How to Choose a Private Journal App
When choosing a private journal app, check five things: whether your content is encrypted, whether there are ads and tracking, what the AI can see, whether you can easily delete your account and data, and whether the privacy policy states all of this clearly.
A checklist
- Encryption: are your words and videos encrypted before they leave the device?
- Ads and tracking: does the app show ads or track you across other apps? Check the App Store privacy label.
- AI: is the AI feature optional, what data does it see and where does that data go?
- Sharing: is your content open to others by default?
- Metadata: is location data removed from videos and photos?
- Deletion: can you delete your account from within the app? What stays behind?
- Transparency: does the privacy policy name the data controller, service providers and retention periods?
What Caelum does on these points
- Written memories and videos are encrypted before they leave your phone.
- The app currently has no ads and no advertising tracking.
- The monthly AI reading uses only the feelings you chose and their dates; your videos and words are not sent.
- Your memories are never shown to other users.
- Location, device and recording date details are removed from videos before upload.
- You can delete your account in Settings; what is deleted and what remains is listed on the Account Deletion page.
Common questions
Can journal apps read what I write?
It depends on how the app is designed. Look for the part of the privacy policy that covers encryption, key management and access.
This guide is general information, not medical or psychological advice.