questions
freewriting, answered
what the practice is, how to start one, and what this app does with what you write. if none of it answers your question, support is a person.
what is freewriting?
writing continuously for a set time without stopping to edit. the point is to outrun the part of your mind that tidies a sentence before it exists, so what comes out is closer to what you actually think.
how long should a freewriting session be?
five minutes is enough to get past the polite version of your own thoughts, and short enough that you will actually start. ten is the next step, once five stops feeling long.
does freewriting help with writer’s block?
it is most of what it is for. a blank page is easier to beat when the rule is keep the hand moving rather than write something good, because the second rule is the one that stops you.
is freewrite free?
the app is free to use. there is an optional paid subscription for the AI features; you can write every day without one.
does my writing leave my phone?
no. entries are written to your iPhone and stay there, and there are no servers holding them. one feature can send text off the device — cloud AI summaries — and only if you switch it on.
do i need an account?
no. there is an optional Sign in with Apple in settings and an optional first name during setup, and both are stored on your device rather than sent anywhere.
can the app stop me deleting as i write?
yes — that is don’t-stop mode. backspace still works for a word or two, then the page stops letting you edit until the timer ends. it is off by default.
what happens when the timer runs out?
the session ends and the entry is saved. nothing is scored and nothing is shown to anyone.
what is the difference between freewriting and journalling?
a journal is mostly about the day you had. freewriting is about whatever is under it, which is why it has a timer and no going back — the constraint is the whole method.
does it work offline?
writing does, entirely. the reading the app writes back to you runs on the phone where your iPhone supports it, and needs a connection otherwise.
what do i write about?
whatever is in the way. the app can offer a prompt if you want one, but a prompt is an offer and never an assignment — the blank page stays one tap away, because deciding what to write about is the hesitation the timer exists to get you past.
do i have to write every day?
no, and nothing in the app punishes you for not. there is no streak to break and no number that turns red. what it draws instead is a tree that only ever gets bigger than it was.
can i get my writing out of the app?
entries are on your iPhone and are included in an encrypted iPhone backup, so restoring a backup restores them. deleting the app deletes them, and we hold no copy to send you.
is my writing used to train AI?
no. the reading that runs on your phone uses Apple’s own on-device models. the optional cloud summaries go to DeepSeek to answer that one request, and that setting is off until you turn it on.
which iPhones does freewrite run on?
version 2.0 needs iOS 26. the features that read your writing on the phone rather than in the cloud need a device supporting Apple Intelligence; everything else works without one.