Quick answers to the questions we hear most often. Looking for something specific? Search below or browse by topic.
A digital wallet for barcode-based loyalty cards. Scan your physical cards once and Hopscotch shows the right one when you arrive at the store. Works on iPhone and Apple Watch.
Yes. There's no paywall, no subscription, no ads, no in-app purchases.
No. Hopscotch doesn't have accounts, sign-up, login, or passwords. You install the app and start scanning.
Any iPhone running iOS 17 or later. Apple Watch support requires watchOS 10 or later.
The app is built for iPhone. It runs on iPad in compatibility mode but isn't optimized for the larger screen.
On your iPhone, period. Hopscotch has no accounts, no servers, and no cloud sync — your cards, locations, and settings live in iOS's on-device storage, not uploaded anywhere or kept on our end. (Adding a card to Apple Wallet is the one exception — see below.)
No. No analytics, no third-party trackers, no behavioral logging. There's nowhere for that data to go even if we wanted it.
No. iOS handles geofence monitoring locally at the chip level. Hopscotch never sees your coordinates, location history, or where you've been.
All your data is gone — there's nothing on a server to clean up. If you'd like to keep your cards, use iCloud Backup before deleting; restoring the app from backup restores your deck.
Only if you use iCloud Backup on your iPhone. In that case, Hopscotch data is included automatically alongside your other app data. There is no separate Hopscotch cloud backup.
Yes. iOS automatically encrypts everything Hopscotch stores on your device — your barcodes, card names, notes, photos, and saved locations — whenever your iPhone is locked.
iOS uses a feature called Data Protection. Every file is encrypted with a key tied to your device's dedicated security chip (the Secure Enclave) and your passcode. That key can't be copied off the device, and your data can't be unscrambled without unlocking your phone. Face ID and Touch ID unlock that same protection.
No. There's no account system and no server that stores your cards, so there's nothing on our end to look at. The only moment any card data reaches us is when you add a card to Apple Wallet (below) — our pass service uses it to build that one pass, then discards it.
Adding a card to Apple Wallet is the only feature that sends card details to a server — ours — and only for the card you choose to add. We send that card's name, barcode, and color/category, plus the store locations you've set (so Wallet can alert you when you're nearby). It travels over an encrypted, tamper-verified connection; our pass service builds the pass and discards the details immediately — we never store your cards. From there, your pass lives in Apple Wallet and is governed by Apple's privacy terms.
Yes — your paired Apple Watch receives a copy of your cards from your iPhone over Apple's private, encrypted device-to-device link, and stores them encrypted on the Watch the same way. This stays between your own devices; it never passes through us or the cloud.
As long as your iPhone is locked and has a passcode, your card data stays encrypted and unreadable to anyone who finds it — which is exactly why a strong passcode matters.
Set a strong passcode, and turn on Face ID or Touch ID. Your screen lock is the root of all this encryption — it's literally the key. A phone with no passcode has far weaker protection, no matter which app you use. A strong passcode is your best defense.
To notify you when you arrive at a store so the right card is ready. That's the entire feature.
Geofencing only works in the background. "While Using the App" only checks your location when Hopscotch is open on screen — which means no automatic arrival notifications. To get the magic, choose Always Allow.
You can still use Hopscotch with "While Using" or "Never" — you just won't get arrival notifications.
No. Typical impact is 1–3% over a full day. Hopscotch never turns on GPS — iOS does region monitoring with low-power cell and Wi-Fi signals your phone is already processing. An hour of GPS navigation drains more battery than a full day of Hopscotch geofencing.
iOS limits any single app to 20 monitored regions at once. Hopscotch shows your remaining slots when you're getting close. Toggle locations off without deleting them to free up a slot.
Most common causes:
Yes. You can still scan, store, and display cards — you'll just need to open the app and pick the card manually instead of getting an automatic notification.
Code 128, Code 39, EAN-13, UPC-A, QR, PDF417, and Aztec. This covers virtually every loyalty card on the market.
