Troubleshooting
Something not working as expected? Here are solutions to the most common issues.
🔡 My entries look like gibberish or say "encrypted"
This happens when Inwardly cannot find the correct encryption key on your device — most commonly after reinstalling the app or signing in on a new device. See the encryption & privacy guide for background on how keys work.
If you set up a recovery passphrase: Go to Settings → Data & Privacy → Sync encryption key, enter your passphrase, and tap Restore. Your entries will be readable immediately.
If you did not set up a recovery passphrase: Unfortunately, your previous entries cannot be recovered because the encryption key is gone. This is why we strongly recommend setting up a recovery passphrase as soon as you start using the app. Going forward, new entries written on this device will be readable.
🔑 I forgot my recovery passphrase
We are very sorry — if you have lost your recovery passphrase, your encrypted entries from before the loss are permanently unrecoverable. This is by design: we never store your passphrase, which means we cannot be compelled to hand it over, but it also means we cannot help if it is forgotten.
If you still have access to your original device and the app is still installed, your encryption key may still be in the Keychain. In that case, do not uninstall the app. Set up a new recovery passphrase from that device immediately to create a new backup.
If you are already locked out, tap "Start fresh" on the recovery screen. A new encryption key is generated and you can begin writing again. Your account and any future entries are not affected.
🔥 My streak reset unexpectedly
Streaks require at least one journal entry per calendar day in your local timezone. The streak counter resets at midnight.
If you wrote an entry at 11:58 PM and another at 12:02 AM, both entries count — but the second is attributed to the new calendar day. If you wrote nothing on a specific date, that day breaks the streak.
Check the Calendar view in the Journal tab to see exactly which days had entries, which can help identify where the gap occurred.
✨ AI insights are not showing
Pattern detection requires a minimum of 10 journal entries before it activates. The Insights tab shows a progress indicator with how many entries you have written and how many are needed. See the AI pattern detection guide for full details.
If you have more than 10 entries and insights are still not appearing, check that your Inwardly+ subscription is active (Settings → Inwardly+). If it is active and the issue persists, try pulling down to refresh the Insights tab, or contact support.
🔔 Notifications are not arriving
If your daily reminder is not appearing, work through this checklist:
- 1Open iOS Settings → Notifications → Inwardly and confirm that "Allow Notifications" is turned on.
- 2In Inwardly Settings, confirm that Daily Reminder is toggled on and the time is set correctly.
- 3Check that Focus / Do Not Disturb is not blocking notifications at your chosen reminder time.
- 4If the issue persists, toggle the Daily Reminder off and back on in Inwardly Settings. This re-schedules the notification.
🔐 Can't sign in with Google
Google sign-in requires an internet connection and an active Google account. Try the following:
- Check that you have an active internet connection (Wi-Fi or cellular).
- Try closing and reopening the app, then attempting sign-in again.
- If Google sign-in still fails, use your email and password as an alternative, or sign in with Apple.
- Contact support at support@goinwardly.app if the issue persists.
📧 Still need help? Contact support
We are a small team and we read every support email personally. If you are running into something not covered in this guide, reach out and we will get back to you as quickly as we can.
Email: support@goinwardly.app
When contacting support, it helps to include:
- Your iOS version and iPhone model
- A description of what you were trying to do when the issue occurred
- Whether you are on the free tier or Inwardly+
