Terms of Service

Last updated: March 2026

Welcome to Memorist (“Memorist,” “the App,” “we,” “our,” or “us”).

By downloading, accessing, or using the App, you agree to these Terms of Service (“Terms”). If you do not agree with these Terms, please do not use the App.

Memorist is a private journaling and reflection tool that helps you record personal entries (event entries and daily journal entries), track relationships over time, attach photos to event entries, and review your life through guided prompts and timelines. Memorist is free to use. An optional subscription unlocks advanced features such as additional photos per event entry, calendar feed, push notifications, daily reminders, data export, and Stats. Memorist is not a social network and does not allow posting to the public or to other users.

1. Eligibility

You must be at least 13 years old to use Memorist.

By using the App, you represent and warrant that:

• You are 13 years of age or older, and
• You have the legal capacity to enter into a binding agreement.

If you are under the age of 18, you must have permission from a parent or legal guardian.

When you create an account, you confirm that you are 13 years of age or older. Apple requires users to be at least 13 years old to have an Apple ID in most regions, which aligns with Memorist’s age requirement and provides an additional verification layer. We do not collect government-issued identification or perform independent age verification beyond Apple’s own policies and user attestation at account creation.

2. Account Creation

To access the full features of Memorist, including multi-device sync, you must create a free account using Sign in with Apple.

Sign in with Apple: Account creation uses Sign in with Apple, which authenticates you via your Apple ID with Face ID, Touch ID, or your device passcode. Your Apple ID token is passed to Firebase Authentication (provided by Google), which serves as our backend identity and session management layer. This is the only method for creating new accounts.

Guest Mode: You may begin using Memorist without creating an account. In Guest Mode, you can create up to 30 entries total (including both event entries and daily journal entries). To continue beyond this limit, you will need to create a free account by signing in with your Apple ID. When you do, your Guest Mode data is automatically preserved and linked to your new account.

Legacy phone authentication: Before March 2026, Memorist used phone number verification (SMS one-time password) for account creation. If you created your account using phone verification before March 2026, you will be prompted to link your Apple ID when you next open the app. Phone sign-in remains available as a fallback for returning users who have not yet migrated. New accounts require Sign in with Apple.

You agree to:

• Maintain access to your Apple ID and iCloud Keychain (required for both authentication and encryption key storage),
• Maintain the security of your device and account,
• Not share your login credentials with others.

Important: Because Memorist uses Sign in with Apple for authentication and Apple’s iCloud Keychain for encryption key storage, your Apple ID is the single point of access for both your account and your encrypted content. If you lose access to your Apple ID, you will permanently lose access to both your account and your encrypted content. See Section 4a for details.

You are responsible for all actions within your account.

3. Subscription and Billing

Memorist is free to use. You can use Memorist in Guest Mode (without an account) or with a free account. An optional subscription is available to unlock advanced features including additional photos per event entry, calendar feed, push notifications, daily reminders, data export, and Stats.

Subscriptions

• Subscriptions are purchased and managed via Apple’s App Store.
• Subscription pricing is displayed in the App Store and may vary by region.
• A free trial period may be available for new subscribers, as shown in the App Store at the time of purchase.
• Your subscription will automatically renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the renewal date.

Billing

• All billing is processed exclusively through Apple.
• We do not process payments directly and do not have access to your billing information.

Refunds

• Refunds are handled only through Apple according to their policies.
• We do not issue refunds directly.

You can manage or cancel your subscription through your Apple App Store account settings.

If your subscription lapses: Your data remains intact and accessible. Only subscription-specific features (calendar feed, push notifications, daily reminders, export for backup, and Stats) are disabled. We may delete associated device tokens and notification preferences if you disable notifications. We may also delete device tokens and preferences if your subscription lapses. Unsubscribing never results in data loss.

4. Your Content

Memorist is a private space.

Your entries (event entries and daily journal entries), notes, images, relationships, tags, and other materials (“Content”) are yours.

You retain all intellectual property rights to your Content.

What We Store

By using the App, you grant Memorist a limited, non-exclusive, revocable license to:

• Store encrypted ciphertext of your Content on our servers (Firebase/Google Cloud Platform),
• Process encrypted data for the purpose of syncing across your devices,
• Store encrypted photos in Firebase Storage,
• Process queryable metadata (timestamps, recurrence patterns, tag associations) to enable core app functionality.

Important: We store encrypted ciphertext, NOT readable content. See Section 4a (End-to-End Encryption) for details.

What We Cannot Do

We cannot:

• Read your entries or notes,
• Access your readable content,
• Decrypt your encrypted data,
• Provide you with unencrypted copies of your content,
• Recover your content if you lose access to your encryption keys.

Memorist does not publish, sell, or share your Content.

4a. End-to-End Encryption and Technical Limitations

End-to-end encryption (E2EE) is a core design principle of Memorist, not an optional feature.

