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Frequently asked questions
Quick answers about accounts, offline use, why a new thought is not on your timeline, what opening a thought does, backups and more.
Do I need an account?
No. There is nothing to sign up for or sign in to. Open the app and start writing.
Where are my thoughts stored?
On your device only. An iPhone and an iPad each keep their own thoughts. See Privacy: what stays on your phone.
Does it work offline?
Yes. Writing, reading, reminders, backups and imports all work with no connection. Only sending feedback and export links need the internet.
Why is my new thought not on the timeline?
A new thought waits for its interval before it first shows. That is 7 days by default. You can find it any time. Tap on the Timeline to search every thought. Or open the tab, pick a tag or "Untagged", and switch to "All". See Search your thoughts and Understanding the timeline.
Can I change how long a thought waits?
Yes. Change the default in Settings, or give one thought its own interval. See Snooze a thought or change its interval.
Can I change the look of the app?
Yes. Open Settings, tap "Theme" and pick one of six free themes. "Midnight" and "Terminal" are always dark. The others follow your device. See Change the look with themes.
Can I change the font of my thoughts?
Yes. Tap on the Timeline to open Settings. Under "Appearance", set "Thought text" to "Paper Mono" or "System". It changes your thoughts, card previews, search results and the editor. Titles follow your theme. See Change the look with themes.
What happens if I miss a few days?
Thoughts that come due wait on your timeline until you deal with them. Their cards show how long they have waited, like "due 2d ago".
Does opening a thought always count?
Yes, for any thought that is not archived and not in Learn mode. Opening it sends it back to wait for its next interval. A Learn thought moves only when you tap "Again" or "Got it". See Learn mode. The rest is true wherever you opened it from, even search results. Opening an archived thought does not requeue it. Editing the text does not, and neither does snoozing.
Do I get a notification for every thought?
No. Reminders are off until you turn them on. The app offers once after your first thought, and you can change it any time in Settings. You get one reminder a day, at the time you pick. It says how many thoughts are back. Pinned thoughts are not counted, and the app never shows a badge on its icon. See Set up a daily reminder.
Why will a picture from a website not show?
Thought Reps only shows images you add to a thought from your own photos. It never loads pictures from the internet. See Add images and galleries.
Can I attach a PDF or other file to a thought?
Yes. In the editor, add a "File" block and pick a file up to 5 MB. Tap it in the thought to open it. See Attach files to a thought.
Can I search my thoughts?
Yes. Tap at the top right of the Timeline, or use the search box in the Archive tab. See Search your thoughts.
Does it sync between my devices?
No. To move your thoughts to another device, use a backup file or an export link. In Settings, "Import…" takes either one, with "From a File…" or "From a Link…". See Back up and restore your thoughts.
Can I import notes from another app?
Not as an import. Thought Reps can only import its own backup files. You can share text, links and text or Markdown files from other apps into a new thought, though. See Save from other apps.
What happens if I delete the app?
Your thoughts are deleted with it, because they live on your phone. Make a backup first if you want to keep them.
How do I contact you?
Use "Send Feedback" in Settings, or email hello@thoughtreps.com. See Send feedback.
Related articles
- How resurfacing worksA thought waits, comes due, and returns to your timeline. See how the interval works and what opening, snoozing and archiving do.
- Privacy: what stays on your phoneThought Reps has no account and keeps your thoughts on your device. See when the app uses the internet, and what is and is not ever sent.
- Back up and restore your thoughtsExport every thought, tag, image and file to a .thoughtreps file you keep, and import it later. Importing merges, keeping the newest change to each thought.
- Change the look with themesPick one of six free themes to change the colors, title fonts and cards in Thought Reps. Your choice stays on your phone.