Circle Note Support
Circle Note is a stopwatch for real work — it counts up, and you speak progress as it happens. If your question is not answered here, write to us and a human will reply.
1Using Circle Note
How do I start a session?
On the home screen, tap the line under “What will you focus on?” and type what you are working on. Tap START, choose an intended length, then tap BEGIN. After a three-second countdown the stopwatch starts.
Why does the time count up instead of down?
Because the point is how long you actually stayed, not how long you promised. There is no target to beat and no bar draining toward zero. The length you pick at the start is only an intention — it sets the pacing of the line across the screen and never stops your session.
How do I capture a moment?
Hold the round button at the bottom and say one short sentence, then let go. What you said appears for a moment and is added to the session line. You never have to type or leave the screen.
How do I end a session?
Tap the large elapsed time in the middle of the screen. An END SESSION button appears for a few seconds — tap it to finish. It is deliberately not a permanent button, so you cannot end a session by brushing the screen.
What do the three symbols mean?
Every moment is one of three states: done, blocked or idea. Circle Note sorts each one for you from what you said. If it guesses wrong, tap the correct symbol on the confirmation screen and it changes immediately.
Where can I see past sessions?
Tap the menu lines in the top right of the home screen. Every finished session is listed there, and tapping one opens its full record — elapsed time, counts and the timeline of everything you said.
2Voice and Privacy
Is my voice sent anywhere?
No. Speech is transcribed entirely on your device using Apple's on-device recognition, and nothing you say is uploaded. Audio is not saved by default. Settings has an optional Voice recordings switch — when you turn it on, the audio for each moment is saved on that device only, never synced and never uploaded.
It says on-device speech is unavailable. Why?
On-device recognition is not offered for every language on every device. When that happens Circle Note does not quietly switch to a server — that would break the promise above — so voice capture stays off and it tells you. Adding your language to iPhone keyboard settings and restarting the app sometimes makes the on-device model available.
Does it listen in the background?
No. The microphone is active only while your finger is on the capture button. There is no wake word and no background listening.
3Trial and Purchase
How does the free trial work?
The first seven days are fully unlocked, with nothing to sign up for and no card required. After seven days the app asks for a one-time purchase before you can start another session.
Is this a subscription?
No. It is a single purchase. Nothing renews, there is no monthly or yearly charge, and there is nothing to cancel.
I bought it before and got a new phone.
Open the app and tap Restore purchase on the paywall, or find it in Settings. Use the same Apple Account you bought it with and it will unlock. Your purchase follows your Apple Account, so it reaches your other devices on its own.
Can I get a refund?
Refunds are handled entirely by Apple, not by us. Go to reportaproblem.apple.com, sign in with your Apple Account and request a refund for the purchase.
4Your Data
Do I need an account?
There is no account. Circle Note has no sign-in at all. Your sessions follow your own iCloud and your purchase follows your Apple Account.
What is the written read?
An optional short paragraph about a finished session, written entirely on your device by Apple's on-device model. Nothing is sent anywhere. It appears only on devices that can run Apple Intelligence, and only for sessions whose moments are in English.
How do I delete everything?
Deleting the app removes every session, moment, recording and setting permanently from that device. Sessions kept in your own iCloud are removed by deleting the app's data from iCloud in your Apple Account settings. We never had a copy, so nothing remains with us.
Still need help?
Write to support@dwbstudio.com with your device model, your iOS version and what happened. We are a small studio and we read every message — please allow a couple of working days for a reply.