Why do I need to make an account now?

If you're seeing the prompt to create an account where there was none in the past, it is because you may have used a workaround to enter the app without actually signing up.

This workaround was patched a while ago for new users, but if you're returning to us, you may be surprised. You may have done this so long ago, that you don't even remember skipping the forced signup screen, which has been here since 2019. I know, because that's when I started getting complaints about being forced to login:

Unbeknownst to me, for a while, you could click a bunch of buttons to skip the signup process.

When you were in the app without an account, it was not working as it should. I was getting a lot of bug reports from this group of users, and for the longest time, I didn't realize what was happening. It made fixing issues take much longer than necessary, as this was not a scenario that I wanted to support in the first place.

For example, if you didn't have an account, your data could be deleted at any moment — this happened most often if apple or android did an update, or during some new version updates of the app. It's the same reason users have to restore purchases to reobtain premium decks after an app update. The data is always subject to being wiped and I cannot control what happens.

Ever play a mobile game and have it warn you that data can be wiped anytime if you don't sign up? It's the very same reason we required accounts too.

Naturally, whenever this happened, I got a lot of complaints. It wasn't just journal entries that were affected, but a whole list of things. That's exactly why I made the app login only (at least, it was intended to be, sans workaround 🤦🏻‍♀️) for a long time.

In general, if you're using a workaround for the app, and using it in a way it wasn't meant to be used, then...well, your data is going to be subject to this kind of stuff. It's a risk that you take when you use the app in a way it's not meant to be used. It is however, my fault the workaround was there; it was honestly a situation I never thought to test for. This is what I'm attempting to correct now.

I admit I was chicken to make the change for existing users, even after patching it for new users, because I knew I was going to get so much rage, and hatemail and anger for it. But things couldn't stay that way forever. I know it's jarring, but it's better to bite the bullet, make the change, and have the app work on your phone the way it was meant to.

Okay, but why do I have to create an account?

Because the app is a hybrid app (meaning it compiles to both android and iOS), there was no good way for me to have persistent storage without having a server of my own. Some other features are also blocked because the rely on user data as well.

If you don't care about saving journal entries and lessons, and you're okay with a limited number of spreads, you can continue to use the version that does not require an account.