Grid Diary Sync

Grid Diary Sync is our custom-built synchronization service designed to keep your data perfectly consistent and secure across iOS, Android, and macOS devices. Unlike generic cloud storage services, it is optimized specifically for our database's local-first architecture to ensure data integrity and real-time updates.

Basic Setup

1. Create an Account.
2. Upgrade to Membership.
3. Go to Settings > Sync and toggle sync on.

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Guest Mode vs. Cloud Sync

If you do not want to use cloud synchronization, you can use Grid Diary in Guest Mode.

Guest Mode keeps all your data entirely offline and local to your device. You do not need to create an account, register an email, or connect any social profile.

Using Guest Mode

• Local Storage Only: Your data is stored securely in the app's local sandbox on your device.
• No Synchronization: Your entries will not sync across other devices automatically.
• Backup Responsibility: Because your data does not exist on our servers, you are fully responsible for its safety. If you lose or damage your device, your journals cannot be recovered unless you maintain manual backups (Snapshots or JSON exports) or have system iCloud/device backups enabled.

Upgrading to an Account (Sync Mode)

You can upgrade from Guest Mode to a synced account at any time:

1. Tap your top-left Avatar to open Settings.
2. Tap Sign Up / Log In and register via Email, Apple, Google, or WeChat.
3. Important: When prompted, select Keep Data to merge your existing guest entries into your new synced account.

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End-to-End Encryption (E2EE)

Under normal sync settings, your journal data is stored on secure databases, and only authorized developers have access to maintain the sync service. However, because data is synced in standard formats, anyone with direct server database access (such as developers, server hosts, or attackers in a breach) could theoretically read the entries.

To achieve absolute privacy, Grid Diary supports End-to-End Encryption (E2EE). By enabling E2EE, your data is securely encrypted locally on your device before it ever leaves to the sync servers. Nobody can read your journal on the servers—not even us.

How E2EE Works

• Local Key Generation: The app generates a cryptographically strong, random encryption key on your device.
• Passphrase Encryption: This key is then encrypted with a custom passphrase that you create.
• Zero-Knowledge: Because the master encryption key is kept locally on your device and the passphrase is never sent to our servers, we have zero knowledge of your encryption details.
• Device Join: When you connect a new device, the app will ask for your E2EE passphrase to decrypt the sync key and securely store it on that device for subsequent syncs.

What is Encrypted?

• Encrypted: The text content of your entries, your photos/media attachments, and the titles of your journals.
• Not Encrypted: Standard tags, custom prompt questions, and quotes.

E2EE Setup Instructions

Preparation

1. Upgrade Version: All devices must be upgraded to v3.0.0 or newer. Older clients will not be able to decrypt data.
2. Complete Existing Sync: Ensure your current device is fully synchronized before toggling encryption.
3. Single Device Operation: When setting up E2EE for the first time, perform it on one device only. Keep the sync function turned off or close the app on other devices until setup is complete.

Step-by-Step Setup

How to Check Your E2EE Key

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Resetting Server Data

Grid Diary operates on a local-first technical architecture. Under normal conditions, every active device under your account contains a complete local copy of your data (and the sync server acts simply as one more device).

However, because sync involves asynchronous network operations across multiple platforms, rare edge cases may require you to perform a Server Data Reset:

• Devices fail to sync for a prolonged period, and standard retries or app restarts do not resolve the issue.
• The database on the sync server is corrupted or incomplete.
• The app automatically prompts you that server database schema migration is required.

Crucial Preparations

1. Local Integrity Check: The app will automatically run a local integrity check. If it prompts you to repair data, follow the repair instructions first.
2. Automatic Local Snapshot: Grid Diary will automatically create a local backup snapshot before starting the server reset, and temporarily turn off cloud sync.
3. Post-Reset Verification: After the reset finishes, confirm your local data is correct. Only then should you turn cloud sync back on. If data looks incorrect, keep sync disabled and restore using the pre-reset snapshot.

How to Perform a Server Data Reset

It is highly recommended to perform this manually only if you fully understand the operation or are under direct guidance from Grid Diary customer support.

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FAQ