A journal that doesn't bombard you with permission prompts.
No location request. No notification nag. No contacts grab, no camera or microphone pop-up on the way in. Innerholm asks for nothing by default and leaves every data-touching feature off until you choose to turn it on.
Innerholm asks for nothing by default. There is no location request, no push notification, no contacts access, and no camera or microphone nag. Every feature that would touch more of your data, mood, weather, AI, and the rest, stays off until you choose to turn it on, one journal at a time. The only thing the app needs to work is a single sign-in cookie. It is free to start.
It asks for nothing on the way in
Open most apps and the prompts start before you have written a word: allow location, allow notifications, find your contacts, access your camera. Each one is a small decision handed to you at the worst moment, when you just wanted to start. Innerholm does not do that. You arrive at a blank page, not a queue of pop-ups.
- No location request Innerholm does not ask where you are, and does not tag entries with your location.
- No push notifications No reminders to enable, no badge counts, no "you have not written today" nudge.
- No contacts access It never asks to read your address book. There is no one to invite and nothing to grow.
- No camera or microphone nags Nothing pops up asking to record. If you ever add a photo, that is a choice you make in the moment.
- Just one sign-in cookie The only thing the app needs to work. No advertising pixels, no analytics scripts.
Off until you choose, one journal at a time
Off by default is not just about the install screen. It runs all the way through the product. Anything that would reach for more of your data, mood tracking, weather, AI reflection, is off until you decide you want it, and you turn it on for one journal at a time rather than for your whole account.
That order matters. A permission is only requested at the moment a feature you turned on actually needs it, so consent stays tied to a choice you made, not to a checkbox you skimmed past on day one. You are never opted into something and left hunting for the switch to turn it back off.
The gentle contrast
Plenty of journal apps ask for location, notifications, and contacts up front, and they are not being sinister about it. Those permissions power reminders, automatic place tagging, and the features that help an app grow, and it is simply easier to ask once at install than to ask at the moment of use. The cost is that consent gets bundled: you say yes to a pile of things to get past the door.
Innerholm takes the other path on purpose. It would rather ask less and ask later, so that every yes is about a feature you actually wanted. AI is the clearest example: it is off by default, stays off until you turn it on for a specific journal, and never interrupts your writing to sell itself. If you never want it, you never have to think about it.
- Sobriety, one day at a time
- Pregnancy, letters before they arrive
- Stoic, morning and evening
- Memories, the ones worth keeping
Every edition starts the same quiet way. You choose what to write, not which permissions to surrender first.
Frequently asked questions
Does Innerholm ask for location, notifications, or contacts?
No, not by default. Innerholm does not ask for your location, send push notifications, request your contacts, or nag for camera or microphone access. It is web-first and asks for nothing on the way in. The only thing it needs to work is a single sign-in cookie.
What does off by default actually mean?
It means every feature that would touch more of your data stays off until you choose to turn it on. Mood, weather, AI reflection, and anything similar is opt-in, one journal at a time. You are never opted into something and left to find the switch that turns it back off.
Why do other journal apps ask for so many permissions?
Many apps request location, notifications, and contacts up front because those permissions power reminders, automatic tagging, and growth features, and it is easier to ask once at install than at the moment of use. Innerholm takes the opposite stance: it asks for a permission only when a feature you turned on actually needs it, so consent stays tied to a choice you made.
Will I get nagged to enable AI or notifications?
No. AI is off by default and stays off until you turn it on for a specific journal, and there are no notification nags. Innerholm does not interrupt your writing to upsell a feature. If you never want AI or reminders, you never have to think about them.
Is this the same as Innerholm's privacy commitment?
It is the front door to it. Off-by-default consent is how the privacy commitment shows up the moment you arrive: nothing is requested that you did not ask for. Behind that, regular journals are server-stored with explicit no scanning, no AI training, and no profiling, and you can seal any journal with optional end-to-end encryption.
Related: Private journal app · Journal without AI · Journal without streaks · Privacy FAQ