Reviewed by Shariq Refai, MD, MBA, FAPA. Board-certified psychiatrist. Founder of shrinkMD. Medical editor of AnxietyResource.org and DepressionResource.org. Last reviewed: 2026-05-17.
Unstuck is built to be the calmest, most private wellness app on your phone. This page describes how the app actually handles your information, in plain English. It is not a legal document. The Privacy Policy is the formal version. The Consumer Health Data Notice is the state-law version. The two should agree with what is on this page in every meaningful way.
The four promises
- No accounts. Unstuck does not require an email, a sign-in, or a public profile. There is nothing to log into and nothing for anyone to compromise.
- No cloud sync of journal entries. Journal entries, check-ins, reminders, and routines stay on your device. They are not uploaded to any Unstuck server.
- No AI on your entries. There is no AI feature in Unstuck. Nothing you write is sent to any model, classifier, or third party for processing, training, or summarization.
- No behavioral advertising and no data sale. We do not run behavioral ads in the app or on the website. We do not embed advertising SDKs. And we do not sell or share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising, ever.
What "local-first" actually means
Local-first means the source of truth for your data lives on your phone, not on someone else's server. When you write a journal entry in Unstuck, it is stored in the app's data store on your iPhone, protected by iOS data protection. There is no network call to wait for. There is no remote database to trust. And there is no subpoena-able cloud copy of your journal.
Local-first does not mean perfect. iCloud Backup is an Apple feature that can include app data in your device backup if you have it enabled at the device level. Exported files, by definition, leave the app. iOS itself can be compromised by a determined attacker with physical access. We explain those limits below.
What stays on your phone
- Journal entries
- Check-in selections (mood, energy, activity tags)
- Reminder schedules and content
- Pill reminder names and schedules
- Appointment reminder titles, dates, times, and notes
- Routines
- Tool history and preferences
- App lock settings
- Exported backups you create
What we will never do
- Sell or share your information for cross-context behavioral advertising.
- Run a behavioral ad network inside the app.
- Train an AI model on your journal.
- Build a user-facing profile of you.
- Require an account to use any feature.
- Use your information to set or personalize pricing.
- Add a clinician-monitoring feature without an explicit, opt-in setup and a clear notice in-app.
- Change this pledge without telling you. If we ever change any of it, we will post the change on the homepage for at least 30 days.
Side by side: Unstuck and most cloud journal apps
| Unstuck | Most cloud journal apps | |
|---|---|---|
| Storage of your entries | On your device | On the company's servers |
| Account required | No | Usually yes |
| Subject to subpoena of the company's servers | No | Yes |
| Subject to breach of the company's servers | No | Yes |
| AI access to your entries | None | Sometimes |
| Behavioral advertising | None | Sometimes |
| You can take your data with you | Yes (local export) | Often yes |
How exports and deletes work
Exports: take your data with you in a clear format. Use it elsewhere or keep a personal backup. Once a file leaves the app, you decide where it goes and who sees it. Treat the file like the journal it is.
Deletes: delete a single entry, a category, or the whole app. Deletion happens on your device. There is no server copy to also delete because there is no server copy to begin with.
App lock and biometric unlock
Unstuck includes an optional 4-digit passcode and Face ID or Touch ID unlock on supported devices. App lock is a casual-access control. It is not encryption of the local data store, and it does not protect against a person who knows your device passcode or against forensic extraction. Pair app lock with a strong iOS device passcode for the best baseline.
Frequently asked
Does Unstuck have any servers at all?
The website does. The app does not require a server to function. The website is hosted with a U.S.-based hosting provider for the public marketing and editorial pages.
Do you collect any analytics?
The website may use essential technical tools required for hosting and security. No behavioral advertising. No cross-site tracking. Read the Cookie Notice for specifics.
What happens to my data if Unstuck is ever acquired?
We will not sell or share what little data we hold in a way that contradicts this pledge. If a future ownership change would change the data posture, you would see a notice on the homepage and in-app, and you would have time to export your data and decide what to do next.
What if law enforcement asks for my data?
Unstuck holds almost nothing about you. Journal entries are not on our servers. We respond to lawful requests for whatever we do hold (limited support emails, limited server logs) as required by law, and we publish any change to that posture here.
Is Unstuck HIPAA compliant?
Unstuck is a consumer wellness app, not a covered entity or business associate under HIPAA. Local-first design means most of what you enter never leaves your device. Read the Consumer Health Data Notice for state law disclosures, including the Washington My Health My Data Act and Nevada SB 370.
If something on this page reads ambiguously, please email support@beunstuck.app. We will sharpen the wording.
Read the formal Privacy Policy → · Read the Consumer Health Data Notice → · Read how export and delete work →