# What Open Heart is

> A weekly check-in app for couples who want to say the things they've been holding in. You write through the week. Your partner writes through the week. On check-in day, you both see everything at the same time.

Open Heart is a mobile app for couples. The core idea is simple:

1. Both of you write entries through the week — feelings, things you appreciated, things bothering you, moments worth remembering.
2. On a chosen check-in day (usually Sunday), both of you mark yourselves "ready."
3. When the second person marks ready, the app opens both weeks at the same time. Nobody goes first.

The point of revealing at the same time: nobody has to be the brave one. You don't have to read the room. You don't have to wait for the right moment. You write when the thought is fresh, then the structure handles the timing.

## Who it's for

Open Heart is built for the partner who has things to say but fears the consequences of saying them. People who journal in their Notes app and delete it. People who rehearse conversations and then say "never mind." If holding things in until they explode is a pattern in your relationship, this is the app for that.

It's also for couples who already communicate well and want a structured weekly rhythm — therapy clients between sessions, long-distance partners, people in early recovery from a rupture.

## What it isn't

- **Not a therapy replacement.** It's a structure for talking, not a substitute for professional help.
- **Not a content generator.** The optional AI features (conversation starters, weekly insights) are grounded in what you and your partner actually wrote.
- **Not a surveillance tool.** Both partners must opt in. There's no way to "check up" on your partner.

## What makes it different

- **Your entries stay private.** They're locked on your phone before they leave it. We can't read them. ([How your privacy works](/docs/privacy/how-encryption-works))
- **Solo mode is free forever.** You don't need a partner to start. Solo journaling, feeling tracking, and a 30-day trial of premium — all free. ([Solo mode](/docs/features/solo-mode))
- **The reveal is the point.** Most couples apps are quiz or prompt generators. Open Heart is built around the reveal — the structure that protects both of you from going first.

## How to get started

1. [Install the app](/docs/getting-started/install) on iPhone or Android.
2. [Walk through onboarding](/docs/getting-started/onboarding) — your name, attachment style, love language ranking. Two minutes.
3. [Run your first check-in](/docs/getting-started/first-checkin), solo or with a partner.

## Related

- [Solo mode](/docs/features/solo-mode)
- [The simultaneous reveal](/docs/features/simultaneous-reveal)
- [How your privacy works](/docs/privacy/how-encryption-works)