Questions & Answers

In the planner, go to Settings → Notifications → Turn on notifications on this device, then tap Allow when your device asks. Do this on each phone or computer where you want reminders. Send a test notification checks that it works.

Apple only allows notifications from apps on your Home Screen (iPhone with iOS 16.4 or newer). Open bluephoenixplanner.com/app in Safari, tap Share → Add to Home Screen, open the planner from your Home Screen, and turn notifications on there.

Yes. The pop-up reminders you set in Google Calendar (and your Google calendar's default reminders) come through, and so do alerts in calendars you add by link when they include them. Events without a reminder use your default from Settings (10 minutes before, unless you change it). You can turn off “Use the reminders set in Google Calendar” to use your own default for everything instead.

Yes. When you add or edit an event, choose a time under Reminder, or No reminder.

Yes. In Settings → Notifications, under Gratitude circles, choose which ones you'd like: when someone shares, when someone reacts to your posts, when someone hasn't checked in in a while, and when you haven't shared in a while. You can turn circle notifications off completely without affecting your event reminders. Check-in nudges only come during the daytime, and rarely.

Yes. In Settings → Notifications, turn off Show names, event details, and what was shared. You'll still get a reminder, like “Upcoming event: Today at 3:00 PM,” without saying what it is, and circle notifications won't show who or what was shared.

• In Settings → Notifications, make sure it says On for this device, and try Send a test notification.
• Check your phone's Focus or Do Not Disturb, and that notifications are allowed for BluePhoenix Planner in your phone's or browser's settings.
• Signing out turns notifications off on that device; turn them on again after signing back in.
• If someone else signed in on this device and turned notifications on, it now sends their reminders instead.

Yes. BluePhoenix Planner asks Google for read-only access to your events. That means it can show your events in your planner, but it cannot add, change, or delete anything in your Google Calendar, and it never sees your Google password.

Google reviewed and verified BluePhoenix Planner's use of this access. The keys Google gives us are stored only on our secure server, never in your browser, and your calendar is never sold, used for ads, or shared.

That's Google's standard wording for read-only calendar access; there isn't a narrower option. In practice, the planner only brings in your main calendar, plus any shared calendars you choose to add yourself in Settings. It can only ever view; it can't change anything.

Events from about 3 months ago to 12 months ahead. They refresh by themselves when you open the planner (if it's been more than 15 minutes), or right away with Sync now in Settings → Connected Calendars.

Because the connection is read-only on purpose, so nothing in your Google Calendar can ever be changed by accident. Edit the event in Google Calendar and it updates in your planner at the next sync.

At first, only your main Google calendar comes in. To add a calendar someone shared with you:

1. On a computer, open calendar.google.com.
2. On the left under Other calendars, point to the calendar, click ⋮, then Settings.
3. Scroll to Integrate calendar and copy the Calendar ID.
4. In the planner, go to Settings → Connected Calendars → + Add a shared calendar and paste it.

You only do this once per calendar; after that it updates by itself.

Go to Settings → Connected Calendars → Disconnect. This removes the imported events from your planner, deletes our access keys, and tells Google to cancel our access. Nothing is deleted from your Google Calendar. You can also remove access anytime at myaccount.google.com/permissions.

Apple doesn't offer a way for apps like ours to connect to iCloud Calendar by signing in. The only way Apple lets you share a calendar with another app, without giving away your Apple ID password, is a calendar link, and Apple's name for that switch is Public Calendar.

No. Despite the name, it's an unlisted link:

• Your calendar isn't listed or searchable anywhere.
• The link contains a long random code, so it can't be guessed.
• Only someone who has that exact link could view the calendar, and they could only view it, never change it.
• BluePhoenix Planner keeps the link on our secure server and never shows it again, not even to you.

The one thing to keep in mind: treat the link like a password and don't post it anywhere. If you'd rather not share a particular calendar, simply don't add it.

1. On your iPhone or iPad, open the Calendar app and tap Calendars.
2. Tap ⓘ next to the calendar you want and turn on Public Calendar.
3. Tap Share Link…, then Copy.
4. In the planner, go to Settings → Apple, Outlook & other calendars → + Add a calendar by link, paste it, and tap Add calendar.

