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Email us
For bugs, billing, account deletion, or anything else.
support@gratitudelock.appIf you’re struggling
Compulsive phone use is sometimes a symptom of something else. Please talk to a professional.
Permissions
Why does a journaling app need so many phone permissions?
To intercept an app launch, we need your phone's own screen-time system to tell us when you open a locked app. On iOS that's the Screen Time (Family Controls) API; on Android it's Usage Access plus an overlay permission.
We request only the permissions the prompt needs, and we explain each one before asking. No advertising SDKs, no behavioural tracking.
Is it safe to give an app Accessibility Service permission on Android?
Granting Accessibility Service is a significant trust decision: it's the most powerful permission Android offers. Gratitude Lock uses it for one purpose only — detecting when you open a locked app so the prompt can appear. We do not read screen contents, record keystrokes, or access other apps' data.
If you're not comfortable granting it, you can use Journal-Only mode without it. The prompt won't appear, but you can still write daily entries.
What happens if I don't give the app permission to access my screen time?
Without the screen-time permission, the app drops into Soft Lock (a gentle reminder notification) or Journal-Only mode (write daily entries without any prompt appearing over apps). Both work well. Neither is a fallback.
You can grant the permission later at any time in Settings.
Subscriptions
What do you get for free vs. paying?
Free: slow down as many apps as you like, one daily prompt, your last 30 journal entries, one small ad on the unlock screen.
Ad-free (€1.99/month or €9.99/year): everything in Free, with no ads anywhere in the app.
Premium (€4.99/month or €29.99/year): everything in Ad-free, plus a private weekly insight, mood tracking and a quarterly PDF keepsake. The app is free to use — Premium is a direct upgrade with no trial, and you can cancel anytime.
Do I lose my journal entries if I cancel my subscription?
No entries are ever deleted when you cancel. You keep access to your last 30 entries (the Free limit). Older entries are preserved on your device and in your backup, but inaccessible in the app until you resubscribe.
Export your journal to PDF or Markdown before cancelling if you want everything in a portable format.
Can I switch from monthly to yearly to save money?
Yes. Go to Settings → Subscription → Switch to annual. The annual plan is €29/year (about €2.40/month, roughly 20% less than monthly). The switch takes effect at the start of your next billing period.
Is there a student discount or family plan?
Not yet. We're a small team and manage subscriptions through Apple and Google, which limits the plan types we can offer. A family plan is on our roadmap. If this matters to you, email hello@gratitudelock.app. It shapes what we build.
How do I cancel my subscription?
Apple: Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions → Gratitude Lock → Cancel.
Google: Play Store → Profile → Payments & subscriptions → Subscriptions → Gratitude Lock → Cancel.
We can't cancel on your behalf — Apple and Google control the subscription lifecycle.
Privacy & data
Can the developers read my private journal entries?
No. Entries are encrypted on your device with a key that never leaves the device. We store ciphertext we have no key to. Your journal is genuinely private.
Does this app sell or share my personal data?
No. We don't sell, rent, or share your personal data with third parties for advertising or any commercial purpose. Our only revenue is subscriptions and the single small ad shown to Free users on the unlock screen. No personal data leaves your device to serve it.
Where is my journal stored — on my phone or in the cloud?
On your device, encrypted. If you enable backup, encrypted copies sync to your own cloud storage (iCloud or Google Drive), not ours. We never have access to the plaintext of your entries.
Is this app compliant with European privacy law (GDPR)?
Yes. Gratitude Lock B.V. is registered in the Netherlands and subject to the GDPR. You have the right to access, correct, export, or delete your data at any time, all from inside the app under Settings → Privacy.
How do I export or permanently delete my journal and account?
In the app: Settings → Privacy → Export my data (we email you a download link within 72 hours) or Delete my account (immediate flag, hard-delete in 7 days, reversible from a confirmation email during that window).