Frequently asked questions

About Untangle

What is Untangle?

Untangle is a companion for hard moments and ordinary days. You start with what you’re going through (worry, grief, an urge, putting things off, self-doubt, going quiet with the people close to you, and more) and it meets you there with short workbooks to read, practices you can do in a few minutes, a journal, and a simple way to keep track of your moods.

What’s in the app?

Workbooks, in short chapters, each about something you might be going through, grouped into focus areas.
Practices: reflective ones, with prompts to think and write through, and a guided body-based practice to listen to.
Find what helps: a few plain questions that point you to practices and reading for what you’re going through.
Today: your week at a glance, the practices you’ve planned, and (on iPhone) a daily check-in.
A journal and mood tracking, and a history of your days.

Who is it for?

People aged 16 and over who want something to reach for when emotions run high, and a gentle routine for the rest of the time. In some countries you need to be 18; the terms explain. It works on its own or alongside other support you already have.

I’m 16 or 17. Can I use Untangle?

Yes, if a parent or guardian agrees, unless you live somewhere you need to be 18, such as India, Kenya, Nigeria or South Africa. Everything you write stays on your phone and no one reads it, so we can’t tell if you’re struggling. If something feels too big to carry alone, please talk to an adult you trust, and read What if I’m in crisis? below.

Which phones does it work on?

iPhones running iOS 18 or later, and most Android phones running Android 8.0 or later.

Is it therapy? Safety

Is Untangle therapy?

No. Untangle is a self-help tool. It isn’t therapy, medical care or a substitute for either, and it can’t diagnose or treat any condition. The material in it draws on approaches used in self-help and therapy, but reading or practicing on your own isn’t the same as working with a professional. If you think you need care, please talk to a doctor or a mental health professional.

Can I use it alongside therapy or medication?

Yes. Many people use self-help tools between sessions. Talk to your clinician about what you’re trying, and don’t change any treatment or medication because of something in the app. If a practice makes you feel worse, stop and take a break.

Are the body-based practices safe for me?

They’re gentle and you can stop at any time, but they involve your breath and body. If you’re pregnant, have a heart, lung or other medical condition, or have experienced trauma that body-focused work can bring up, check with a health professional first. Skip anything that doesn’t feel right, and stop any practice that makes you dizzy, short of breath or more distressed. Don’t do them while driving or doing anything else that needs your full attention.

What if I’m in crisis?

Untangle isn’t a crisis service, and no one is watching what you write, so it can’t respond if you’re in danger. If you might harm yourself or someone else, or you’re in immediate danger, contact your local emergency services straight away, or reach out to a crisis helpline where you live.

Does anyone read what I write?

No. Your journal and everything else you write stays on your phone. We can’t see it, and no one reviews it.

Privacy and your data

Do I need an account?

No. There’s nothing to sign up for. You don’t give us your name or email to use Untangle.

Where is my journal stored?

On your phone, in the app’s private storage. Your journal, moods, check-ins, plans, bookmarks and reflections never go to our servers, and we don’t keep a copy.

Does anything leave my phone?

A little, and none of it is what you’ve written or how you’ve felt:

For audio, the app uses a random identifier that isn’t linked to you, and asks our server for an audio file when you play it: to download it the first time, and to check for a newer version after that.
On iPhone, anonymous analytics tell us how the app is used: for example that the app was opened or that a mood was logged (not what the mood was). You can turn them off (see below). The Android app doesn’t send analytics.
Purchases go through the App Store, not us. The Android app doesn’t sell subscriptions yet.
Anything you email us, if you choose to.

The privacy policy lists everything in detail.

How do I turn analytics off?

On iPhone, go to Settings, Privacy & data, Analytics in the app and switch off Share anonymous analytics. If your phone’s region is the UK, EU or EEA, analytics start off and are only sent if you switch them on. The Android app doesn’t send analytics.

Do you sell my data or show ads?

No. We don’t sell or share your information for advertising, there are no ads in the app, and we don’t track you across other apps or websites.

Does Untangle use AI?

No. There are no AI features in Untangle. Nothing you write is sent to an AI service.

Does Untangle work with Apple Health?

On iPhone, yes, if you want it to. You can choose to save your moods to Apple Health as State of Mind entries in Settings, Apple Health. Untangle only writes to Apple Health; it doesn’t read anything from it, and we never receive your Health data. Untangle doesn’t connect to Health Connect on Android.

