# LifeTimer - Frequently Asked Questions

## Table of Contents

1. [General Questions](#general-questions)
2. [Account & Authentication](#account--authentication)
3. [The 1356-Day Challenge](#the-1356-day-challenge)
4. [Goals & Progress](#goals--progress)
5. [Social Features](#social-features)
6. [Technical Issues](#technical-issues)
7. [Privacy & Security](#privacy--security)
8. [Billing & Payments](#billing--payments)
9. [Troubleshooting](#troubleshooting)

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## General Questions

### What is LifeTimer?

LifeTimer is a gamified life countdown app that helps you achieve your goals through a focused, time-bound challenge. You create a bucket list of up to 20 life goals, start a 1356-day countdown (3 years, 8 months, and 11 days), and commit to making every day count.

### Why 1356 days?

This timeframe represents the perfect balance between ambition and achievability. It's long enough to accomplish meaningful transformation but short enough to maintain urgency and focus. The number was chosen to inspire commitment without overwhelming users.

### Is LifeTimer free?

Yes! LifeTimer is completely free to use. All core features are available at no cost.

### What platforms does LifeTimer support?

LifeTimer is available on:
- iOS (iPhone and iPad, iOS 14.0+)
- Android (phones and tablets, Android 7.0+)

### Can I use LifeTimer on multiple devices?

Yes! Your account syncs across all your devices. Just sign in with the same account on each device.

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## Account & Authentication

### How do I create an account?

You can sign up using:
- Email address
- Google account
- Apple ID (iOS only)

### Can I change my email address?

Yes! Go to Settings > Account > Email to update your email address.

### How do I reset my password?

1. Go to the sign-in screen
2. Tap "Forgot Password?"
3. Enter your email address
4. Check your email for reset instructions
5. Create a new password

### Can I delete my account?

Yes, but this action is permanent and cannot be undone. To delete your account:
1. Go to Settings
2. Scroll to "Danger Zone"
3. Tap "Delete Account"
4. Confirm via email
5. All your data will be permanently deleted

### What happens if I delete my account?

- All your goals and progress are deleted
- Your profile is removed
- Your countdown is terminated
- This action cannot be undone

### Can I change my username?

Yes! Go to Settings > Account > Edit Profile to change your username.

### How do I change my profile picture?

1. Go to Settings > Account > Edit Profile
2. Tap on your current avatar
3. Choose "Take Photo" or "Choose from Library"
4. Select or take your photo
5. Save your changes

---

## The 1356-Day Challenge

### Can I pause the countdown?

No. The countdown cannot be paused, reset, or extended. This commitment is what makes the challenge powerful.

### What if I don't complete all my goals?

That's okay! The challenge is about progress, not perfection. Even if you don't complete every goal, you'll still have made significant progress in your life.

### Can I add more goals after starting the countdown?

Yes! You can add, edit, and update goals at any time. You just can't delete goals once the countdown has started.

### What happens when the countdown ends?

You'll see a celebration screen showing your final statistics. You can review your entire journey and start a new challenge if you'd like.

### Can I start a new challenge after finishing one?

Yes! Once your countdown ends, you can create a new bucket list and start a fresh 1356-day challenge.

### Why can't I reset the countdown?

The inability to reset is intentional. It creates commitment and accountability. Knowing there's no going back motivates you to make every day count.

### What if I miss a day?

That's fine! The countdown continues regardless. Just pick up where you left off and keep moving forward.

### Can I change the duration of my challenge?

Currently, all challenges are 1356 days. We're considering adding custom durations in a future update.

---

## Goals & Progress

### How many goals can I have?

You can have up to 20 goals in your bucket list.

### Do I have to use all 20 goal slots?

No! You can have anywhere from 1 to 20 goals. Start with what feels manageable.

### Can I delete goals?

Yes, you can delete goals before starting the countdown. Once the countdown starts, goals cannot be deleted (but you can edit them).

### How do I track progress on my goals?

1. Go to the Goals tab
2. Tap on a goal
3. Use the progress slider to update
4. Save your changes

### What are milestones?

Milestones are smaller steps that break down a big goal into manageable pieces. For example, "Run a marathon" might have milestones like "Complete first 5K" and "Complete first half-marathon."

### How do I add milestones to a goal?

1. Open a goal
2. Tap "Add Milestone"
3. Enter the milestone title
4. Save
5. Repeat for additional milestones

### Can I add images to my goals?

Yes! You can:
- Upload photos from your device
- Search for images on Unsplash
- Search for images on Pexels

### How do I add locations to my goals?

1. Open a goal
2. Tap "Add Location"
3. Choose "Use Current Location" or "Pick on Map"
4. Save the location

### What happens when I complete a goal?

You'll see a celebration animation, and the goal will be marked as complete with a checkmark. Your progress stats will update automatically.

### Can I edit goals after starting the countdown?

Yes! You can edit goal details, update progress, and add milestones at any time. You just can't delete goals.

---

## Social Features

### What's the difference between public and private profiles?

**Public Profile**:
- Others can see your username and avatar
- Your achievements appear in the feed
- You can appear on leaderboards
- Others can follow you

**Private Profile**:
- Only you can see your profile
- Your achievements stay private
- You don't appear on leaderboards
- Others cannot follow you

### Can I change my profile visibility?

Yes! Go to Settings > Privacy > Profile Visibility to toggle between public and private.

### How do I follow other users?

1. Go to the Social tab
2. Browse the feed or search for users
3. Tap on a user's profile
4. Tap "Follow"

### Can I unfollow someone?

Yes! Go to their profile and tap "Unfollow."