Unified identity: With Sign in with Apple, your authentication identity and your encryption key storage are now unified under the same Apple ID. Your sign-in is handled by Apple, and your encryption keys are stored in Apple’s iCloud Keychain — both tied to the same Apple ID. This eliminates the previous separation between your sign-in identity and your encryption key identity, meaning your Apple ID is the single point of access for both your account and your encrypted content.

What This Means

All entries (event entries and daily journal entries), photos attached to event entries, and tags are encrypted on your device before syncing to our servers. Only you hold the encryption keys.

• We never have access to your encryption keys or the readable content of your data
• What we store on our servers is encrypted ciphertext — meaningless bytes without your personal encryption key
• No one else can access your content — not our staff, not third parties without access to your device or encryption keys, not governments (unless they have your device and passcode)

Encryption Key Storage: iCloud Keychain

Your encryption key is stored in Apple’s iCloud Keychain — Apple’s secure, encrypted key storage system.

This means:

• Your encryption key syncs seamlessly to your other Apple devices (iPhone, iPad, Mac)
• You can access your encrypted content on any device signed into your iCloud account
• Your key is protected by your device passcode and biometrics (Face ID/Touch ID)

Critical dependency: If you lose access to your iCloud Keychain, you permanently lose access to your encrypted content.

When You Might Lose Access to Your Content

You will permanently lose access to your encrypted content if:

• You forget your Apple ID password and cannot recover your Apple ID
• You disable iCloud Keychain and lose your local encryption keys
• You sign out of iCloud and delete the app before backing up
• You lose all devices signed into your iCloud account
• Your Apple account is suspended or terminated

We cannot help you in these scenarios. Data recovery is technically impossible without your encryption keys.

What Memorist Support CANNOT Do

Due to end-to-end encryption:

• × We cannot recover your data if you lose access to your encryption keys
• × We cannot decrypt your content, even if you request it
• × We cannot bypass your device passcode or iCloud Keychain security
• × We cannot provide unencrypted copies of your data
• × We cannot restore content after key loss, even with legal orders

This is by design to ensure true privacy. Your privacy is absolute, but so is your responsibility to protect your encryption keys.

Your Responsibility

By using Memorist, you acknowledge and accept that:

• You are responsible for maintaining access to your Apple ID and iCloud Keychain
• You are responsible for backing up your data (see Section 9a)
• You understand that losing encryption keys means permanent data loss
• You understand that Memorist support cannot recover your encrypted content
• You will not hold Memorist liable for data loss resulting from lost encryption keys

For complete details on how E2EE works, see the Privacy Policy Section 5.

5. Privacy

Your use of the App is also governed by the Memorist Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference.

End-to-end encryption is a core design principle of Memorist, not an optional feature. All entries (event entries and daily journal entries), photos attached to event entries, and tags are encrypted on your device before syncing. We never have access to your readable content.

We may collect certain information—including your Apple ID information (identifier and email address), device information, diagnostic logs, and usage statistics—to:

• Provide core functionality,
• Improve performance,
• Ensure account integrity,
• Prevent fraud.

We do not display or share your personal entries or data publicly.

What we store on our servers:

• Encrypted ciphertext of your content (unreadable without your encryption keys)
• Queryable metadata (timestamps, recurrence patterns, tag associations) to enable app features
• Account information (Apple-provided email address, Apple migration status, account creation date; phone number for legacy accounts created before March 2026)
• Device tokens (for push notifications)

What we explicitly do NOT store:

• Readable entries
• Readable tag names
• Readable location names
• Your encryption keys

By using the App, you consent to the processing of your data in accordance with the Privacy Policy.

For complete details on what data we collect, store, and process, see the Privacy Policy at https://memorist.me/#privacy

6. Calendar Feed (Optional Plaintext Export)

Memorist offers an optional Calendar Feed feature that allows you to export your event entries to third-party calendar apps like Apple Calendar or Google Calendar. Daily journal entries are never included in the Calendar Feed.

Important: The Calendar Feed is a plaintext export. Event entries included in the Calendar Feed are NOT protected by end-to-end encryption. Third-party calendar apps are outside the scope of Memorist’s E2EE protection.

This feature is:

• ✓ Disabled by default — you must explicitly opt in via Settings → Calendar Feed
• ✓ Event entries only — daily journal entries are NEVER included
• ✓ Optional — you can enable or disable it at any time

By enabling the Calendar Feed, you acknowledge that:

• Event entries you include in the feed will be exported as readable plaintext
• Third-party calendar apps cannot decrypt E2EE content, so this is the only way to integrate with them
• You are trading E2EE protection for calendar app compatibility for those specific event entries
• You can control which event entries are included (for example, by marking an event entry as private or excluding it from the Calendar Feed, depending on your settings)

For complete details, see Privacy Policy Section 5.

