Frequently asked questions
General
What is Pause?
Pause is a mindful journaling app that turns your daily moments into personal poetry, maps your emotional patterns using a colour-coded calendar, and offers guided meditation personalised to how you've been feeling.
How is Pause different from other journal apps?
Most journal apps store your entries. Pause reads them and creates something from them — a personal poem, an emotional pattern map, a meditation session that uses your own words. And it does this without streaks, scores, or guilt.
Do I need to write a lot?
No. A single sentence counts. A photo with no words counts. You can also speak your thoughts and the app transcribes them. There's no right way to use Pause.
AI & Privacy
How does the AI work?
When you use AI features (poems, transcription, insights, meditation), relevant content is processed transiently to provide the feature. Where supported, voice transcription can happen on device. If cloud transcription is used, voice audio is sent to our server for transcription and deleted immediately after processing. Your data is never used to train AI models.
Which AI providers do you use?
Google Vertex AI (Gemini) for text generation, Google Cloud for speech-to-text and text-to-speech, AWS Bedrock (Anthropic Claude) as an alternative text provider, and InWorld AI for meditation voiceover audio.
Is my journal data private?
Your journal entries, photos, and preferences are stored locally on your device. Optional AI features may process relevant content transiently to generate poems, insights, transcription, or meditation content. Your content is not used for model training. We don't sell your data and Pause has no advertising.
Can I use Pause without AI?
Yes. AI features are optional and require explicit consent. You can toggle AI data processing on or off at any time in Settings.
The 3-Circle Model
What is the 3-Circle Model?
It's a model of emotional regulation developed by Professor Paul Gilbert at the Compassionate Mind Foundation. It describes three emotional systems: Red (threat/protection — tension, worry), Blue (drive/achievement — productivity, goals), and Green (soothing/connection — calm, contentment). Pause uses this model to help you notice your emotional patterns without judging them.
Is this therapy?
No. Pause is not a therapy app and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice. It's a tool for noticing and reflecting. If you're experiencing mental health difficulties, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Subscription & Billing
Is there a free trial?
Pause Insights annual includes a 7-day free trial. Monthly subscriptions do not include the free trial.
How do I cancel?
You can cancel your subscription at any time through your App Store account settings. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period.
Can I get a refund?
Refund policies are governed by the App Store. Contact Apple directly for refund requests.
What happens if I cancel?
You keep access to your existing journal entries and can still view and export them. AI features (poems, transcription, meditation) require an active subscription.
What is included in Pause Insights?
Pause Insights unlocks the full reflection experience: voice journaling, AI poems, spoken poems, memory cards, reflection insights and circles, guided meditation features, and iCloud backup where available.
Technical
What devices does Pause support?
Pause is available on iOS. Where supported, voice transcription may happen on device; cloud transcription is used only when needed.
Does Pause work offline?
You can journal and view entries offline. AI features such as poems, cloud transcription, insights, and meditation content require an internet connection. Where supported, voice transcription may happen on device.
How do I back up my journal?
On iPhone, iCloud backup is automatic and available on all tiers including free. You can also export your journal data as CSV or PDF at any time.
Can I delete my account?
Yes. You can delete your account and all associated data from the Settings screen in the app.