The honest FAQ.

Yes — the core app is free. Recording, journaling, week-by-week, photo timeline, and partner sharing are all free. There's an optional Pro tier for unlimited cloud backup and the keepsake book export, but you can use Cudly forever without paying.

Yes. Cudly ships on both iOS and Android. Unlike most baby heartbeat apps (Hear My Baby, etc.) we don't make Android moms second-class.

Not to use the app. We only ask for an email if you want to back your journal up to the cloud — and even then, it's just for sync. No ads, no marketing emails, no "recommended for you."

Lie down somewhere quiet, place the phone screen-down on your lower belly, hold still for 60 seconds. Try slightly different positions if you hear nothing. Most users catch their first recording between weeks 16-22.

Yes — but it's softer and more inconsistent than a medical doppler. From around 16-20 weeks the placental and fetal heartbeat sounds are loud enough for many phones to capture, especially with Cudly's amplification and noise filtering.

16-22 weeks is the typical first-capture window. Anterior placenta, body type, and baby position all affect timing. Many users won't catch a clear recording until 24 weeks — be patient.

Don't panic — that's the most common pattern. Try a different position, a quieter room, a different time of day. If you're worried about anything specific, call your OB. Cudly is a keepsake, not a screening tool.

Yes — you're often hearing your own pulse alongside (or instead of) the baby's. Your heart beats around 60-100 BPM; baby's is around 110-160 BPM. The faster, lighter galloping is baby.

A fetal doppler uses ultrasound — a real medical technology. Cudly uses your phone's microphone — a passive sound recording. Dopplers find heartbeats earlier and more reliably, but they also carry false-reassurance risk that we don't.

Yes. There is no ultrasound, no radiation, no electromagnetic emission. It's a passive microphone, the same as holding any stethoscope to your bump.

Absolutely yes — and that's why we say repeatedly: Cudly is not a medical device. If you're worried about your baby, please call your OB immediately. Do not rely on Cudly (or any baby heartbeat app) to tell you everything is fine.

Because we'd be irresponsible if we did. Phone microphones can't reliably distinguish placental sounds from baby's heartbeat from mother's pulse. Apps that imply medical detection put pregnant women at risk. We won't.

Cudly gives you one prompt a day, but you can ignore them all and write whatever you want. See our blog post on 40 pregnancy journal prompts for more inspiration.

Yes, with no guilt-trip notifications. Cudly catches you up when you come back — it doesn't make you feel like you failed.

Only what you choose. You set per-entry visibility. Your partner sees the photos, recordings, or notes you specifically mark as shared.

No. Never. Pregnancy data is some of the most sensitive personal information a person generates, and we do not sell, share, license, or use your data for advertising. Our optional Pro tier is how we make money — not your data.

On your device by default. If you enable backup, it syncs encrypted to your own iCloud or Google Drive — Cudly's servers never see the unencrypted content.

Anytime. From settings, with one tap. We don't ask why, we don't try to retain you. If you leave Cudly, your data goes with you.

Cudly works on Android (Hear My Baby doesn't), and adds a full pregnancy journal, week-by-week tracker, and partner sharing. See our detailed comparison.

HeraBEAT is a $200+ hardware doppler with a companion app. Cudly is a free app with no hardware. See full comparison.

Probably not. Most users find that Cudly + their regular OB visits give them what they want. If you have severe anxiety, talk to your OB about additional reassurance options — not a Sonoline B.

Only if it feels okay. Many parents after loss find apps re-traumatizing. Cudly has a Quiet Mode that mutes milestone notifications, hides fruit-size celebrations, and softens the daily prompts. If even that's too much — please don't use Cudly. Take care of yourself first.

We try very hard to design Quiet Mode so that this doesn't happen. You can also archive your journal at any time without deletion — we'll never push you back to it.