# Weekly check-ins

> One week per cycle. Both of you write through the week. On the chosen check-in day, both of you mark ready. When the second person taps ready, the app opens both weeks at the same time.

A weekly check-in in Open Heart is a structured rhythm for couples to surface what they've been carrying — without one of you having to be the one to start the conversation.

## The week

A check-in cycle is one week. During the week, you write entries when something comes up. There's no minimum number. There's no maximum.

## The day

You and your partner pick a check-in day during onboarding. Default is Sunday. Either of you can change it in Settings; the other has to accept.

The check-in tab tells you how many days are left until your day, and shows your status (writing, ready, revealed).

## The reveal

When both of you tap **I'm ready**, the reveal opens. Both of you see both weeks at the same time. Nobody had to go first. Nobody had to read the room. ([The simultaneous reveal](/docs/features/simultaneous-reveal))

The reveal either opens for both of you or it waits — there's no scenario where one of you sees it and the other doesn't.

## After the reveal

The next cycle starts immediately. Entries you write after the reveal belong to next week's check-in, not this one. You won't see this week's entries again next time.

## What if one of you isn't ready

The check-in waits. Your entries stay locked until both of you mark ready. There's no fallback that fires after a deadline.

If your partner isn't ready by Sunday evening, you have three options:

- **Keep waiting.** The check-in rolls into Monday and beyond. The day label updates so you both can see the slip.
- **Reveal solo.** Tap **Reveal solo** on the check-in screen. You see your own week now. Your partner still has to mark ready before they see anything.
- **Move the day.** Request a new check-in day in Settings. Your partner gets a notification.

## What we don't do

- We don't tell either of you what the other has written before the reveal.
- We don't show "your partner is writing" notifications.
- We don't tell either of you that the other is "behind" or "not writing enough."

The rhythm is yours to set. The structure is just there to carry the timing.

## Related

- [The simultaneous reveal](/docs/features/simultaneous-reveal)
- [Couples mode (pairing)](/docs/features/couples-mode)
- [Repair check-ins (after a fight)](/docs/features/repair-checkins)