Petlibro

Review by eFreeware

Leaving a pet at home for a workday or a weekend trip raises the same question every time: did the feeder actually run, and is there enough water in the fountain? A camera or a neighbor can answer part of that, but neither gives you control over the hardware itself. Petlibro is built for exactly that gap. It is a free app from DESIGNLIBRO INC, listed under Lifestyle, that pairs with the company's WiFi-connected feeders and fountains so you can check on them and adjust them remotely.

The app has been on Google Play since March 30, 2023, and the install figures put it past 100,000 downloads. Its average rating sits at 2.2 from 3,241 ratings, which is worth keeping in mind as you read on. The app suits owners who want to keep track of their pet's food and water while they are away from home.

Built for owners of PETLIBRO hardware

This is a companion app in the strictest sense. It works with a specific set of devices — the Dockstream fountain, the Space, Air, Granary and Polar feeders, the One RFID feeder, and others the developer lists — and without one of those on your counter there is nothing here to manage. The name on the box matters too: the developer notes that Petlibro and PETLIBRO Lite are two separate apps, so the right download depends on the device you own.

Granary feeder owners get an extra instruction: the developer asks them to scan the QR code on the product or in the manual to confirm they are using the correct app. That is a small step, but it is the kind of detail worth handling before setup rather than after.

If you already own one of the supported units, the appeal is straightforward. You get a single place to see what your devices are doing and to change what they will do next, rather than walking over to the feeder to press a button. If you don't own the hardware, the app has no purpose — it is a remote for equipment, not a standalone pet-care tool.

Feeding schedules and voice messages

The core of the app is scheduling. You set up routine feedings for your pet, which the developer frames as a way to keep a consistent diet, and the app sends those instructions to the connected feeder. For households juggling work shifts or travel, that means meals happen on time whether or not someone is standing in the kitchen.

The feature I find most interesting is the customizable voice message. You can record your own audio to play at mealtime, so the feeder calls your pet in your voice rather than a generic chime. It is a small touch, but it is the sort of thing that makes a machine feel less impersonal, and it costs you nothing beyond a few seconds of recording.

Both of these are handled through the app. The app is the control surface; the device does the work.

Monitoring, logs and live video

Beyond scheduling, Petlibro acts as a status board. It reports on your devices, keeps activity logs, and sends notifications so you can respond when something needs attention. If you want to know whether a feeding ran or whether a fountain is behaving as expected, the app is where that information surfaces.

Video is the other half of the monitoring story. The app supports live video streaming and access to saved cloud videos, so you can look in on your pet rather than inferring from a log entry. For anyone who travels or works long hours, that combination — a record of what happened plus a live view — covers most of the reasons you would open the app in the first place.

The app is easy to use and offers accessible support. What matters more is that the monitoring features map onto real questions: did the feeder run, is the fountain working, and what is the pet doing right now.

What it costs

Petlibro is free to download, and the developer does not run ads in it. That is a cleaner arrangement than many companion apps. The app offers in-app purchases, so some parts of the experience involve spending.

The cost that matters most here isn't the app at all — it's the hardware. Petlibro only makes sense alongside a supported feeder or fountain, and those are separate purchases from PETLIBRO. Budget for the device first and treat the app as the free remote that comes with it.

The rating is the other number worth weighing. A 2.2 average across 3,241 ratings is low for any app, and while the developer's most recent update mentions small feature upgrades and refinements, the score reflects how a substantial group of users have judged the experience. I would go in expecting to rely on the notifications and logs rather than assuming everything works flawlessly on the first try.

How it compares with the alternatives

The obvious alternative is doing without an app: a standard gravity feeder and a water bowl, refilled on a routine. That costs less, but it gives you no schedule, no log and no way to check in from another city. Petlibro exists precisely because that trade-off stops being acceptable once you travel or work unpredictable hours.

A second option is a general-purpose smart home setup or a security camera pointed at the feeding area. Those can tell you what happened, and a camera can show you the pet, but they don't control the feeder itself. Petlibro's advantage is that scheduling, monitoring and video sit in one place tied to the hardware.

The third comparison is other brands' companion apps. Every smart feeder maker ships one, and they all do roughly the same job: pair a device, set a schedule, watch it run. Petlibro is not unusual in that respect. What distinguishes it is the device range it covers, including feeders, fountains and a wet food unit under one app, and the fact that it is free with no ads.

A practical remote for PETLIBRO owners

If you own a supported PETLIBRO feeder or fountain, Petlibro is the app you need, and it does the job you would expect: schedules, voice messages, device status, activity logs, notifications and live video, all free and without ads.

If you don't own the hardware, there is nothing here for you — this is a remote, not a standalone service. And the 2.2 average from 3,241 ratings is a real signal that the experience has not satisfied everyone, even if the app has been updated as recently as September 2026.

My recommendation is narrow and clear: install it if a compatible PETLIBRO device is already in your home, set up your feeding schedule and voice message early, and lean on the logs and notifications for the reassurance the developer is selling. If you are still deciding on hardware, choose the feeder first and let the app follow.

What's new in version 1.9.40

What's New Version Update: We’ve made several small feature upgrades and refinements to improve your overall experience.