2. Getting Started
2.1 Platforms
| Platform | Where to download | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone / iPad | Apple App Store | iPhone 7 or later, iOS 13+. Universal app optimized for both iPhone and iPad including split-view. |
| Android | Google Play | Most modern Android phones and tablets. NFC scanning supported on NFC-enabled devices. |
| Web | my.beeinspector.com | Works in Chrome and Edge. Safari supported with some limitations (voice dictation and NFC are not available on web). |
| iPad | Apple App Store (same app) | Full split-view layout with navigation rail on the left side. |
2.2 Creating an Account
- Download the app from the App Store, Google Play, or visit my.beeinspector.com.
- Tap Create Account and enter your email address and a password.
- You're signed in immediately and ready to start adding your apiaries and hives.
Note: If you already have an account and want to use it on a new device, simply download the app and log in with the same email and password. All your data will load automatically.
2.3 Forgot Your Password?
On the login screen, tap Forgot Password and enter your email address. The app sends a password reset link to your inbox. Tap the link, set a new password, then log in.
Note: If the reset email does not arrive within a few minutes, check your spam or junk folder.
2.4 Free Plan Limits
The free plan gives you 1 apiary and up to 3 hives at no cost. If you manage more hives, see Section 17 for subscription options.
2.5 Set Up Your Account
Before you start recording inspections, spend two minutes in Account settings — tap the Account icon in the top bar from any screen. Every option here can be changed later, so nothing you pick now is permanent.
| Setting | What it does | What to pick |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Light, System, or Dark theme. | Whatever's easiest to read in the field. Saved on this device only — a second device remembers its own choice. |
| Weight Unit | Controls how honey weights are displayed in Harvest Records, Extractions, and Analytics. | Pounds or Kilograms. You still pick lbs or kg on the entry screen each time you record a harvest; Bee Inspector converts and stores it consistently either way. Saved on this device only, defaults to Pounds. |
| Keep Screen Awake | Prevents the screen from locking while the app is open. | Turn it on before heading out to the apiary. See the note below for how this interacts with active inspections. |
| Hive Advisor | Shows suggestion cards after inspections and on the hive overview, based only on the structured fields you fill in — never your free-text notes. | On by default. Turn it off to hide the cards everywhere; turn it back on anytime. |
| Default Frame Capacity | Suggests a frame count automatically when you add boxes to a hive that doesn't already have its own established pattern. | Tap the 8-frame or 10-frame chip, or type any other number for top bar or horizontal hives. Leave it blank if your equipment doesn't follow one standard size — it never overrides a hive's real equipment, and you can always change a box's count in the moment. |
| Manage Quick Codes | Customizes the short letter codes used by Apiary Batch Quick Inspect and Batch Treatment (see Section 22) to match the shorthand you already use in the field. | Optional. Renaming a code changes only its label, not what it records. |
Note: While you're actively editing an inspection, the screen also stays awake automatically for up to 15 minutes since your last tap, whether or not Keep Screen Awake is on. A short pause in the yard won't cost you your place. Leaving an inspection open and idle longer than 15 minutes can still let the screen lock if Keep Screen Awake is off.
Beekeeper Region
Tell Bee Inspector where you keep bees so Hive Advisor's Varroa mite-wash guidance can adjust its action threshold to your actual season, not just a generic calendar.
| Region | Example locations |
|---|---|
| Northern Temperate | Canada, USA, UK, Europe, Northern Asia |
| Southern Temperate | Southern Australia, South Africa, temperate South America |
| Southern Hemisphere | New Zealand, southern Chile/Argentina |
| Tropical / Year-Round | Central America, Northern Australia, Southeast Asia |
Note: Leave it unset and the mite-wash guidance still runs; it just uses the strictest, earliest-warning threshold year-round instead of one tuned to your season.
Location permissions: two features can use your device's location: an apiary's "Get Current Location" button (Section 4.1) and an inspection's automatic weather fill-in (Section 6.3). Both are optional conveniences. If you decline the permission, or location isn't available, you type the location or weather in yourself and everything saves normally. Nothing else in Bee Inspector needs location access.
Every setting above lives on the Account screen alongside your profile, subscription, team, and data export. See Section 15 for the full reference.