Simple Journal help & support

Common questions

I forgot my master password

First, check a device signed into the same cloud account — your password was saved to iCloud Keychain / Google Password Manager when you created it, and autofill should surface it on the unlock screen. If you're signed out everywhere and don't have it saved, your entries can't be recovered. That's the honest cost of encryption only you can unlock — we have no master key.

Where are my entries actually stored?

Wherever you chose during setup: your own Google Drive or iCloud, our sync server, or local-only on your device. In every case the stored data is encrypted ciphertext. You can review or change the destination in Settings → Sync.

Does Simple Journal work offline?

Yes. Writing, reading, search, and the calendar all work offline — everything is indexed on your device. Sync uploads the encrypted entries when you're back online; nothing is lost in the meantime.

Can you (or anyone) read my journal?

No. Entries are encrypted on your device before they're stored or synced, with a key we never receive. Our servers see ciphertext only. There's no internal tool that can decrypt your words.

How do I turn on Face ID, auto-lock, or panic lock?

Open Settings → Privacy & Security. There you can enable biometric unlock, set an auto-lock timeout, turn on the shake-to-lock panic gesture, and (where available) configure a decoy journal with its own password.

I want to delete my account or my data

Open the app → Settings → Account → Delete account to remove your ciphertext from our sync servers. If you use Guest mode (no account), deleting the app removes everything from the device. Entries in your own cloud remain under your control to delete there.

I have a feature request

Send the idea — if it matches the core mission (private, free-form, no data harvesting), it might ship. If it doesn't, it might become a new app in the SimpleApps catalog.