Frequently Asked Questions
Straight answers to common questions about Lound.
Privacy & Data
Can I hide my email address?
Sign in with Apple lets you choose Hide My Email, which shares a relay address instead of your email address. This does not make your account anonymous: Lound still processes account identifiers and the content you share. Google sign-in shares account information such as your email and name.
Is my voice recording stored anywhere?
Not on Lound servers by default. Your audio is sent for transcription, and Lound does not keep replayable audio on our servers. If you enable audio retention, replayable recordings are saved on your device and are not replicated to Lound servers.
What about photos and videos I attach?
Adding a photo or video to an entry stores a reference to your photo-library asset; Lound does not upload the attachment. Image analysis in Chat is separate: selected images are sent for processing when you choose to share them. Your own photo-library or device backup settings may also sync files outside Lound.
Who can see my journal entries?
Your journal is private from other users. Lound and its service providers process content to provide the app. Authorized access may be needed for support, security, reliability, or legal obligations, as described in our Privacy Policy. Lound is not an emergency-monitoring service.
Is my data used to train AI models?
Lound does not use your journal content to train its own AI models. We use provider APIs for transcription and AI features. OpenAI says API data is not used for training by default unless a customer opts in. Provider retention is separate from training; we do not promise that providers keep no data. See our Privacy Policy for details.
Can I delete everything?
Use "Delete Account" in Settings to request deletion of your account and associated app data. Our Privacy Policy explains deletion, backups, and any records retained for legal or security requirements.
Can I export my data?
Yes. Go to Settings > Data & Privacy > Export My Data. You can download all your entries and conversations as a JSON file, or have it emailed to you. It's your data.
AI & How It Works
How is Lound different from ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is a general-purpose assistant trying to do everything. Lound does one thing with depth and care. Because we're purpose-built for voice journaling, we can offer things a general assistant never will: a dedicated interface for browsing your history, mood tracking across entries, smart notifications that prompt reflection at the right moments, visual summaries of your patterns, and a UX designed entirely around processing your thoughts out loud. That focus is what makes the experience actually better.
How does the AI analysis work?
When you record, your audio is transcribed and analyzed to identify patterns, people, events, and emotional themes. The AI learns your context over time, so its insights become more personalized the longer you use Lound.
Is the AI actually personalized or just generic responses?
It's genuinely personalized. Lound remembers people, places, commitments, and patterns from your previous entries. Ask it about something you mentioned weeks ago and it can recall the context.
How accurate is the mood/theme detection?
It's usually helpful, but not perfect. AI can misread tone or miss nuance. Think of it as a thoughtful friend's perspective, not a clinical assessment. This is a journaling tool, not a medical device.
Subscription & Limits
What's included in the free version?
You do not need to start a Premium trial to use Lound. The free plan includes recordings up to 5 minutes each (up to 10 entries and 30 recording minutes a day), 50 chat messages per day, an AI reflection on every entry, keyword search, and pattern insights over recent entries.
What do I get with Premium?
Premium includes recordings up to 60 minutes with no daily entry or recording-minute caps, unlimited chat messages, live transcription while you speak (English), search by meaning, full-journal context for chat and patterns, images in chat, and personalized reminders.
What happens if I cancel Premium?
You keep all your data. You can still access and read everything you've recorded. You just return to free tier limits for new recordings and chat.
Technical
Does Lound work offline?
Lound handles spotty connections well and will queue uploads when connectivity is poor. However, transcription, AI analysis, and chat require internet since they happen in the cloud.
Why not use on-device AI?
Current on-device models aren't powerful enough to provide the quality of insights we want for you. We use state-of-the-art cloud AI to give you the best experience. As local models improve, we'll explore bringing more processing on-device.
Is my data encrypted?
Yes. All data is encrypted in transit using TLS/SSL. Your transcriptions are stored securely in our database. Audio is not kept as a replayable recording on Lound servers by default. If you enable audio retention, replayable recordings are saved on your device and are not replicated to Lound servers.
See How People Actually Use Lound
Real stories from people navigating overthinking, ADHD, anxiety, and life's big decisions.
For the full legal details, see our Privacy Policy.
Still have questions? Reach us at [email protected]