, and ensure "Steps" is turned ON.

2. Check System Motion Settings
To ensure your phone is tracking steps, go to iPhone Settings > Privacy & Security > Motion & Fitness and ensure "Health" is turned ON.

If both settings are correct, try fully closing Kanatago and reopening it to force a sync. Note that there may be a short delay between your physical steps and the Health database updating.

Subscriptions are linked to your Kanatago account via the App Store. If you switched devices or reinstalled the app:

1. Ensure you are logged into Kanatago with the email you used originally.
2. Go to Settings within Kanatago.
3. Tap the banner showing your plan or look for a "Restore Purchases" option on the paywall screen.

No. "Local" users (using the app without an account) store data only on their device. To generate a shareable link or invite friends, the route needs to be synced to our cloud servers, which requires a registered account with a subscription.

We respect your privacy. We solely use step count data to move you forward on virtual routes.

We only ask for location permissions to center the map on your current real-world location, e.g., to let you create a custom route starting from where you stand. We do not track your GPS history, store your continuous real-world movements on our servers, or share your physical location with any AI providers.