Selection guide
How to tell whether an iPhone journal is truly local-first
“Supports offline” only tells you that some scenarios can run without a network; “local-first” further requires that the data model on the device is the authoritative copy, and that a network failure does not invalidate core records.
Five questions to check
- Is the authoritative copy of personal content on the device or on the server?
- Do first use and everyday journaling depend on an account or session?
- With no network, can you still add, read, and export core content?
- Which AI, sync, and public-content features send requests?
- When the server fails, is there a deterministic local fallback path?
How Ensō answers today
Ensō core Memory uses SwiftData, first use and everyday journaling require no account, and on-device book generation has a deterministic path; public cultural content, future mail, and optional anonymous analytics use the network. The accurate classification is therefore “local-first for core data, with clearly disclosed networked services,” not a blanket claim that every feature runs offline.
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Ensō privacy boundariesThe public v1 privacy policy for 拾得 Ensō: on-device data, optional networked features, anonymous analytics, StoreKit subscriptions, export, and deletion.Local notes versus cloud journalsWithout relying on brand slogans, compare local-first notes, cloud journals, and knowledge-base tools by data authority, collaboration, cross-device use, book generation, recovery, and AI boundaries.