Barkway Release Notes

A refreshed, more reliable calendar

• The booking calendar has had a major overhaul for smoother performance and more consistent behaviour.
• Appointments are easier to read at a glance, with clearer spacing and improved layout.
• Short bookings (like 15-minute appointments) are now much easier to see and interact with.
• Scrolling and switching between days and weeks feels faster and more stable.

Dark Mode is here

• Switch between light and dark themes anytime.
• Easier on the eyes in low light, with improved contrast across the calendar, tables, and forms.

A faster, smoother interface

• Many screens now feel more responsive.
• Fewer visual quirks and more consistent behaviour throughout the app.

Better booking and scheduling experience

• Smoother date and time selection on desktop and mobile.
• Clearer visual feedback when creating and editing bookings.

Payments & messaging roadmap update

• Card payment processing is not being actively worked on right now. It’s still planned if enough groomers request it.
• SMS messaging is paused until Barkway moves to paid plans. When introduced, SMS will be available as an optional add-on using SMS credits.

Small improvements & fixes

• General polish across forms, buttons, and empty states.
• Performance improvements in key booking flows.

Client Balance is the new home for prepaid money

• One balance per client - overpayments automatically roll forward.
• Deposits and full payments now live in the same ledger, with deposits clearly labelled.

Deposits are smoother

• Record deposits directly from the booking screen using the same payment drawer.

Why it matters

• One source of truth for money received, owed, and credited.
• Fewer workarounds, clearer totals, and better accountability at a glance.

Small Improvements & Fixes

• Prevent “image not found” errors when cleaning up pets.
• New booking option: Unavailable - block out time without creating a full booking.
• Only show the Assigned groomer option when multiple groomers are set up.
• Search improvements - smarter results throughout the app.
• Added option to exclude pets from recall reminders.
• New action in Booking Photos: Set as profile photo to copy a booking photo into the pet’s profile image.

A brand-new payments system

• Payments now handle full, partial, and refund scenarios with ease.
• Deposits are no longer “separate” - they’re recorded as proper payments, giving you one clear ledger.
• Every transaction (payments, deposits, refunds) feeds into a single source.

Why it matters

• You’ll always know exactly what’s been paid and what’s outstanding.
• Flexible handling of refunds, part-payments, and adjustments means fewer workarounds.
• This foundation unlocks powerful reporting and insights we’re building next.

Post-launch fixes & polish

• Thumbnail images now display correctly in bookings and pet profiles.
• Fixed a visual quirk in discount calculations on the price breakdown.
• Pets without a linked client no longer break booking pages.
• Date formats are now correctly respected in the calendar (previously US date formats weren’t displaying properly).
• Dashboard stats now process and update in real time as expected.
• Date of Birth field added to Pets - paving the way for upcoming birthday automations.

Booking photo galleries

• Each booking now supports its own set of photos, so you can keep a record of the groom.
• Think of it like a mini portfolio for each appointment - useful for client updates or just tracking progress.

More control in Smart Scheduler

• Added preferred time window options to nudge the system toward your ideal working hours.
• Scheduling suggestions are still flexible, but now better aligned with when you want to work.

Better photos, faster loading

• Pet photos and profile images are now processed with a new system that makes them sharper quality while loading quicker.
• Thumbnails and previews are lighter, so pages open faster without losing detail.

Scheduling that thinks ahead

• The Smart Scheduler has been tuned to suggest more practical slots.
• It balances “soonest start” with your preferred hours and avoids awkward gaps more intelligently.
• Still, your manual choices always take priority.

Settings made simpler

• The Settings page has been reorganized so options are grouped more logically.
• Explanations are clearer, making it easier to understand what each option does.
• No more hunting around - it should feel quicker to adjust how Barkway works for your business.

• One calendar, many groomers. Easily switch between different staff schedules with a picker at the top.
• If there’s only one groomer, the picker stays hidden for a cleaner view.
• Groomers only see their own bookings, while Admins can view everyone’s.
• Bookings display neatly with start time, duration, and buffers.
• No more “surprise” time changes - your chosen time always sticks.
• Switching between groomers is instant without page reloads.
• Cleaner calendar layout with a tidy toolbar.

Smarter booking options

• Choose between Normal scheduling (simple, first available slot) or the new Smart Scheduler, which suggests the most efficient times based on your day.
• Built-in conflict detection ensures bookings don’t overlap.

Stay in the loop

• Automated emails and SMS for booking confirmations, reminders, thank-yous, and overdue pets.
• Messages are mobile-friendly, branded, and look professional.
• Background sending means the app stays fast while messages go out.

Simpler navigation

• Cleaner main menu for quicker access to important pages.
• Consistent Create Booking button, always where you need it.

Smoother forms

• Inputs, checkboxes, and pickers are more consistent across the app.
• Client and pet search is faster with live results.

• Calendar now respects your Opening Hours, so closed days stay closed.
• Weekly view fixed for more predictable planning, optimised for iPad in landscape.
• Deposits can be set as a fixed amount or a percentage, with clear totals.
• Recall list shows how overdue pets are, with one-click “Send Reminder”.
• Pet and client names are clickable throughout the app.
• Default images appear for pets without photos.
• Notes can be updated directly on a booking.
• Breed picker improved with live search and free-text entry.
• Clean, branded PDF invoices added.

The basics:

• Manage clients, pets, services, and bookings.
• View everything in a simple calendar.
• Add pet photos and notes.
• Booking form with service selection and totals.
• Local storage for images.