7. No Medical or Mental Health Advice

Memorist includes journaling prompts, reflection tools, and relationship tracking, but it is not a therapy, medical, or mental health service.

Memorist does not provide:

• Psychiatric or psychological care,
• Medical advice,
• Crisis support or counseling.

If you are experiencing distress or require help, please contact a qualified professional or emergency services.

8. Acceptable Use

You agree not to misuse Memorist.

You may not:

• Upload, store, or create illegal content,
• Upload viruses, harmful code, or automated scripts,
• Attempt to disrupt or compromise the App,
• Reverse engineer or attempt to access internal systems,
• Violate intellectual property rights,
• Harass, abuse, or stalk others using relationship entries or reminders,
• Use automated tools or scraping tools,
• Circumvent technological restrictions,
• Attempt to access other users’ encrypted content,
• Attempt to decrypt content without authorization.

We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms or create risk to the service or other users.

9. Data Storage, Syncing, and Backups

Memorist uses Firebase (Google Cloud Platform) to store encrypted ciphertext and sync across your devices.

What we store:

• Encrypted content (entries, photos attached to event entries, tags) — stored as ciphertext in Firebase Firestore and Firebase Storage
• Queryable metadata (timestamps, recurrence patterns, tag associations) — required for app functionality
• Account information (Apple-provided email address, Apple migration status, subscription status (active/expired), device tokens; phone number for legacy accounts created before March 2026)

Important technical limitations:

• We make reasonable efforts to protect your encrypted data, but we do not guarantee that your encrypted ciphertext will never be lost due to server failures or technical issues.
• We cannot guarantee that your encryption keys stored in Apple’s iCloud Keychain will never be lost.
• We cannot recover your readable content if you lose access to your encryption keys.

Data export: When you export your data (Settings → Export for backup), all decryption happens locally on your device. The server never sees unencrypted data during the export process, maintaining E2EE security. However, the exported .zip file contains plaintext data—you are responsible for securing it appropriately.

We are not liable for data loss resulting from:

• Device failure,
• Loss of access to Apple ID or iCloud Keychain,
• Loss of encryption keys,
• Software bugs,
• Third-party outages (Firebase/Google, Apple iCloud),
• User error,
• Account deletion,
• iOS updates or device incompatibilities.

See Section 9a for your backup responsibilities.

9a. Your Responsibility: Backups and Key Management

Because we cannot access your encrypted content, we do not store backups of your readable data on our servers. It is your responsibility to back up your content.

This is the fundamental trade-off of true end-to-end encryption: your privacy is absolute, but so is your responsibility to protect your data.

How to Protect Your Data

1. Enable iCloud Backup (Recommended)

• Go to iPhone Settings → [Your Name] → iCloud → iCloud Backup
• Turn on iCloud Backup
• This backs up your local database, app settings, and encryption keys
• If you lose your device, you can restore from iCloud backup and regain access to your content

2. Use Multiple Devices

• Sign into Memorist on multiple Apple devices (iPhone, iPad, Mac)
• Your encryption keys sync automatically via iCloud Keychain
• If one device is lost, you can still access your content from another device
• This provides redundancy in case one device fails

3. Export Options

You can export your data for backup purposes via Settings → Export for backup.

Export options:

• All data (text only): Entries (event entries and daily journal entries) and tags in JSON format
• All data + Photos: Complete backup including all images

What’s included:

• All entries (event entries and daily journal entries) and tags you’ve created
• Metadata (timestamps, recurrence patterns, tag associations)
• Photos (when selected)

What’s NOT included:

• App settings and preferences
• Subscription and billing data
• Integration settings

Important notes about exported data:

• Decryption happens on your device to maintain E2EE
• The exported .zip file contains plaintext (unencrypted) data
• You are responsible for securing the exported file
• Store exported files in a secure location (e.g., encrypted backup drive)
• Do not share exported files—they contain your unencrypted journal content

Calendar Feed remains available as a separate option for event-entries-only export. See Section 6 for details.

Best Practices

• Keep your Apple ID credentials secure and memorable
• Enable two-factor authentication on your Apple ID
• Ensure at least one trusted device remains signed into your iCloud account
• Use multiple Apple devices to ensure redundancy
• Never disable iCloud Keychain unless you understand the consequences

What Happens If You Lose Access to iCloud Keychain

• You will not be able to decrypt your content
• We cannot provide you with your encryption keys
• Your encrypted data on our servers becomes permanently inaccessible
• There is no password reset or account recovery for encryption keys

App uninstall: Uninstalling Memorist does NOT delete your encryption keys from iCloud Keychain. Keys persist and will be available if you reinstall the app on any device signed into the same iCloud account.

10. Intellectual Property

The App, including designs, trademarks, logos, software, UI elements, and branding, are owned by the developer.

