Account and login
Andrei downloads Terranos on a Friday night because his friend told him about a hike on Saturday. He doesn't want to fill in a 12-field form right now — he wants to see whether the activity has space. He taps Sign in with Google, gets in, and three taps later he's reading the activity page.
That's the shape of sign-in here. Get you in, let you finish your profile when you actually need it.
How you can sign in
Four ways:
- Email + password. The classic. You'll need to verify your email before you can join activities.
- Google. One-tap on Android, near-one-tap on iOS and web. No password to manage.
- Facebook. Same shape as Google.
- Apple. Available on iOS, macOS, and the web. Apple lets you hide your email behind a relay address — Terranos works fine with that.
There's a fifth option that isn't really sign-in: Continue as guest. Use it to browse public activities without an account. You can't join, comment, or message as a guest. See Guest and public browsing.
What happens after a social sign-in
You go straight into the app. Terranos doesn't push you through a long onboarding form — you can complete your profile later from Profile. The minimum we need is your name; everything else (cars, equipment, emergency contact, social links) is optional and useful only when it becomes relevant.
If you signed in with email + password, you'll see a one-time email verification step before you can join activities. Check your inbox, tap the link, you're done.
Linking another sign-in method
If you started with Google and later want to add a password (or vice versa), open Profile > Security. You can:
- create a password if you don't have one yet
- link Google, Facebook, or Apple to the same account
- remove a linked provider as long as one method still works
Linking is useful if you switch devices and one provider isn't available — for example, if you usually use Apple sign-in on your phone but need to log in on a Windows browser.
Biometrics
On supported devices, you can enable Face ID, Touch ID, or fingerprint unlock from Profile > Security. After that, the app stops asking for your password every time and uses biometrics for re-authentication when needed.
This is a local convenience — your biometrics never leave the device.
Privacy at sign-in
A few things worth knowing before you create an account:
- Your email is never shown publicly. Other users can't see it.
- Your phone number is private by default. It's used for emergency contact context and for SMS share-sheet links you initiate yourself.
- WhatsApp visibility is opt-in. If you want other participants to message you on WhatsApp, you turn that on per profile.
The full picture is in the Privacy Policy.
When sign-in doesn't work
Common cases:
- "Email already in use." You probably created the account with a social provider previously. Try Sign in with Google / Facebook / Apple instead, then add a password from
Securityif you want one. - Verification email never arrived. Check spam. If still missing, use the resend option on the verification screen. If that fails, contact Support.
- Apple sign-in not visible. It only appears on iOS, macOS, and the web on Apple platforms. Use Google or email instead.
- Locked out after too many attempts. Wait a few minutes and try again. If it persists, Support can unlock the account.
Signing out and account deletion
Sign out is in Profile. Below it, in Security, you'll find:
- Deactivate account — your data is hidden but kept. You can reactivate by signing in again later.
- Delete account — starts a GDPR deletion flow. There's a grace period during which you can cancel; after that, your data is scheduled for permanent deletion.
The two options exist because they solve different problems. Use deactivate if you might come back. Use delete if you want everything gone.