Questions people actually ask.
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The basics
What is RetroPals, in one sentence?
A wellbeing app built around one calm weekly reflection, with an AI companion you design yourself, and no streaks or points anywhere in it.
How long does it take each week?
Two minutes if you rush it, ten if you want to go deeper. You choose which steps are even in your reflection, so a stripped-down version is genuinely short.
Do I have to do it weekly?
No. Nothing happens if you miss a week. There is no streak to break and no record kept of the miss. Come back whenever.
Is it for students specifically?
It was designed with students in mind, because student wellbeing is exactly the unstable, exam-shaped, seasonal context that rigid daily targets handle worst. It works just as well for anyone else.
Do I need an account?
No. Guest mode is a real mode. You will want an account if you plan to sync across devices or use the optional biometrics layer, but you can start without one.
The AI
Do I have to use the AI?
No. Turn AI features off in Settings and the reflection, goals, habits and insights all keep working. The AI writes the analysis. It is not what makes the app function.
Which AI models can I use?
A catalogue spanning free, efficient and flagship models from several providers, including models from Anthropic, Google and OpenAI. You pick which one sits behind each companion, and the app shows you the credit cost before you choose. The catalogue is updated without needing an app update.
Are my reflections used to train AI models?
No. AI requests run under a zero data retention policy: your prompt is used to generate the response and then discarded. Not stored, not logged, not trained on.
Can I use my own API key?
Yes. The bring-your-own-AI plan lets you supply your own OpenRouter key. Every model unlocks, your usage is billed at cost by your own provider with no markup from us, and your key is encrypted server-side and never returned to a device.
Does my companion remember me?
Yes, and each companion remembers separately. The one you reflect with and the one you plan with build different pictures of you, because they were present for different things.
Is the AI a therapist?
No, and it will say so. RetroPals is a wellbeing and reflection tool, not a medical or psychological service.
Privacy and data
Where is my data stored?
On your device, in a local database, which is the source of truth. Cloud backup is opt-in and off until you turn it on.
Does it work offline?
Completely. Submitting a reflection never touches the network.
What syncs if I turn sync on?
Whatever you choose. Sync is organised by category, so you can back up goals without backing up health data. Health data has its own separate switch, on top of the switch that lets the app read it at all.
Can anyone else see my reflections?
No. Nothing is shared, there is no social feed, and server-side security rules restrict every stored record to the account that created it.
Is my data sold or used for advertising?
No. There are no ads in RetroPals, no data sales, and no analytics SDK in the app at all.
How do I delete everything?
From inside the app, or from the web. You can delete your account entirely, or delete your data and keep the account.
Is there a research programme collecting my data?
Not at the moment. No study is running and no research data is being collected. If one opens in future it will ask for its own explicit consent, and even then free text would never be transmitted.
Money
Is it really free?
Yes. The free plan is permanent, not a trial, and it includes 50 AI credits a month.
What do I get by paying?
More AI credits each month and access to every model tier. Premium is 300 credits a month, Premium+ is 1,000.
Why are there three prices for the same plan?
Because people's circumstances differ. Access is a reduced price for anyone who needs it, with no proof required. Standard is the regular price. Supporter is higher and subsidises Access for someone else. All three give identical features.
What happens to my data if I cancel?
Nothing. It stays where it is. You drop back to the free monthly allowance and keep any credits you had already bought, because purchased credits do not expire.
Will you raise the price later?
The aim is a project that covers its own running costs, not one that grows revenue. If costs change, prices might, and you would be told before it happened rather than after.
Features
What are the eight wellbeing categories?
Sun, Sleep, Nutrition, Exercise, Rest, Socialising, Expression and Comfort.
Do I need a smartwatch?
No. Biometrics are entirely optional. The app was specifically designed to work for people without an expensive wearable.
There is an EXP system. Isn't that gamification?
It is, and it is off by default, marked beta, and shows you an honest warning before it turns on. Gamification can crowd out the self-directed motivation the rest of the app is built around. It exists because some people genuinely enjoy it, not because we think it is a good idea for everyone.
Can I track habits I want to do less of?
Yes. Habits cover both the ones you are building and the ones you are reducing.
Does it nag me?
Reminders exist, they are gentle, and you configure them or switch them off. There is nothing else that prompts you.
Technical
Which platforms?
iPhone and iPad, Android, and the web.
How do I report a bug?
Through the contact form. Pick “Something is broken” and include your device and app version if you can find them (Settings, at the bottom).
A calmer way to keep going.
One reflection a week. No streaks to break, no scores to chase, no pressure to perform.