Anytime. On your iPhone, turn off Public Calendar for that calendar and the link stops working immediately. Then remove the calendar in the planner's Settings (it will show a note that it can't be opened anymore).

Apple doesn't offer a sign-in for calendar access. The only other way would be for you to create an “app-specific password” and give it to us, but that password also opens your iCloud email and contacts. We don't think any app should hold that, so we never ask for it.

Many iPhone calendars are really Google or Outlook accounts. On your iPhone, open Settings → Apps → Calendar → Calendar Accounts (on older iPhones, Settings → Calendar → Accounts). If you see Gmail or Google there, connect Google Calendar in the planner instead: it's private and needs no link.

1. Open Outlook on the web and go to Settings ⚙ → Calendar → Shared calendars.
2. Under Publish a calendar, choose the calendar and Can view all details, then Publish.
3. Copy the ICS link and add it in the planner's Settings → Apple, Outlook & other calendars.

Like Apple's, this is an unlisted link. A private “sign in with Microsoft” option is planned.

If it offers a calendar feed or subscription link (often starting with webcal:// or ending in .ics), you can add it. In Canvas, open Calendar and click Calendar Feed (bottom right) to copy yours. These links are already private to you; keep them that way.

Samsung doesn't let other apps or websites read Samsung Calendar. The easy fix: in Samsung Calendar's settings, choose to save your events to your Google account, then connect Google Calendar in the planner. Events already in a Google or Outlook account on your phone come through those connections.

The planner checks them when you open it (if it's been more than 30 minutes), or right away with Refresh in Settings. Apple and Outlook update their own links on their own schedule, so a change can take a little while to show up.

Only you. Our database is set up so each account can only ever read its own information. The one exception is anything you choose to share with a gratitude circle, which that circle's members can see.

No. There are no ads, we never sell your information, and we don't use it to train AI. Read the full Privacy Policy.

Yes. When you upload a PDF or photo to find dates, it's read entirely on your own device. The file is never sent to us or stored.

You're signed out automatically after 30 minutes without activity, or when you close the planner. Only turn on “Keep my planner on this device” on your own phone or computer.

Settings → Delete my account. This permanently deletes your account and everything in it, including calendar connections and anything you shared in circles.

Everything you write under “Grateful” and “Three Things I Accomplished” in your Daily Planner, gathered on one page to look back on during hard weeks. Tap Show me a good moment for a random reminder. It's private unless you share something.

A small, private, invite-only group, like friends, family, or a support group. Only people with your circle's invite code can join. Members see the display name you choose and what you share there, never your email or the rest of your planner. Members can respond with encouraging reactions; there are no comments.

Yes. Tap Stop sharing in your journal or Remove on your post. Leaving a circle removes everything you shared there.

Tap Report on the post. It opens a short form in the app with that post attached, and it comes straight to us. You can also email hello@bluephoenixplanner.com. The person who looks after the circle can remove posts and members and reset the invite code. You can always leave a circle.

Yes, it's currently free to use.

No. The app follows the same pages as the printed planner (month, week, and day), so it's a natural companion, but it works perfectly on its own.

• iPhone: open bluephoenixplanner.com/app in Safari, tap the Share button, then Add to Home Screen.
• Android: open it in Chrome, tap ⋮, then Install app (or Add to Home screen).
• Computer: in Chrome or Edge, click the install icon in the address bar.

It's free, there's no app store, and it updates itself. Settings → Get the app shows these steps too.

If you turn on Settings → This device → Keep my planner on this device, your planner opens and can be viewed without internet. Adding or changing things needs a connection.

In the planner, open the menu (☰) and tap Help & Contact at the bottom. Choose what it's about, write your message, and tap Send. We'll reply to the email on your account. You can also email hello@bluephoenixplanner.com.

No. BluePhoenix Planner is designed with good mental health in mind, but it's a planning tool, not medical or mental health care. If you're struggling, please reach out to a professional. In the US, you can call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) anytime.