It helps to tell us your iPhone model, your iOS version and what you saw on the screen. Please leave your own writing out of the message. Doctrine keeps no copy of it, and we do not need it to help.
Common questions
How do I restore my purchase?
If Doctrine is showing the plan screen, tap Restore at the bottom of it. Otherwise, go to the Your book tab, tap the gear icon for Settings, then choose Restore purchases in the Subscription section. Use the same Apple Account you bought with. If the app says there is nothing to restore, check that you are signed in to that account on this iPhone.
How do I move Doctrine to a new phone?
The simplest way is a normal iPhone backup and restore, since a backup includes the app's data. You can also do it by hand. On the old phone, open Settings in Doctrine and tap Export everything in the Your data section, then send the JSON file to the new phone. On the new phone, install Doctrine and go through the first steps. When the plan screen appears, tap Restore at the bottom of it to bring your plan across. Then open Settings from the Your book tab, tap Import a Doctrine export and pick the file. Doctrine asks whether to merge with what is already there or replace it. The export holds your writing, your week names, your book and your settings, and also the Doctrine 1 archive if you have one.
What happens if I stop paying?
Nothing you wrote is taken away. Doctrine switches to read-only mode. You can still read your weeks, your book and your past days, print your books and export everything. Writing new entries needs an active plan, and it returns when you subscribe again.
Where is my Doctrine 1 data?
It is still on your phone as a read-only archive. Open Settings from the Your book tab and look in the Your data section for Doctrine 1 archive. That row appears only when the phone has Doctrine 1 entries. You can read them there but not change them. Export everything includes the archive, so it moves with you to a new phone.
My reminders are not arriving. What can I check?
First, in Doctrine's Settings, look at The practice section and make sure Morning reminder and Evening reminder are on. Then open iOS Settings, choose Notifications, find Doctrine and allow notifications. Doctrine's Settings shows an Open iOS Settings button if they are off. A Focus mode can also hold them back. Doctrine plans the next two weeks of reminders on the phone and refreshes them whenever you open the app, so opening it now and then keeps them going. Once you have closed the evening review for a day, that day's evening reminder is skipped. The morning reminder can be set between 4:00 a.m. and noon, and the evening one between 5:00 p.m. and 11:59 p.m.
How does the Face ID lock work?
Turn on Lock with Face ID in the Privacy section of Settings. Doctrine then asks for Face ID, or your passcode, when it opens and when you come back after more than five minutes away. It also hides the app in the app switcher. The lock uses iOS's own system, and Doctrine never receives your face data. If the iPhone has no passcode, the lock turns itself off and Settings tells you so.
How do I add the widgets?
Touch and hold an empty spot on your Home Screen, tap the plus button and search for Doctrine. There are two widgets. Daily passage comes in small and medium sizes, and Weeks comes in small and as a Lock Screen widget. They show passages and the number of your weeks, never your own writing. If a widget says Open Doctrine to continue, open the app once. It also shows that message while you have no active plan.
How do I cancel my subscription?
Open Settings on your iPhone, tap your name, choose Subscriptions and select Doctrine. You can also tap Manage subscription in Doctrine's Settings. Cancel at least 24 hours before the period ends so it does not renew. If you cancel during the free week, you are not charged. You keep access until the end of the period you already paid for.
How do I get a refund?
Apple handles payments and refunds, so we cannot refund a purchase ourselves. Go to reportaproblem.apple.com, sign in, choose the purchase and tell Apple what went wrong. Apple decides on the request.
Why can I not find Seneca's Letters to Lucilius?
The translation we use, by Gummere (1917), is in the public domain in the United States only. Doctrine offers it only when your App Store country is the United States. Elsewhere the reading plan uses Stewart's translation of Seneca. A Letters passage you kept earlier stays in your book and in your exports.
How do I delete my data?
Delete the Doctrine app from your iPhone. That removes everything the app stored, including the random identifier used for anonymous usage counts. There is no account to close. If you want a copy first, use Export everything. If you back up your iPhone, older backups may still hold a copy until Apple replaces them.
Is anything sent off my phone?
Your writing and your birth date never leave the phone. The app sends a short list of anonymous usage counts, such as that someone finished setup, to TelemetryDeck. Apple and RevenueCat process your purchase and subscription status. The privacy policy lists every signal and explains each one.
Still stuck?
Email frank@beginagaindigital.com. For billing and refunds, Apple is the quickest route, at reportaproblem.apple.com.