A private, on-device journal for iPhone and iPad · Melaku Digital Inc.
Rhythm Journal is a private journal that keeps everything on your device. Below are answers to common questions. If you need more help, email us — we read every message.
Open the app, accept the terms, and start writing. There is no account to create and no sign-up — Rhythm Journal works the moment you open it. Type, draw with Apple Pencil, add photos, or tap the microphone and speak; the app transcribes your words on your device.
Everything you create stays on your device, protected by iOS encryption. If you turn on iCloud sync, your data is also stored in your own personal iCloud account. Rhythm Journal has no servers and cannot see, read, or collect your entries.
Turn on iCloud sync in the app (Settings → iCloud & Backup). Your journal then syncs securely to your personal iCloud. On a new device, sign into the same iCloud account and your synced entries appear. You can also export any entry — or your whole year — as a PDF to keep or print. Two things to keep in mind: make sure your entries have finished syncing to iCloud before you delete the app or reset your device, as deleting before sync can cause permanent loss; and any PDF you export is an ordinary file that is no longer protected by the app lock, so store or share exports carefully.
Rhythm Journal can lock the whole app, or individual entries, behind Face ID or Touch ID (with your device passcode as a fallback). Locked entries are hidden from the grid, search, widgets, and export until you unlock them.
The optional AI reflections are off by default. On supported iPhones and iPads with Apple Intelligence, they run entirely on your device at no cost. You may also connect your own AI provider (such as Google Gemini, OpenAI, or Anthropic) using your own key — in that case you use it under your own account and any cost is set by that provider. Melaku Digital does not currently charge separately for AI usage; a third-party provider may charge your account under its own pricing. Your key is stored only on your device and is never sent to us.
Recording and transcription happen on your device — useful for lectures, meetings, and voice notes — and the recording and transcript are not sent to Melaku Digital. If you later choose to submit selected transcript text to a third-party AI provider, that separate action is governed by the Optional AI section of our Privacy Policy. When recording other people, you are responsible for obtaining any consent required by the laws of your area.
To-do and shopping lists, appointments with reminders, and receipt scanning (with on-device text recognition and a spending summary) all live alongside your journal and stay on your device. Receipt images and totals are treated as private and can be protected by the app lock.
Any entry can be exported as a formatted PDF, and you can create a full annual “Life Book” of your year. Use the export/share option inside the app to save to Files, iCloud Drive, or print a physical copy.
To remove everything, delete the app from your device. If you enabled iCloud sync, also remove the data in Settings → [your name] → iCloud → Manage Account Storage → Rhythm Journal. Because we have no servers, there is nothing stored on our end to delete.
Rhythm Journal works on iPhone and iPad with an up-to-date version of iOS or iPadOS (iOS 17 or later — this is a free software update that most devices already have). To check, open Settings → General → Software Update. The optional free on-device AI needs a newer device with Apple Intelligence (iPhone 15 Pro or newer); otherwise you can connect your own AI key, or simply use the app without AI.
Read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.