Support & FAQ

How do I create my first journal entry?

Step-by-step:

1. Open the app and tap the + button on the Home tab
2. Select your current mood from the 10 emotion states
3. Wait for AI to generate a personalized prompt (or use local prompt if offline)
4. Write your reflection in the text field
5. Optionally add tags or photos
6. Tap Save to store your entry

What are the 10 mood states?

The app tracks these emotional states:

• 😊 Joyful - Feeling happy and content
• 😌 Calm - Peaceful and relaxed
• 🙏 Grateful - Appreciating life's blessings
• 🤩 Excited - Full of energy and anticipation
• 😐 Neutral - Neither good nor bad
• 😰 Anxious - Worried or uneasy
• 😢 Sad - Feeling down or melancholy
• 😠 Angry - Frustrated or irritated
• 😴 Tired - Low on energy
• 😫 Stressed - Overwhelmed or tense

Do I need an account to use the app?

No! Serenity AI Journal is completely account-free. Your journal entries are stored locally on your device. No email, phone number, or personal information required. Just download and start journaling immediately.

How does the AI generate journal prompts?

When you select a mood, the app sends only your mood type (e.g., "joyful" or "anxious") to Groq AI, which generates a personalized prompt designed to encourage meaningful reflection. The AI considers:

• Your current emotional state
• Evidence-based journaling techniques
• Positive psychology principles

Important: Your actual journal content is NEVER sent to AI - only the mood selection.

Can I use the app offline?

Yes! The app works perfectly offline. If you're not connected to the internet, the app automatically uses local prompt generation. You'll still get thoughtful prompts - they just won't be AI-generated. All other features (mood tracking, analytics, streaks) work completely offline.

Is my journal content used to train AI?

Absolutely not. Your journal entries never leave your device (unless you enable iCloud sync). We only send your mood selection to generate prompts. Groq AI does not store or train on this data. Your journal remains completely private.

How is my data protected?

Your privacy is our top priority:

• Local storage: All journal entries stored on your device only
• iOS encryption: Protected by system-level encryption
• Biometric lock: Optional Face ID/Touch ID protection
• No tracking: We don't collect analytics or personal data
• No servers: We don't operate any servers storing your data

Read our full Privacy Policy for details.

How do I enable biometric lock?

To enable Face ID or Touch ID:

1. Open the app and go to Settings tab
2. Find the Biometric Lock section
3. Toggle on Lock with Face ID (or Touch ID)
4. Authenticate with your biometric

Once enabled, the app will require biometric authentication each time you open it.

What happens to my data if I delete the app?

When you delete the app:

• Local data is deleted: All journal entries stored on your device are permanently removed
• iCloud data persists: If you enabled iCloud sync, entries remain in your iCloud until you manually delete them
• No recovery: Once deleted, local data cannot be recovered unless you have a device backup

Before deleting: Use the Export feature to save your entries as CSV or text files.

How do streaks work?

A streak is the number of consecutive days you've created at least one journal entry. Streaks help build consistent journaling habits:

• Current streak: Days in a row you've journaled (resets if you miss a day)
• Best streak: Your longest streak ever
• Achievements: Unlock milestones at 3, 7, 14, 30, 60, and 100 days

Tip: Enable daily reminders in Settings to maintain your streak!

How do I export my journal entries?

To export your data:

1. Go to the History tab
2. Tap the filter/options button (top right)
3. Choose Export CSV or Export Text
4. Share via Files, Email, or any app

CSV format is great for importing into spreadsheets. Text format is more readable.

Can I add photos to journal entries?

Yes! You can attach one photo per journal entry:

1. While writing an entry, tap the photo icon
2. Choose from your Photo Library or take a new photo
3. The photo is stored locally and compressed to save space

Note: Photos are included in iCloud sync if enabled.

What are tags and how do I use them?

Tags help organize and find journal entries. Examples: #work, #family, #health, #goals

To add tags:

1. While writing an entry, tap Add Tag
2. Type your tag name (no # needed)
3. Tap Done or + to add it

Use the History tab to filter entries by tags.

When do I get insights about my moods?

The Insights tab unlocks after you've created at least 7 journal entries. Once unlocked, you'll see:

• Mood trends: Charts showing your emotional patterns over time
• Most common moods: Which emotions you experience most
• Journaling consistency: How often you reflect
• Personalized insights: AI-generated observations about your patterns

How are mood trends calculated?

The app analyzes your journal entries over time to identify:

• Frequency: How often you experience each mood
• Patterns: Time of day, day of week, or seasonal trends
• Duration: How long mood patterns persist

All analytics are calculated locally on your device - we never see your data.

How do I enable iCloud sync?

iCloud sync is controlled by iOS system settings, not within the app:

1. Open iOS Settings app
2. Tap your Apple ID at the top
3. Tap iCloud
4. Find Serenity AI Journal and toggle it ON

Once enabled, your entries sync across all iOS devices signed into the same iCloud account.

Is iCloud sync secure?

Yes! iCloud sync uses Apple's end-to-end encryption:

• Data encrypted on your device before upload
• Encrypted in transit to iCloud servers
• Encrypted at rest in iCloud
• Only accessible by you on your devices

We have no access to your iCloud data. It's protected by your Apple ID password and device passcode.

AI prompts aren't generating. What should I do?

Try these steps:

1. Check your internet connection
2. Wait a few seconds - AI generation can take 3-5 seconds
3. If still not working, the app will automatically use local prompts
4. Force-close and reopen the app
5. Update to the latest version from App Store

The app always works offline with local prompts, so you can continue journaling regardless.

My streaks aren't tracking correctly. Why?

Streaks require at least one journal entry per calendar day (based on your device timezone):

• Quick mood check-ins count toward streaks
• Entries must be saved (not just drafted)
• Editing old entries doesn't extend streaks
• If you missed a day, your streak resets to 0

Set up daily reminders in Settings to help maintain your streak!

The app crashes or won't open. What should I do?

Troubleshooting steps:

1. Force-quit the app and reopen it
2. Restart your iPhone
3. Update to the latest iOS version
4. Update the app from App Store
5. Free up storage space (Settings → General → iPhone Storage)

If the issue persists, contact support with details about when the crash occurs.

Is the app free?

Yes! Serenity AI Journal is currently free to download and use. All core features are available without payment:

• AI-powered journal prompts
• Unlimited journal entries
• Mood tracking and analytics
• Streaks and achievements
• Photo attachments
• Biometric lock
• Export features

Will there be premium features in the future?

We may introduce optional premium features in the future, but core journaling functionality will always remain free. Any premium features would be clearly optional enhancements, not requirements.

How do I delete all my data?

To permanently delete all journal entries:

1. Go to Settings tab
2. Scroll to Clear All History
3. Tap and confirm deletion

Warning: This action cannot be undone. All local entries will be permanently deleted. If you have iCloud sync enabled, you'll need to delete iCloud data separately via iOS Settings.

Can I use the app on multiple devices?

Yes! Enable iCloud sync and your journal entries will sync across all iOS devices signed into the same Apple ID. Each device can also have its own local entries if iCloud is disabled.