### What shows up in the social feed?

The feed shows:
- Public milestones from users you follow
- Achievement celebrations
- Goal completions
- Progress updates

### Can I hide my achievements from the feed?

Yes! Set your profile to private, and your achievements won't appear in the feed.

### What are leaderboards?

Leaderboards show rankings for:
- Most goals completed
- Longest active streak
- Most recent milestones

### How do I get on the leaderboards?

1. Set your profile to public
2. Complete goals and milestones
3. Maintain active streaks
4. Your rank will update automatically

### What are achievements?

Achievements are badges you unlock for accomplishments like completing your first goal, maintaining a streak, or reaching milestones.

### How do I unlock achievements?

Achievements unlock automatically when you meet the criteria. Check the Achievements screen to see your progress.

---

## Technical Issues

### The app isn't loading. What should I do?

1. Check your internet connection
2. Close and reopen the app
3. Check for app updates
4. Restart your device
5. If the issue persists, contact support

### My countdown isn't updating. What's wrong?

1. Make sure you have an internet connection
2. Close and reopen the app
3. Check that the countdown has started
4. Try refreshing the home screen

### I'm not receiving notifications. How do I fix this?

1. Check your device notification settings
2. Make sure LifeTimer has notification permissions
3. Check in-app notification settings
4. Ensure "Do Not Disturb" is off
5. Restart your device

### The app is crashing. What should I do?

1. Update to the latest version
2. Restart your device
3. Clear app cache (in device settings)
4. Reinstall the app
5. Contact support with crash details

### My data isn't syncing between devices. Help!

1. Make sure you're signed in with the same account
2. Check your internet connection
3. Pull to refresh on each screen
4. Sign out and sign back in
5. Contact support if the issue persists

### Images aren't loading. What's wrong?

1. Check your internet connection
2. Try a different image source
3. Clear app cache in settings
4. Restart the app

### The app is using too much battery. Is this normal?

LifeTimer is optimized for battery efficiency. If you notice unusual battery drain:
1. Check for app updates
2. Close other running apps
3. Reduce notification frequency
4. Contact support if the issue continues

### Can I use LifeTimer offline?

Yes! You can view your goals and countdown offline. Changes will sync when you reconnect to the internet.

---

## Privacy & Security

### Is my data secure?

Yes! Your data is encrypted and protected with industry-standard security measures. We use Supabase's Row Level Security to ensure only you can access your private data.

### Who can see my goals?

Only you can see your goals, unless you set your profile to public. Even with a public profile, only limited information is shared.

### Can I export my data?

Yes! You can request a data export by contacting support at support@lifetimer.app.

### How do you handle my personal information?

We only collect the data necessary to provide the service. Your data is used to track your goals and countdown progress. See our Privacy Policy for details.

### Is my data sold to third parties?

No! We never sell your personal data to third parties.

### How long do you keep my data?

We keep your data as long as your account is active. You can delete your account and all associated data at any time.

### Do you comply with GDPR and CCPA?

Yes! We comply with GDPR, CCPA, and other privacy regulations.

### Can I see what data you have on me?

Yes! You can request a data export by contacting support.

---

## Billing & Payments

### Is LifeTimer free?

Yes! LifeTimer is completely free to use.

### Will there be a premium version in the future?

We're evaluating options for premium features, but the core experience will always remain free.

### Are there any in-app purchases?

No! There are no in-app purchases in the current version.

### Do you show ads?

No! We don't show ads in the app.

---

## Troubleshooting

### I forgot my password. How do I reset it?

1. Go to the sign-in screen
2. Tap "Forgot Password?"
3. Enter your email address
4. Check your email for reset instructions
5. Create a new password

### I can't sign in. What should I do?

1. Check your internet connection
2. Verify your email and password are correct
3. Try signing in with Google or Apple if you used those methods
4. Reset your password if needed
5. Contact support if the issue persists

### The app won't let me start my countdown. Why?

Make sure:
- You have at least one goal
- All your goals have titles
- You're not already in an active countdown
- Your internet connection is stable

### My progress disappeared. What happened?

1. Check that you're signed in
2. Refresh the goals list
3. Check your internet connection
4. Contact support if the issue persists

### I accidentally marked a goal complete. Can I undo it?

Yes! Open the goal and adjust the progress slider below 100%.

### How do I report a bug?

1. Go to Settings > Send Feedback
2. Describe the bug in detail
3. Include steps to reproduce it
4. Add screenshots if helpful
5. Submit your feedback

### How do I request a feature?

1. Go to Settings > Send Feedback
2. Select "Feature Request"
3. Describe your feature idea
4. Explain why it would be helpful
5. Submit your feedback

### The app is in the wrong language. How do I change it?

LifeTimer currently supports English. We're working on adding more languages in future updates.

### Can I use LifeTimer on my iPad?

Yes! LifeTimer is optimized for both iPhone and iPad.

### Can I use LifeTimer on my Android tablet?

Yes! LifeTimer works on Android phones and tablets.

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## Still Have Questions?

### Contact Support

**Email**: support@lifetimer.app
**Twitter**: @LifeTimerApp
**Discord**: https://discord.gg/lifetimer

### Community

Join our Discord server to connect with other LifeTimer users, share tips, and get support from the community.

### Documentation

Check out our [User Guide](USER_GUIDE.md) for detailed instructions on using LifeTimer.

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**Version**: 1.0.0
**Last Updated**: January 3, 2026