How do I delete my data?

You can delete any journal entry, mood or reflection in the app. To delete everything, delete the app: that removes everything it stored on your phone. Copies may remain in your phone’s backups (iCloud or Google) until those are replaced or deleted, and moods you exported to Apple Health stay there until you remove them in the Health app, or delete them in Untangle and choose Delete everywhere. Because we never have a copy, we can’t recover anything once it’s deleted.

Moving to a new phone

Will my entries come with me to a new phone?

Yes, if you move to the same kind of phone and restore from a backup:

iPhone to iPhone: set up the new iPhone from an iCloud backup, a computer backup or Quick Start.
Android to Android: set up the new phone from your Google backup, or copy your data across while setting it up.

Make sure your old phone has backed up recently before you switch.

Can I move from iPhone to Android, or the other way?

No. Your entries live in each app’s own storage and can’t be transferred between iPhone and Android.

What happens if I lose my phone or delete the app?

If you have a backup, restore it to get your entries back. If you don’t, they’re gone: everything is stored only on your phone, so we have no copy to restore from.

Subscription and billing

What’s free, and what needs a subscription?

On iPhone, a lot of Untangle is free: the journal, mood tracking, Find what helps, daily check-ins, and the first focus area of every workbook with its practices. A subscription opens the rest of the workbooks and practices. The Android app doesn’t sell subscriptions yet, so everything in it is currently available.

Is there a free trial?

When we offer one on iPhone, new subscribers can start with a free trial. The plans screen shows how long it lasts and what you’ll pay after it before you start. If you don’t want to continue, cancel at least 24 hours before the trial ends and you won’t be charged.

How do I cancel?

Through the App Store: open the Settings app on your iPhone, tap your name, then Subscriptions, then Untangle, then Cancel Subscription. You can also get there from Your plan in Untangle’s settings.

You keep access until the end of the period you’ve paid for. Deleting the app doesn’t cancel your subscription.

Can I get a refund?

Refunds are handled by Apple, so we can’t issue them ourselves. Request one at reportaproblem.apple.com.

I’ve already subscribed but the app says I haven’t. What do I do?

On iPhone, go to Your plan in Untangle’s settings and tap Restore purchases. Make sure you’re signed in with the same Apple ID you subscribed with.

On iPhone, yes. The subscription works with Apple’s Family Sharing, so the person who subscribes can share it with up to five family members, as long as each of them meets Untangle’s minimum age.

I can’t afford a subscription. Can I still use Untangle?

Yes. On iPhone, email us at support@get-untangle.com and ask for a free code. You don’t need to give a reason. The Android app doesn’t sell subscriptions yet, so everything in it is currently available. The free parts of the app are there for everyone, too.

Using the app

Do I need an internet connection?

Not for most things. The journal, moods, practices and reading all work offline. You need a connection the first time you play a piece of audio, which then stays on your phone so it plays offline later.

How much space does the audio use?

Guided practices with audio download the first time you play them. Untangle keeps up to about 256 MB of downloaded audio and clears what you played longest ago first when it needs room. Your phone may also clear downloaded audio if it runs low on space. Anything cleared downloads again the next time you play it.

Troubleshooting

Audio won’t play.

Check you’re connected to the internet (audio needs a connection the first time it plays), then try again. If it still doesn’t work, email us at support@get-untangle.com and tell us which chapter or practice it was.

My moods aren’t showing up in Apple Health.

In Untangle, go to Settings, Apple Health and check that mood export is on. Then, in the Health app, check that Untangle is still allowed to write State of Mind data (you’ll find Untangle in the list of apps in the Health app’s privacy settings). Moods you logged before turning export on aren’t copied across.

Something isn’t working.

Email us at support@get-untangle.com. Tell us what happened and what you expected, and include your phone model, its software version and Untangle’s version (shown at the bottom of Untangle’s settings). Please don’t include anything you’ve written in the app; we don’t need it.

Contact

How do I get in touch?

Email us at support@get-untangle.com. We read every message.

I have an idea for Untangle.

We’d love to hear it. Email us at support@get-untangle.com.

How do I make a privacy request?

Email privacy@get-untangle.com. The privacy policy explains what we hold and what we can do.