You may not:

• Copy,
• distribute,
• modify,
• resell,
• reverse engineer,
• or create derivative works from the App.

11. Service Availability and Updates

Memorist may update features, modify functionality, or discontinue parts of the App at any time.

We do not guarantee:

• Uninterrupted service,
• Error-free experience,
• Compatibility with all devices or iOS versions,
• Or permanent access to features.

Encryption compatibility: We may update our encryption algorithms or key management systems to improve security. We will make reasonable efforts to migrate your data, but we cannot guarantee seamless migration in all scenarios.

12. Disclaimer of Warranties

Memorist is provided “as is” and “as available.”

To the fullest extent permitted by law, we disclaim all warranties, express or implied, including merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

Specifically, we disclaim warranties regarding:

• Ability to recover encrypted content without encryption keys,
• Continuous access to iCloud Keychain or Apple services,
• Data recovery or account recovery after key loss,
• Compatibility with future iOS versions or devices,
• Third-party service availability (Firebase, Apple iCloud, Apple Push Notification Service).

You use the App at your own risk.

13. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Memorist and its owners, developers, or affiliates shall not be liable for any damages, including but not limited to:

• Loss of data,
• Loss of encryption keys or iCloud Keychain access,
• Inability to decrypt or recover encrypted content,
• Emotional or psychological harm,
• Relationship outcomes,
• Adherence to reminders or notifications,
• Indirect or consequential damages,
• Third-party service failures (Firebase/Google, Apple iCloud, Apple services),
• Device or account issues,
• Failure of iCloud Keychain sync,
• Loss of Apple ID access,
• Data loss resulting from account deletion.

Your only remedy for dissatisfaction with the App is to stop using it.

Maximum liability: In jurisdictions that do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability, our liability is limited to the amount you paid for the App subscription in the 12 months preceding the claim.

14. Termination

You may stop using Memorist at any time.

We may suspend or terminate your account if:

• You violate these Terms,
• We discontinue the App,
• Fraud or misuse is detected.

What Happens When Your Account Is Deleted

When you delete your account (or we terminate it), all data is permanently removed immediately with no grace period or recovery option.

What gets deleted:

• All encrypted content on our servers (Firestore, Firebase Storage)
• Your authentication records
• All device tokens and settings
• Encryption keys on the current device

Important limitation: Because encryption keys are stored in iCloud Keychain with sync enabled, keys may remain accessible on your other Apple devices after account deletion. Apple provides no API for us to force-delete keys from all devices.

However, these keys become useless after account deletion since there is no encrypted data to decrypt.

We cannot restore your account or data after deletion.

For complete details on account deletion, see Privacy Policy Section 7.

15. Third-Party Services

Memorist relies on third-party services to provide core functionality:

Firebase (Google Cloud Platform):

• Firebase Authentication (validates Sign in with Apple tokens, manages user identity and sessions; phone verification for legacy accounts created before March 2026)
• Firebase Firestore (encrypted data storage)
• Firebase Storage (encrypted photo storage)
• Firebase Cloud Functions (backend operations)
• Firebase Cloud Messaging (push notifications via APNs)
• Firebase Crashlytics (crash reporting, anonymized)
• Firebase Analytics (optional, can be disabled in Settings)

Apple Services:

• Sign in with Apple (identity provider and authentication)
• iCloud Keychain (encryption key storage and sync)
• Apple Push Notification Service (APNs)
• StoreKit 2 (subscription management)
• App Store (billing)

You acknowledge that:

• These services are governed by their own terms of service and privacy policies
• We are not responsible for third-party service failures or outages
• We cannot guarantee continuous availability of these services
• Changes to third-party services may affect app functionality

For details on how we use these services, see Privacy Policy Section 9 (Third-Party Services).

16. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms periodically.

If changes are material, we will notify you in the App or via the email address associated with your account.

Your continued use of Memorist after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

We encourage you to review these Terms periodically at https://memorist.me/#terms

17. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

These Terms are governed by the laws of the jurisdiction of the App’s owner, without regard to conflict of law principles.

You agree to attempt informal resolution of disputes prior to legal action by contacting us at hello@memorist.me with a detailed description of the issue.

Arbitration (if applicable in your jurisdiction): Any disputes that cannot be resolved informally may be subject to binding arbitration in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association.

Exceptions: Nothing in these Terms affects your statutory rights as a consumer that cannot be waived by agreement.

18. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision will be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary so that these Terms remain in full force and effect.

19. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Memorist regarding your use of the App.

These Terms supersede any prior agreements or understandings.

20. Contact Us

If you have questions about these Terms or the App, please contact us:

Email: hello@memorist.me

Website: https://memorist.me

These Terms of Service are effective as of March 2026 and apply to all users of the Memorist app.