A journal that stays on your iPhone.
Entries live on the device, encrypted, with a key you hold. Nothing is uploaded for AI. Optional iCloud backup is encrypted before it leaves. No account. Free / $3.99 one-time. iPhone 15 Pro or later.
Download FreeMost journals leave the phone. This one does not have to.
If you searched for a journal that stays on iPhone, you want a location answer, not a privacy poem. Conviction stores entries on the device. They are encrypted. You hold the key. Face ID unlocks them. The developer cannot read them.
Cloud AI journals send text to a model API so a companion can write back. That can be useful. It is a different product from an on-device iPhone journal. Conviction does not upload entries, voice, or patterns for analysis.
Optional iCloud backup is encrypted on the phone before it leaves. We never have that key. Packet-sniffer facts live at https://www.tryconviction.com/private-journal — this URL is the product answer: the journal stays on the iPhone.
Where it lives. Then how you prove it.
On-device. Encrypted. Key you hold.
Talk or type. Transcription and pattern spotting run on Apple Intelligence. Audio and entries are not uploaded for AI.
The verification test is airplane mode: open the app, radios off, journal. Device gate is iPhone 15 Pro or later — https://www.tryconviction.com/apple-intelligence. Architecture compare: https://www.tryconviction.com/on-device-vs-cloud-journal. Offline how-to: https://www.tryconviction.com/offline-journal. Not a replacement for therapy. Built by Phillip Paul, an independent developer, not a clinician: https://www.tryconviction.com/about
Proof it stays on the phone
On-device storage
Entries live on the iPhone, encrypted. You hold the key. Unlock with Face ID.
No AI upload
Pattern spotting and transcription do not send journal content to OpenAI, Anthropic, Groq, or Conviction.
Airplane mode
Open Conviction, turn radios off, talk or type. If a journal needed a server, this would fail.
What “stays on iPhone” actually means
Talk or type. It stays here.
Voice becomes text on the iPhone. Audio is not uploaded. Text entries never leave for a model API.
- Just talk Tap once and speak. Transcription stays on-device.
- Turned into text Your voice becomes text on your phone. Nothing leaves the device for AI.
- Entry created Encrypted on the iPhone. Key you hold.
Backup is optional and locked first.
You can journal with no iCloud and no Apple Sign-In. If you opt in, the backup is encrypted on-device before it leaves. We cannot read it.
- Stays on your phone Default path: local encrypted store. No server sees your words for AI.
- Locked to you Same class of encryption banks use at rest. Face ID. Key you hold.
- Safe backup Encrypted before iCloud. Optional. Not required to journal.
Cloud journals are a different architecture.
If the model lives on someone else's GPU, the entry travels. Conviction, DailyVox, and Apple Journal are on-device class. Rosebud-class apps are cloud AI. Both can be true. See https://www.tryconviction.com/on-device-vs-cloud-journal
- Cloud path Entry → vendor API → response. Useful companion. Not “stays on iPhone.”
- On-device path Entry → Apple Intelligence on the phone → tools. That is Conviction.
- Device gate iPhone 15 Pro or later. Older phones: DailyVox or Apple Journal.
And so much more.
No account required
No email, no password, no signup wall. Optional Apple Sign-In is only for encrypted iCloud backup and Apple Health. General no-signup page: https://www.tryconviction.com/no-account-journal
iPhone 15 Pro or later
Apple Intelligence is required. iPad is not a target. Facts: https://www.tryconviction.com/apple-intelligence
Free / $3.99 one-time
Not a subscription. Pro is a one-time App Store purchase.
Not a replacement for therapy
On-device tools between sessions. Clinical care stays with a licensed therapist.
Free / $3.99 one-time. Not a subscription.
Complementary choices for different needs
Best for acute needs, diagnosis, and deep clinical work
Great for accountability and structured goal-setting
Daily self-reflection practice that supports both
- Talk or type. Your voice becomes entries on your device.
- 27-emotion tracking with Mood Flow visualization.
- Safe Harbor: guided somatic grounding exercises.
- Structured CBT and DBT journaling frameworks.
- Momentum System that never resets your progress.
- Encrypted on-device storage. Everything stays on your phone.
Pro
- All from free tier without limits
- Automatic mood detection of your thoughts
- Shadow pattern detection with goal tracking (Shadow Work)
- Personalized shadow pattern journaling prompts based on your pattern
- One-click in-depth analysis of your entries to help you spot recurring themes (Magic Mirror)
- Native Apple integration for iCloud backup and Apple Health
No account. Airplane mode works. iPhone 15 Pro or later.
Frequently asked questions
Does a Conviction journal stay on the iPhone?
Yes. Entries live on the device, encrypted, with a key you hold. They are not uploaded for AI.
Does optional iCloud backup leave the phone in readable form?
No. Backup is encrypted on-device before it leaves. The developer cannot read it.
Does Conviction send entries to the cloud for AI?
No. Long-form trust FAQ: https://www.tryconviction.com/private-journal
Does it work in airplane mode?
Yes. Open the app, radios off, talk or type. How-to: https://www.tryconviction.com/offline-journal
Do I need an account?
No. Optional Apple Sign-In is only for encrypted iCloud backup and Apple Health.
Which iPhone?
iPhone 15 Pro or later. Apple Intelligence is required. iPad is not a target.
How much does Conviction cost?
Free to start. Pro is $3.99 one-time, not a subscription.
Who builds this? Is it therapy?
Phillip Paul, independent developer, not a clinician. Conviction is for between sessions. It is not a replacement for therapy. https://www.tryconviction.com/about
If you want the journal on the phone, download it.
App Store. On-device. Free / $3.99 one-time. iPhone 15 Pro or later.
Download FreeNo account. Airplane mode works. Not a replacement for therapy.