# FAQs Have questions about using [[Start Here|AnimalTrakker®]]? Is part of the program giving you issues? Wondering why we do something the way we do? You may be able to find the answer here. We've listed some of the most frequently asked questions about AnimalTrakker® and its associated programs below. ## Why Android and Not iOS? Early on in the development process, we looked at making [[AnimalTrakker® Farm Mobile Overview|Farm Mobile]] both Android and Apple compatible. The reason we chose Android is ultimately because of Apple's lockdown on Bluetooth classic devices. Most EID tag readers, which AnimalTrakker® uses for great convenience, cannot connect to Apple devices at this time. Many do not have the special chip that Apple requires for Bluetooth Classic devices. Apple uses a closed system that does not allow unapproved Bluetooth devices to connect to either iOS or iPad OS. AnimalTrakker® benefits from connections to an EID scanner, a scale, a printer, a data matrix code reader, and possibly additional devices, all at the same time. This is just not possible in the Apple ecosystem. Plus, their Bluetooth approval process is difficult and labor-intensive, and must be repeated for each software change. Finally, Apple hardware is expensive. When a sheep or bull steps on your device or you drop it in manure, the cost of replacing it can lead to sticker shock. Rugged cases exist for Apple devices, but they are also orders of magnitude more expensive (and no more effective) than what we’ve sourced for Android devices. There is always a possibility that we will eventually support an Apple-compatible Farm Mobile, but it's years away, if it ever happens. A read-only, non-field-work (no EID scanners, no printers, etc.) simple animal lookup for iOS and iPadOS is being considered for the future. ## Do You Use AI? The only AI we use is *artificial insemination*, and that's for our sheep! Everything in our AnimalTrakker® system, from the code it's built on to the support site you're reading right now, was (and will continue to be) made by humans. Sometimes we'll consult AI assistants for simple tasks - like proofreading text or generating ideas for code - but rest assured that we're all real people. We believe that AI has its uses, but it should not (and cannot) replace the expertise, security, and reliability of real humans. ## Do I Need EID Tag Readers to Use AnimalTrakker®? No, you do not need EID tag readers to use AnimalTrakker®. However, AnimalTrakker® does need some form of individual animal identification to function correctly. We support these ear tag types:  - US and Canadian Federal EID - Farm EID - US Federal visual Scrapie tags - Visual farm tags - NUES, Bangs, Trich, or Sale Order tags We also support using a name, tattoo, or freeze brand as the primary ID for an animal. We can identify animals that have a split or notch on their ear, but that is not yet a unique ID in our system. Ear notch number coding schemes can be used as the individual ID. ## Why Don't We Use the Contacts App for People and Company Connections? AnimalTrakker® can run on Macintosh, Linux, and Windows systems. It also runs on Android tablets and mobile devices. All those systems have different ways of handling and storing contact information, and they are not innately compatible. First, AnimalTrakker® does not need access to all contacts, and second, it requires additional data fields not normally included in the Contacts app on any system. As such, interfacing with the Contacts app could result in incomplete or unnecessary data. ## Why Don't You Support My Printer? AnimalTrakker® can produce labels for tissue sampling and other uses. To take the data from our database and use that in a label means that we need an open API for the printer. Many printers will not support that. However, if you have a need for a specific printer, we are willing to take a look and see if we can add support for that device. Just send us a message at [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]).  ## Why/How Is It Free? We fundamentally believe that you should have full control over your data. We also believe that you should be able to adapt our software to meet your needs. To that end, we’ve released the entire [[AnimalTrakker® System|AnimalTrakker® software system]] under the Apache 2.0 Open Source License. You can use the source code as you see fit to make customization changes you deem helpful or necessary on your farm.  ## How Do You Make Money? Have you ever heard something like, "If a company is offering a free service, *you* are the revenue source"? Unfortunately, this is becoming increasingly true as data analytics become more and more lucrative. However, at AnimalTrakker®, we don't sell your data. We don't even collect it to begin with. If that's the case, then how do we make money? How do we keep ourselves going while offering a free product if we don't sell any data? Our revenue comes from optional add-ons to our service, such as converting data from other systems and adding custom features to the base AnimalTrakker® system. We know that many different animal management systems are already in place, and other farms and ranches will have important data in those systems. If you’d like assistance converting your data, our team will provide you with a quote to convert it to an [[AnimalTrakker® Database Overview|AnimalTrakker® Database]]. We also make money by selling preloaded AnimalTrakker® systems to those who want an easier setup. We can also set up or manage your AnimalTrakker® registry for a fee. Finally, we take time and monetary donations from users and fellow programmers alike. All contributions, whether they be time, money, or just suggestions, help make AnimalTrakker® better for all. Please note that while we do accept payment to implement new AnimalTrakker® features, all features will eventually release to our users for free. The only reason you'd ever have need to pay us to implement a new feature would be to get it faster. ## Can I Customize My AnimalTrakker® Software? As programmers ourselves, we know that one size does not fit all. If you have a custom use case or specific need for features that we don’t normally provide, we can implement them for you. Contact us at [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) with your list of must-haves. ## What Is LambTracker®? [[The History of AnimalTrakker®|LambTracker®]] is (was) our sheep-specific mobile program for sheep flock management. We used this software for our own flock management at [Desert Weyr](https://desertweyr.com/) for more than a decade.  LambTracker® requires individual animal identification and worked best with EID, but it could function with any type of ear tag or identification. It was a Java program that ran on Android tablets and was primarily for data collection, to be used chute-side by the farmer. The program allowed for the limited look-up of historical data that you would need while doing daily/yearly tasks.  Reports in LambTracker® were created by running custom queries on the database manually. LambTracker® is no longer in active development, and all new features are being moved to the AnimalTrakker® system.