Tap Enter manually and type the number. Then pick the format from the dropdown. Most loyalty cards print the barcode number directly above or below the bars — that's what you'll type.
Yes, in nearly all cases. Crank screen brightness to max and hand them the phone. A handful of older or very specific scanners can struggle with phone screens — in that case, the cashier can type the number from the on-screen display.
Yes. Use Enter manually and type the barcode number from a receipt, email, or your account on the store's website.
Not currently. Each Hopscotch install is independent. If they have the physical card or know the number, they can scan/enter it on their own phone.
Shows your most-relevant card on your home screen so it's one tap away. It uses Smart Sort to decide which card to show.
In this priority order:
Yes — pin it. Long-press the widget → Edit Widget → pick the card → tap outside to confirm.
Edit the widget and choose Smart Sort (or whichever option clears the selection).
Smart Sort surfaced a card it thinks is more relevant — maybe one you scan often, or one closer to you. If you want a specific card every time, pin it.
No. Hopscotch only sends one type of notification: an arrival notification when you enter a geofence you've set up. Nothing else. Ever.
You probably have the card saved both in Hopscotch and as an Apple Wallet pass:
Open the pass in Apple Wallet → tap the ••• menu → toggle Suggest on Lock Screen off. This is an iOS Wallet setting, not a Hopscotch setting.
Open the card and toggle the location off. The geofence is preserved; no Hopscotch notification fires. To also stop the Wallet pass from showing, use the Wallet toggle above.
Yes, on watchOS 10 or later. The Watch app shows your card deck and can display any barcode for scanning at checkout.
No — Apple Watch doesn't have a camera. Add cards on your iPhone; they sync to the Watch automatically.
No — manage locations on your iPhone. Geofence arrival notifications appear on whichever device(s) you have enabled.
Force-quit Hopscotch on the iPhone, re-open it, give the Watch 30 seconds. If that doesn't work, restart the Watch.
Yes. Open a card in Hopscotch and tap Add to Apple Wallet to generate a pass. The pass shows your barcode and can be configured to surface on your lock screen when you arrive at the saved location.
No. Wallet integration is optional. The Hopscotch app on its own handles scanning, storage, and barcode display.
No. Wallet passes and Hopscotch cards are separate. Removing one doesn't affect the other.
Force-quit and reopen. If it keeps crashing, restart your iPhone. If still broken, email hello@hopscotch.city with your iPhone model and iOS version.
Go to Settings → Hopscotch → toggle the relevant permission (Camera / Location / Notifications) off, then back on.
If you have iCloud Backup enabled, deleting and reinstalling the app, then restoring from backup, will bring them back. Otherwise, cards are stored only on your device — there's no cloud copy.
Email hello@hopscotch.city with details. Screenshots help.
Yes — Hopscotch is on Google Play, with a Wear OS companion. Switch to the Android tab above for download details.
On the roadmap, not in the current release. The app is local-only today.
Not yet. Email if this is important to you — that signal helps us prioritize.
A digital wallet for the barcode loyalty cards cluttering your pocket. Scan a card once, drop a pin on the store, and the right card surfaces automatically when you walk in. Works on Android phones and Wear OS smartwatches.
Yes. No paywall, no subscription, no ads, no in-app purchases.
No. Hopscotch has no accounts, sign-ups, or passwords. Install the app and start scanning.
On your phone, period. Hopscotch has no accounts, no servers, and no cloud sync — your cards, locations, and settings live in Android's on-device Room (SQLite) database, not uploaded anywhere or kept on our end. They're not even backed up to Google Drive. (Adding a card to Google Wallet is the one exception — see below.)
No. No analytics, no third-party SDKs, no advertising networks, no behavioral logging.
No. Geofence checks happen locally via Android's geofencing APIs. We never receive, store, or transmit your coordinates or location history.
All your data is gone — there's nothing on a server to clean up. There is currently no cloud backup or export. Cloud sync is on our roadmap.
Hopscotch stores all your card data on-device only — there is no server holding your information. To delete everything, uninstall the app from your phone. To submit a formal deletion request anyway, email support@hopscotch.city.
