Support

Everything you need to get the most out of ThetaJourney.

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Getting Started

Why do I need headphones?

Binaural beats work by playing slightly different frequencies in each ear. Your brain perceives the difference as a third tone, which drives brainwave entrainment. Without headphones, both ears hear the same sound and the effect does not work. Any stereo headphones will work — wired or wireless. AirPods Pro or AirPods Max are recommended for the additional head-tracking bio-feedback layer.

Which state should I choose?

Sleep (Delta, 2 Hz) — deep nervous system downregulation for physical restoration. Best before bed or during a nap. Calm (Theta, 6 Hz) — parasympathetic activation for when your system is wound up and you need to settle. Focus (Beta, 20 Hz) — sustained attentional regulation for work, study, or any task requiring concentration. Settle (Alpha, 10 Hz) — active downregulation without full shutdown, useful for decompressing after a stressful day. Feel (Gamma, 40 Hz) — sensory reconnection and heightened interoception, for when you feel numb or disconnected from your body.

How long should my sessions be?

Start with 10-15 minutes and build up. Many people find 20-30 minutes effective for a regulation session. For sleep, longer durations work well — the audio will continue as you drift off. Guided sessions have preset durations optimized for each phase sequence.

What is SOS mode?

SOS mode is a 5-minute acute regulation session designed for moments of high nervous system activation — panic, overwhelm, or intense stress. It provides rapid parasympathetic engagement to help your system downregulate quickly.

Bio-Feedback and Sensors

What is adaptive bio-feedback?

ThetaJourney reads signals from your body during a session — phone motion (accelerometer/gyroscope), AirPods head-tracking, and Apple Watch heart rate and HRV. These signals indicate how regulated your nervous system is in real time. The app uses this data to adjust audio parameters, so the sound adapts to your actual physiological state rather than following a fixed timeline.

Do I need an Apple Watch?

No. The app works with just your phone, using the accelerometer and gyroscope for basic motion-based bio-feedback. Adding AirPods Pro provides head-tracking data. Adding an Apple Watch provides heart rate and HRV data. Each sensor layer deepens the adaptive response, but none are required.

How does AirPods head-tracking work?

AirPods Pro and AirPods Max have built-in motion sensors that detect head position and movement. ThetaJourney uses this data as an additional bio-feedback signal — head stillness indicates deeper regulation, while movement may indicate restlessness or arousal. This data is processed in real time and is never stored or transmitted.

How does HealthKit integration work?

If you grant permission, the app reads heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) data from your Apple Watch through HealthKit during sessions. This data drives real-time audio adaptation. The app also writes mindful session records to HealthKit when sessions complete. You can enable or revoke these permissions at any time in your device's Health app settings. Your HealthKit data never leaves your device.

Subscription and Pricing

What is included in the free tier?

The free tier includes unlimited access to Calm (Theta, 6 Hz) and Focus (Beta, 20 Hz) states with no time limits. No account required. No ads. You can use these two states as much as you want, forever.

What does a subscription unlock?

A subscription unlocks all five regulation states (adding Sleep, Settle, and Feel), all ten guided sessions, SOS mode, full adaptive bio-feedback, post-session insights with goal-aware analytics, and all future features. Available as Monthly ($8.99/month), Annual ($49.99/year with a 7-day free trial), or Lifetime ($99.99 one-time purchase).

How do I manage or cancel my subscription?

Subscriptions are managed through Apple. To view, change, or cancel your subscription: open the Settings app on your iPhone, tap your name at the top, tap Subscriptions, and select ThetaJourney. Cancellations take effect at the end of the current billing period. You can also manage subscriptions through the App Store app.

How do I request a refund?

Refunds are handled by Apple. Visit reportaproblem.apple.com, sign in with your Apple ID, find the ThetaJourney purchase, and follow the prompts to request a refund.

I subscribed but features are still locked

Try these steps: close and reopen the app, make sure you are connected to the internet, and check that your subscription is active in Settings > [Your Name] > Subscriptions. If the issue persists, tap "Restore Purchases" in the app's settings, or contact us at support@thetajourney.com.

Troubleshooting

The app is not making sound

Check that your phone is not on silent mode (the physical switch on the side). Make sure volume is turned up. Verify that headphones are connected — if using Bluetooth, confirm they are paired and selected as the audio output in Control Center. Binaural beats require stereo headphones to work.

Can I use the app while doing other things?

Yes. The app continues playing in the background with full lock-screen controls. Focus state works well during work or study. For Sleep or Calm states, find a comfortable position where you can be still — the bio-feedback system responds to your movement and stillness.

My session was interrupted — is my progress lost?

No. The app includes session recovery. If a session is interrupted by a phone call or app switch, it will attempt to resume where you left off when you return.

Is it safe to use binaural beats?

Binaural beats are generally considered safe for most people. However, if you have epilepsy, a seizure disorder, or any other neurological condition, consult your physician before use. If you experience any discomfort, stop using the app immediately. ThetaJourney is a wellness tool, not a medical device.

Privacy and Data

Is my biometric data safe?

All biometric data (heart rate, HRV, motion, head-tracking) is processed in real time on your device and is never transmitted to any server. Session history is stored locally using UserDefaults, capped at 100 records. There are no user accounts, no analytics, and no cloud sync. Delete the app and all data is permanently removed. See our full Privacy Policy for details.

How do I delete my data?

All data is stored locally on your device. Delete the app to remove everything — session history, preferences, streak data, and subscription status. We have no servers storing your data, so there is nothing else to delete. HealthKit records written by the app can be managed separately in the Health app.

What external services does the app use?

The only external service is RevenueCat, which handles subscription management and in-app purchase validation. RevenueCat uses an anonymous identifier and does not receive your name, email, biometric data, or session history. All payment processing is handled by Apple through the App Store.