Before you install.

The questions people ask most. Didn’t find yours? Write to liyuhao658@gmail.com, or use Me → Feedback in the app.

Getting started

Do I need an account?: No. No account, phone number or email. Open it and write your first line.
Does it need the internet?: No. You can write, browse and search offline. Only iCloud sync, maps and buying Pro need a connection.
Can I write about a day I missed?: Yes. Switch the journal to “Calendar”, tap the empty day, then “Write it down”.

Can you read what I write?: No. Trace has no server of its own; your things stay on your phone, and sync goes through your own iCloud. How privacy works
What about a new phone?: Either turn on multi-device sync and sign in with the same Apple ID, or export a full backup from “Data & Privacy” and import it on the new phone. Tap “Restore Purchases” to bring Pro along.
Can I export everything?: Yes. The full backup is a zip with your text, photos and audio. With Pro you can also bind your journal into a PDF.
If I delete the app, is my stuff gone?: Without sync, yes — export a backup first. With sync on, it’s still in your iCloud.

Is the free version enough?: Entries, to-dos, goals and people are unlimited, and themes, widgets and iCloud sync are free. The limits: 3 photos or videos per entry, 5 notebooks, 5 important dates. Letters, wishes, PDFs, page-turning videos and the Lock Screen are Pro. Full comparison
Will a free trial charge me?: No. The 3 days for new users and the 7-day tries of letters and wishes need no card and end on their own.
How do I cancel?: In Settings → Apple Account → Subscriptions. Deleting Trace or clearing your data doesn’t cancel it.

Does it work on iPad?: Yes, on iPhone and iPad with iOS 17.2 or later. In landscape on iPad it splits into two columns and notebooks open as spreads.
Mac or Android?: Not yet.
Which languages?: English, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Japanese and Korean — switch any time in the app. In Chinese it’s called 知己.
Are the tutorials in English?: The screen-recorded tutorials are in Chinese for now; the recordings still show where to tap.

My other device doesn’t show my entries.: In “Multi-device sync”, tap the troubleshooting link and work through the checks.
Who do I contact?: Write to liyuhao658@gmail.com, or use Me → Feedback in the app — it can attach a performance report too.