A quiet journal for the slow work beneath the surface.

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  Private by design

  Understory is a journal you write in your web browser. Each entry is locked with encryption on your own device before it's saved, so what's stored online can't be read without your key. That key is your passphrase, with a one-time recovery code in case you forget it. No one else can read your journal, not even the app's maker. If you turn on the AI companion, it only sees what it needs, and only after you agree.

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  A companion that waits to be asked

  With Premium you get a companion, an AI you can call on when you want help thinking something through. It stays quiet while you write. When you want it, tap one of four buttons: Root asks you a single question to dig deeper, Tend walks you through a thought in four steps, Glean offers a short passage to reflect on, and Seek gives a brief answer to something you ask.

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  A word to sit with

  When you keep an entry, Understory reads the mood of what you wrote and offers a short passage, such as a few lines of poetry, with a gentle note for you. You choose where the passages come from: secular writers, Christian sources, or both. It's a small moment to pause before you close the journal.

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  Every entry grows a ring

  A tree adds a ring each year; Understory adds one for every entry you write. The rings are drawn like a slice through a tree trunk, with your oldest entries at the center, so over time you can see your journal grow. With Premium, each ring takes the color of its entry's mood, and your most common moods and themes are listed beside it.

More

• Seasons for hard stretches

  Mark an entry fallow, a nurse log for a loss, or windthrow for venting you don't want to keep.

• Heartwood, its memory

  The companion can keep one encrypted remembering of your journal. Read it, edit it or clear it.

• Share with someone you trust

  Send chosen entries to a therapist or friend with an encrypted link that can expire.

• Speak instead of typing

  With Premium, dictate an entry and check its spelling without changing your words.

Plans

Understory is a journal, not therapy. If you're in crisis, contact local emergency services or a crisis line.

Help and policies

• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Service
• 特定商取引法に基づく表記 (legal notice for purchases)
• Delete your account in Preferences > Account > Delete account.
• Questions or refunds: support [at] spdigitallabs [dot] app