Here to help.

Your first entry

1. Open Journal and choose Write Entry or the new-entry button.
2. Choose the diary date and write your thoughts. Add tags if you want to organize the entry.
3. Tap Save. Open an existing entry to read or edit it.

Use the search field in Journal to find words in your entries. Filters let you narrow the date range, change the sort order, or show entries with media.

In Settings, choose your preferred language and light, dark, or system appearance.

Photos and places

Import images in Media, then attach them from the media picker while writing. You can also use the camera from the editor to take a photo.

Stillbook asks for photo or camera access when needed. You can manage permissions in your device settings. Imported images are copied into Stillbook; they also use device storage.

To add your current location, choose the location action in the editor and allow location access. This is optional. Place-name lookup uses your device's location services and may need an internet connection.

Keep a backup

Stillbook stores your journal on your device. There is no automatic Stillbook cloud backup, so save a copy regularly, especially before uninstalling the app or switching devices.

1. Go to Settings → Create Backup.
2. Choose Content Only for journal content and related records, or Full Backup to include media files as well.
3. Create the backup and use the system share sheet to save the .stillbook file outside the app.

Restore on a device

Transfer the backup file to the device, then open Settings → Restore Backup and choose the file. Restoring replaces the data currently in Stillbook. Create a separate backup of that data before continuing. Keep your original backup file until you have checked your restored entries and photos.

When something needs attention

Photos or camera will not open

Check Stillbook's photo and camera permissions in your device settings, then try again. If an import fails, check available device storage and try importing fewer images at a time.

A backup will not restore

Make sure the file is an original Stillbook backup and has finished downloading to your device. Update Stillbook, check available storage, and try selecting the file again. A content-only backup does not include the image files.

My entries seem to be missing

Clear the search field and reset Journal filters first. If you changed devices or reinstalled the app, use a backup you saved. Support cannot retrieve a journal from our servers because we do not store a copy.

Can I sync with a desktop?

The current iOS release works as a standalone journal. Automatic cloud sync and desktop pairing are not available in this release.