Effective October 19, 2026 · Updated November 10, 2026 (app lock and Apple Watch)
Short version: your journal lives on your iPhone. A dream leaves your devices only when you tap Interpret, after you've agreed to it. It goes to the AI provider named in the app, and we never store it.
Dream Journal ("we") is an iPhone app (with an Apple Watch app from version 1.1) for writing down dreams and getting optional AI interpretations. Contact: support@abelak.com.
Your dreams, titles, emotions, symbols, ratings, interpretations, points and streaks are stored in the app on your devices (see below for the watch). They are not uploaded to us or synced to any server. Your iPhone backups (iCloud or computer) may include this data, as for any app. Deleting the app deletes the data.
If you use the Apple Watch app, the titles and dates of your 10 most recent dreams are also kept on your watch. A title is the one you typed or, if there is none, the dream's first line (up to 60 characters); the rest of the dream text never goes to the watch. From version 1.2 you can turn on the app lock (Journal > ⋯ > Lock with Face ID, or Touch ID or Passcode). While it is on, your iPhone sends your watch only the dates, with no titles or other dream words, and your watch replaces the titles it kept the next time it hears from your iPhone. Turning the lock off sends the titles again. If you remove your iPhone's passcode, the lock turns itself off and the titles are sent again. A recording is kept on your watch until your iPhone has it. Deleting the watch app deletes what it keeps.
The app lock is off unless you turn it on. Face ID, Touch ID and your passcode are checked by iOS; the app only learns which kind of check your iPhone offers and whether unlocking succeeded, and the lock setting is stored on your iPhone.
If you tap the microphone, the app asks once for Microphone and Speech Recognition permission. Speech is turned into text on your iPhone by Apple's on-device speech recognition: the app requires on-device recognition, so your voice is not sent to Apple, to us or to any AI provider. Audio is used only while you're recording, to write the words into your journal, and is never saved. The resulting text is treated like any typed dream. You can turn off either permission anytime in the iPhone Settings app.
If you use the Apple Watch app, it asks once for Microphone permission on your watch. When you tap Stop (or after 3 minutes), your recording is saved on your watch and sent directly to your iPhone over Apple's connection between your own devices. Your watch deletes it once your iPhone has it. On your iPhone, the words are written out with Apple's on-device speech recognition (your iPhone asks once for Speech Recognition permission), the text is saved as a dream in your journal, and the recording is then deleted. If the words can't be written out yet, the recording stays on your iPhone until they can. A watch recording is never sent to us or to any AI provider, and it is left out of device backups. The recent dream titles your watch shows come from your own iPhone the same way.
API keys you enter yourself are stored in the iOS Keychain on your device and are only sent to the provider they belong to.
Before the first interpretation the app asks your permission and names who will receive your dream. If you agree, then each time you tap Interpret (or pick an interpretation style), the app sends:
Nothing else is sent: no audio, no name, email, contacts, location, advertising identifier or other dreams. There is no account.
| AI option (AI Settings) | Who receives the dream |
|---|---|
| Free (default) | Our relay server (Google Cloud Functions for Firebase, USA), which forwards it to Groq, Inc. to generate the interpretation. |
| Groq with your own key | Groq, Inc., directly, under your own Groq account. |
| Claude with your own key | Anthropic, PBC, directly, under your own Anthropic account. |
| Custom server | The server whose address you entered, under its own terms. |
The install identifier is a random value created by the app on first use. It is not derived from your device, is not used for advertising or tracking, and changes if you reinstall the app.
Free option: our Groq account has Zero Data Retention turned on, so Groq does not store or log the dreams we send or the interpretations it returns. It processes them only to generate the answer.
Your own Groq key: your own Groq account's data settings apply. Without Zero Data Retention, Groq may keep inputs and outputs for up to 30 days for reliability and abuse investigation. See Your Data in GroqCloud.
None. The app contains no advertising, no analytics or crash-reporting SDKs, and does not track you across apps or websites. We do not sell or share personal data.
Dream Journal is not directed to children under 13 and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them.
Interpretations are AI-generated for curiosity and self-reflection. They aren't medical, psychological or other professional advice. If you're struggling, please contact a qualified professional or local emergency services.
If this policy changes, we'll update this page and the effective date above. Material changes that affect what's sent will be shown in the app before they apply.