Yes. Android automatically encrypts everything Hopscotch stores on your device — your barcodes, card names, notes, photos, and saved locations — whenever your phone is locked. Your card photos and the copy synced to your watch get an additional, dedicated layer of encryption on top of that.
Android uses File-Based Encryption. Your app data is encrypted with keys bound to your device's secure hardware (a Trusted Execution Environment, or a dedicated security chip like Titan M on Pixel phones) and your screen lock — your PIN, password, or pattern. Your data stays encrypted until you unlock the device, and fingerprint or face unlock open that same protection.
No. There's no account system and no server that stores your cards, so there's nothing on our end to look at. The only moment any card data reaches us is when you add a card to Google Wallet (below) — our pass service uses it to build that one pass, then discards it.
Adding a card to Wallet is the only feature that sends card details to a server — ours — and only for the card you choose to add. We send that card's name, barcode, and color/category. We do not send the store locations you've saved — those never leave your phone. The details travel over an encrypted, tamper-verified connection; our pass service builds the pass and discards them immediately — we never store your cards. From there, your pass lives in Google Wallet and is governed by Google's privacy terms.
If you have the Wear OS companion app on a paired watch (like a Pixel Watch), yes — it receives a copy of your cards over Android's Wear Data Layer, the encrypted link Google provides between your phone and watch, and stores them encrypted on the watch. To be straight with you: that link does route through Google's own infrastructure — that's simply how Android connects your devices — so it's governed by Google's privacy terms. But no Hopscotch server is ever part of it: we never receive or store your cards.
As long as your phone is locked and has a screen lock set, your card data stays encrypted and unreadable to anyone who finds it — and because nothing is backed up to the cloud, there's no copy anywhere else to worry about. That's exactly why a strong screen lock matters.
Set a strong screen lock, and turn on fingerprint or face unlock. Your screen lock is the root of all this encryption — it's literally the key. A phone with no PIN or password has far weaker protection, no matter which app you use. A strong screen lock is your best defense.
To scan a barcode off the back of your loyalty card. The camera is only active while the scanner screen is open — Hopscotch never accesses the camera in the background.
So you can import a card from a photo you already have — for example, a screenshot of a digital pass or a picture of a card sitting on your desk. Hopscotch only reads the photo you pick. Nothing is uploaded anywhere.
Two reasons:
Your location stays on your device. We don't send it anywhere, store it in the cloud, or share it with anyone.
This is the permission that makes the reminders actually work. Android only fires a geofence — that's the trigger when you walk into a store's radius — if the app has permission to read location while it's not on screen. Without "Allow all the time," reminders simply won't fire.
We only use background location to check whether you've entered or exited a saved store boundary. We don't track your movement, build a location history, or send anything off your device.
To grant this permission later: Settings → Apps → Hopscotch → Permissions → Location → Allow all the time.
Reminders show up as system notifications. If notifications are off, the app still detects you've walked into a store — there's just no way to tell you.
Open the card, tap the location pin, and either:
Then drag the radius slider to choose how close you need to be before the reminder fires. 100m is a good starting point for a single store; 200–300m if it's part of a large shopping center.
Walk through this checklist:
If you've checked all of the above and reminders still don't fire, email support@hopscotch.city.
Yes — open the card, tap the location pin, and toggle "Reminders" off. The pin stays attached for reference, but the geofence is turned off.
Yes — Settings → Notifications → toggle reminders off.
Several Android manufacturers (Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus, Oppo, Huawei) put apps to sleep aggressively to save battery. That includes Hopscotch — which means geofence triggers can be missed. Setting Hopscotch to "Unrestricted" tells Android not to put it to sleep, so reminders fire reliably.
Hopscotch uses very little battery in the background. It only wakes up briefly when you cross a saved geofence — it does not poll location continuously.
Settings → Apps → Hopscotch → Battery → Unrestricted.
On Pixel devices the default is usually "Optimized," which works fine. On other manufacturers, check that it's set to Unrestricted.
