Why this journal exists
Working a twelve-step programme means writing things down — morning reflections, gratitude, inventory, amends. The notebooks that hold that work are some of the most private documents a person will ever create. We didn't think the digital version should belong to an advertising company.
Built by people in recovery
Recovery Journal was created by people who understand the journey — who know what a fourth step costs to write, and what it means to trust a page with it. We keep our anonymity; it's a tradition, after all.
That's also why everything you write is encrypted on your device before it's saved, why there are no analytics on your recovery, and why you can delete every trace whenever you choose. Read how your privacy works.
The principles we build by
We celebrate the practice, never the outcome
You'll see encouragement for showing up and journaling — never points for days sober, never a 'streak broken'. Recovery isn't a competition, and a setback should never make the app harder to come back to.
Human words, not clinical ones
"How are you feeling?" — not "Rate your emotional state". The way an app speaks to you matters, especially on the days when shame is loud.
Opening the app counts
Bad Day Mode exists because some days the best anyone can do is show up. The journal meets you where you are, not where a product manager wants you to be.
Sharing happens shoulder to shoulder
There are no social features, no feeds, no leaderboards. Sponsor review is built for sitting beside someone you trust — the way it's done in the rooms.
Questions, or something we could do better?