Private Journal App: Architecture You Can Verify
Password lock is not privacy. On-device inference, no account, airplane mode. How Conviction’s private journal actually works. $3.99 Pro. iPhone 15 Pro+.
This is self-help for people who journal between therapy or coaching sessions. It is not treatment, diagnosis, or a replacement for care from a licensed clinician. The author builds Conviction; he is not a therapist.
A lock screen icon is not a privacy architecture. A lock keeps roommates out. It does not decide whether an API call fires when you hit save.
This page is Conviction’s architecture, in claims you can test. The how-to for evaluating any app is the privacy guide. Hub: /private-journal. GDPR angle: journal data as health data.
I am the developer. I am not your DPO. Legal texts are lawyer-sourced on this site; this article is product fact.
What I mean by private
- No account required. Open the app. Write.
- No cloud AI. Entries are not sent to a model vendor for analysis. On-device.
- Airplane mode. Radios off, record, still works.
- Voice: transcription on-device. Audio is not uploaded for that job. /voice-journal.
- Optional iCloud backup encrypted before it leaves. We cannot read it.
- Device: iPhone 15 Pro or later.
- Price: free to start. Pro $3.99 one-time.
GDPR Article 9 treats health data as special category. Mood-and-therapy-adjacent journals sit in that neighborhood. If a vendor processes that in the US for “features,” read the policy twice.
What I do not claim
I do not claim “unhackable.” I do not invent SOC2 badges. I do not pretend a stolen unlocked phone is safe. I do not claim we are a HIPAA covered entity for your therapy. We are an iOS app with on-device processing.
FAQ
Is Apple Journal private enough?
Apple’s own app is a different product. Compare on /compare/apple-journal. I will not invent their internals.
Why a one-time price?
So your history is not a subscription hostage. See /no-subscription-journal.