Code 128, Code 39, EAN-13, UPC-A, QR, PDF417, and Aztec. This covers virtually every loyalty card on the market.
Some loyalty cards have low-contrast, damaged, or unusual-format barcodes. If the camera can't read it after a few seconds:
A few card formats look identical to the camera but are actually different. Tap the card, hit edit, and switch the barcode type from the dropdown. The most common confusion is between Code 128 and Code 39.
Swipe the card left, or long-press it and tap delete.
Hopscotch is local-only — there's currently no cloud backup or export. If you switch phones, you'll need to re-add your cards. Cloud sync is on our roadmap.
Hopscotch sorts your cards automatically based on what's most useful to you right now. The order is:
There's a 100-meter "dead zone" built into the nearby tier so cards don't flicker between positions when you're standing still in a parking lot or wandering inside a store.
Pinning a card does two things:
From the card detail screen, tap the pin icon. Tap it again to unpin. Only one card can be pinned at a time — pinning a second card automatically unpins the first.
Not directly, but the manual sort order (long-press and drag) is respected as a tiebreaker, so you can influence the bottom of the list. Pinning is the surest way to lock a specific card to the top.
Yes — Hopscotch ships an Android home-screen widget that shows your pinned card (or your top smart-sorted card if nothing is pinned), with the barcode rendered right on the widget so you can pull up your card without opening the app.
Long-press an empty area of your home screen, tap "Widgets," scroll to Hopscotch, then drag the widget tile onto your home screen. Android may prompt you to pick which card the widget should show — choose any card, or leave it on "Pinned card" to follow whatever you have pinned.
Yes — add the widget more than once and configure each instance to point at a different card.
Same root causes as missed reminders — the launcher and Android may be putting Hopscotch to sleep. Set the app's battery setting to Unrestricted (see the Battery Optimization section above).
Yes — Hopscotch also ships a Quick Settings tile that shows your top smart-sorted card. Long-press the pencil/edit button in your Quick Settings panel, then drag the Hopscotch tile into the active area. Tapping it opens the app to that card.
Yes, if it's a Wear OS 3 or newer watch — Pixel Watch (any generation), Galaxy Watch 4 and newer, TicWatch Pro 5, Xiaomi Watch 2, OnePlus Watch 2, and similar.
It does not work on Galaxy Watch 3 and older Samsung Tizen watches, Fitbit watches, or Garmin watches.
It installs automatically once you've paired your watch with the Wear OS app on your phone and installed Hopscotch on the phone. The Play Store will offer to push the watch component over.
When you open Hopscotch on the watch, it pulls the latest cards from your phone over the Wear OS DataLayer (Google's built-in phone-to-watch channel). It happens automatically — there's no button to press.
No — the watch app is view-only. Use it to show the barcode at checkout. All editing happens on the phone.
Open the Wear OS app on your phone, make sure your watch is connected (not just paired but actively connected). Then open Hopscotch on the watch and pull down to refresh. If that doesn't work, try opening Hopscotch on the phone first — the sync is triggered from the phone side.
It generates a Wallet pass for that card and saves it to your Google Wallet app, so you can pull it up at checkout without opening Hopscotch.
To build the pass, your card's name, barcode, and color/category are sent to our pass service over an encrypted, tamper-verified connection, used to generate that one pass, then discarded — we never store them. Your saved store locations are never sent. The finished pass lives in Google Wallet and is governed by Google's privacy terms.
Google Wallet only accepts certain barcode formats. If your card's barcode is in an unsupported format, the button won't appear. You can still display it from Hopscotch normally.
Open the Google Wallet app, tap the card, and use Wallet's own remove option. Removing it from Wallet does not affect your card in Hopscotch.
This is a rare initialization issue with Google Maps on Android. Close Hopscotch entirely (swipe it out of recent apps) and reopen it. If it persists, restart your phone.
Settings → Apps → Hopscotch → Permissions → toggle the relevant permission off, then back on.
Email support@hopscotch.city. We're a small team and we read every message.
We're a small team and we read every message. Reach out and we'll get back within 1–2 business days.
Email us