8 Pillars

Support

8 Pillars is a private voice-and-text journal. You speak or type a daily check-in, on-device intelligence maps it onto your eight life pillars, and your wheel fills in as you go. There is no 8 Pillars account or app server. The launch app runs on supported iPhone and iPad devices. An optional Apple Watch companion sends check-in audio to its paired iPhone for on-device transcription and saving.

Contact us

For anything not covered below, write to support@8pillars.app. We read every message and reply from a real person. Email is separate from the app's local store, so please include only the details needed to help and do not send journal or health information unless it is necessary.

Frequently asked questions

How do I move my data to a new phone?
Your check-ins, pillars, goals, and habits live only in the app's local database on your current device, so the way to bring them along is a normal iPhone transfer or restore: back up your old phone (via iCloud Backup or a computer backup) and restore that backup onto the new one, or use Apple's "Quick Start" transfer when you first set up the new device. Inside the app itself, use Settings → Export to save a backup file at any time. You can later choose Restore from a backup in Settings or on the welcome screen, then merge that archive or replace the current local data.
Where does my data live?
On your device, and only on your device for the app's own storage. 8 Pillars has no account system and no app server. The current build's collaborative Shared Plans and CloudKit sync are disabled, so no plan data is sent to iCloud by 8 Pillars. Apple may process information when you use Apple services such as HealthKit or device backups under Apple's policies. Widgets and the Apple Watch complication use a small local App Group snapshot containing wheel scores and state, overall momentum, streak and validity dates, plus up to three active goals with their titles, priority, progress, target dates, and pillar. App Group data is per-device, not cloud sync. See the Privacy Policy for the full picture.
Should I use voice or type for check-ins?
Whichever is easier in the moment — both go through the same mapping, scoring, and reward flow, so neither is a "lesser" path. On iPhone and iPad, voice check-ins stream to Apple's on-device Speech framework; the app does not retain a recording file. If a language needs a transcription asset, the operating system may install it from Apple. Apple Watch temporarily records an audio file and sends it to the paired iPhone for on-device transcription. Successful saves remove the temporary copies; failed deliveries or transcriptions remain available locally so you can retry from the Watch. Typed check-ins skip transcription entirely.
How do notifications work?
Notifications are optional local reminders and check-in nudges, scheduled entirely on your device — there is no push service or server deciding when to notify you. You can turn them on, adjust their timing, or turn them off at any time in the app's Settings, or manage the permission directly in iOS Settings → Notifications → 8 Pillars.
What happens if I email support?
Your email address, message, and any attachments you choose to send are handled through email providers so we can reply and troubleshoot. They do not enter the app's local journal database. Please do not include more journal or health information than is needed.
How do I delete my data?
You can delete individual entries, pillars' history, or other items directly in the app at any time. To erase everything at once, use Settings → Delete All Data. Deleting the app itself also removes its on-device data. The current build does not enable Shared Plans' iCloud sync. Apple device backups, if you use them, are managed through your Apple Account and iCloud settings.

Troubleshooting

  • Watch check-in pending: keep the Watch and paired iPhone nearby, open 8 Pillars on the iPhone, then use the Watch's retry action. The recording remains local until it succeeds or you discard it.
  • Speech model unavailable: keep the device online while Apple installs the language asset, then retry. You can always switch to Type.
  • Permission denied: open the device's Settings app, choose 8 Pillars, and enable only the permission you want to use.
  • Restore an archive: choose Restore from a backup in Settings or on the welcome screen, select the exported file, review Merge or Replace Everything, and confirm.
  • App Lock: use Unlock to retry Face ID, Touch ID, or the device passcode. App Lock does not create a separate 8 Pillars password.

When reporting a problem, include the device model, operating-system version, 8 Pillars version and build, the steps that led to it, and the exact error text. Do not include journal or health content unless it is essential.