Frequently asked questions
What is Boko?
Boko is a free Tamagotchi-style virtual pet app for iPhone and iPad. A tiny pixel pet lives in your Dynamic Island, on your Lock Screen and in your widgets. Adopt a cat or a dog, or turn a photo of your own pet into a pixel Boko, then feed it, play with it and take it on focus quests while you study or work.
Is Boko like a Tamagotchi?
Yes. Boko is a Tamagotchi-style digital pet for iPhone: you feed it, play with it and keep it happy, its needs drop over time, and it grows and levels up the more you care for it. Unlike a keychain Tamagotchi it lives right on your phone, walking in the Dynamic Island and on your Lock Screen, and it adds focus quests, friends, mini-games and custom pets made from a photo of your real pet.
Is there a Tamagotchi app for iPhone?
Boko is a free Tamagotchi-style virtual pet app for iPhone and iPad (iOS 17 or later), with no ads. Your pet lives in the Dynamic Island as a Live Activity, on the Lock Screen and in Home Screen widgets, so you can check on it without opening the app, the way you'd glance at a Tamagotchi. Boko is not an official Tamagotchi product.
Is Boko free?
Yes. Boko is free to download and play, with no ads. An optional Premium subscription unlocks every world, the exotic pets, Premium hats and decorations, and monthly Pet Tokens for custom pets.
Can I put a virtual pet in my iPhone's Dynamic Island?
Yes, that's what Boko is built around. Once you adopt a pet it runs as a Live Activity, so it walks in the Dynamic Island on iPhone 14 Pro and later, and on the Lock Screen of any iPhone running iOS 17 or later.
Can I turn a photo of my own pet into a pixel pet?
Yes. Pick "Your pet" when adopting, choose a photo of your cat, dog or any other animal, and Boko draws an animated pixel version of it in about half a minute. Custom pets need Premium or Pet Tokens.
Does Boko have Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets?
Yes. There are small, medium and large Home Screen widgets (your pet in its world, its needs, focus quests, your pets, friends and your streak) plus Lock Screen widgets. You can feed your pet or start a focus quest without opening the app.
Can Boko help me focus or study?
Yes. Focus quests are a focus timer with a pet: start a session from 5 to 120 minutes, add tasks, and your pet goes on an adventure until the time is up. It suits studying, deep work and ADHD-friendly short sessions, and the countdown stays visible in the Dynamic Island.
What pets can I adopt?
36 pets: 12 cat breeds (including a Siamese, a Maine Coon and a Persian), 12 dog breeds (including a corgi, a golden retriever and a shiba), and exotic pets like a capybara, a fox, a panda, a penguin, a hedgehog and a frog. Exotic pets need Premium.
Can I play Boko with friends?
Yes. Add friends with a friend code or an invite link, see their pets on your Friend Tree, send snacks and gifts, and race their scores in the mini-games and the daily Pet Path puzzle.
What happens if I forget to feed my pet?
Its hunger and happiness drop slowly, and more slowly at night. If it's neglected for a long time it runs away, but you can always win it back by caring for it again. Boko sends gentle reminders if you allow notifications.
Is Boko on Android?
No. Boko is made for iPhone and iPad (iOS 17 or later), because it is built around the Dynamic Island, Live Activities and iOS widgets.
Does Boko have ads?
No. Boko has no ads, and never will.
Does Boko work offline?
Yes. Feeding, playing, focus quests and mini-games all work offline. Friends, backups and custom pets sync once you're back online.
Which languages does Boko support?
21: English, Arabic, Bulgarian, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Dutch, French, German, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Spanish (Latin America), Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian and Vietnamese.
Who makes Boko?
Boko is made by Iskren Alexandrov, an indie developer who reads every piece of feedback. You can write from the app (Profile > Feedback) or to hello@boko.live.
Is Boko made by Bandai or an official Tamagotchi app?
Tamagotchi is a trademark of Bandai. Boko is an independent app and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Bandai.
