PicLoomHelp & support
A little help when you need it. Explore a guide, understand your choices, or get in touch.
Recent brings newly captured photos and videos forward when you return; tap it again to switch to Screenshots, Videos, Live Photos, Blurry or Duplicates, sorted newest, oldest or largest first. Time Stroll keeps your current batch until you choose another. You confirm again before anything is deleted.
The app and widgets speak seven languages. You can choose a separate language for writing help; words you have already written are never automatically translated.
FAQ
What is free, and what does Pro add?
You get 50 new keep or queue decisions each day. One eligible completed share adds 25 for that day. A one-time Pro purchase permanently unlocks unlimited reviewing, Mint and Graphite themes, Pro icons, trip albums in one tap and a Pro identity badge. Pearl and Blue are free. Future optional features or cloud services may cost extra; your purchased unlimited reviewing remains yours.
Can I review videos and Live Photos too?
Yes. Photos, videos and Live Photos all enter the review flow. Play a video, or hold a Live Photo in the viewer, before choosing to keep or queue it. A Live Photo remains one item, not two review decisions.
Can PicLoom find duplicates, blurry photos or screenshots?
Yes. Tap Recent again on the Review screen to pick a pile: Screenshots, Videos, Live Photos, Blurry or Duplicates. Duplicates groups identical copies and similar burst shots, suggests one to keep and never preselects favorites. Photos you set aside go to To delete and count like a swipe; you can change them until you confirm, and iOS asks before anything is removed. The checks run on your iPhone, from thumbnails already on the device, and nothing is uploaded.
Does swiping left delete a photo immediately?
No. It only adds the item to the deletion queue. Undo your latest choice, or revise choices in review history. iOS asks for confirmation before deletion. Recently Deleted normally keeps items for up to 30 days; follow the date shown by the system. Measured size removed is not the same as instantly available storage.
Can I sort photos into albums?
Yes. Swipe a photo up to keep it and add it to an album; albums fan out above the card, and you can pin up to 3 you use most. This is free, and each swipe up counts as one keep. With Pro, a whole trip from the Footprints map can be saved as an album in one tap. Albums live in the iOS Photos app: PicLoom only adds photos, and never removes, edits or uploads them.
Does PicLoom write my journal for me?
Only as much as you want. On days worth keeping (a trip, a new city, a holiday, a birthday or an activity milestone) PicLoom lays out a page from that day’s photos and leaves it for you to keep, edit or skip. Where Apple Intelligence is available, it adds a short title and a line or two on your iPhone. Photos are not uploaded.
Does a journal entry need AI or a photo?
Neither is required. Write about any day, with or without photos, and keep unfinished writing as a draft. Optional “Help me write” uses your own configured AI service. Read and adopt its suggestion on the same page, with your previous words kept for undo. Requests send only the writing material you confirm; up to six selected still photos or video covers need separate consent. Writing, saving and making a share card work without an API key.
Which languages and devices are supported?
The app and widgets support English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, Korean, French and Spanish. iPhone requires iOS 17 or later. Writing help can use a separate language; existing writing is not automatically translated.
How do I restore Pro, and is cloud AI included?
Use the App Store account you purchased with and choose Restore Purchases in Settings or Pro. Your chosen AI provider bills usage separately; it is not included in Pro. Apple’s actual configuration determines price, availability, Family Sharing and refunds.
How much is Pro?
Pro is a one-time in-app purchase of US$9.99. The App Store shows the exact price, currency and availability for your region; it is not a subscription.
What counts as an eligible share?
Complete a share to a supported destination from review results or the daily allowance screen to receive 25 extra reviews for the day, once a day. Cancelling, copying, saving, printing or an unconfirmed share earns no bonus. Ordinary recommendations and Pro identity badge shares do not earn the daily bonus.
What are invitation rewards and gifts?
When the relevant service is available, an invitation confirmed in the app gives the inviter 200 extra reviews that accumulate and do not expire. Opening or forwarding a link does not earn a reward. Review-credit gifts are accepted separately at their stated amount and do not unlock Pro. Check the app for availability and the applicable rules.
Are journal videos free?
Sharing pages, recaps and long images is always free. Free users can make 3 journal videos; each page or recap counts once, so remaking it or changing the music does not use another. Pro makes videos unlimited.
Why are some previews waiting?
Older photos may be stored in iCloud. Wi-Fi only is the default download policy. You can change it in Settings → Photo downloads, or allow cellular access for the current session when prompted.
Why is a Live Photo not moving?
The still photo may be on your device while its motion remains in iCloud. Start playback to request the motion; downloads follow Settings → Photo downloads. If restricted, Download this item allows only that item. Photos with Live turned off or a still effect remain still. A photo saved without its paired motion cannot regain it here.
Does everything work offline?
You can review downloaded photos with your saved allowance and read these guides offline. A new iCloud identity must first restore its allowance online. Invitations, allowance sync, iCloud photo downloads, place lookups, cloud writing, and external links need a connection.
Where are the settings?
Use the gear at the top right of Calendar, Journal, or Footprints. Each opens the same complete settings page. Review keeps its controls focused on sorting photos.
Where can I invite a friend?
Open Settings → Share App → Invitations & gifts. Share your invitation link, then ask your friend to open it again after installing or enter the code in the app. After they sign in to iCloud and confirm, you receive 200 permanent reviews when you refresh. Each account can confirm one invitation; gifts are separate.
How do I accept a gift?
In Settings → Share App → Invitations & gifts, enter the code, view the card, then choose Accept. Opening a link does not claim it. Install first, then reopen the original link or enter the code. Sign in to iCloud to receive and restore gifts. If saving was interrupted, retry to recover the same gift. Saved gifts are usable on this device while iCloud sync retries. For a Pro offer code, use the separate Apple redemption button.
Pick a day
Open Journal and write straight into the page. A title is optional; words, pictures, or both can be saved. Drafts stay on this device. Tap Done to save the finished entry and read it.
Activity from Apple Health
The activity strip below the entry shows that day’s Move, Exercise and Stand rings, or workouts and steps when there are no rings. Today’s rings update as your Watch syncs. Show activity opens Health’s permission screen after a short explanation. Add to this page puts a small stamp under your entry; tap it to switch to a full card or remove it. While writing, the activity phrases above the keyboard add a workout or your steps at the cursor. If Health already has your choices, Check Health access explains how to change them.
Choose how entries are written
Tap pictures to select them; use the corner button to view or play. For AI writing help, expand Hint for AI to add context. Only Help me write sends the hint to your configured AI. Suggestions stay on this page and keep your previous wording available. You can write and save without AI.
Pictures kept with your journal
Saved pictures stay available for reading and sharing when their originals are deleted or photo access changes. Older entries keep local copies when their originals can still be read on this device. An already unavailable original cannot be recovered. If a picture cannot be kept when saving, retry or remove it from the selection; your draft and previous saved page are preserved.
Journal pages and sharing
A saved page opens as a journal page. Choose a template and a paper, or tap Shuffle for a new layout; switch to Text to read the words alone. Use the share button at the top right to share the page as images (long image, 3:4, 9:16 or 1:1) or as a video. Drafts cannot be shared.
Pages laid out for you
On trips, in new cities, on holidays, on birthdays and anniversaries you add, and on activity milestones, PicLoom picks photos from that day and lays out a page. Keep it to save it, edit it first, or choose Not this one; it won’t come back for that day or trip. Where Apple Intelligence is available, a short title and a line or two are written on this device; your cloud writing service is never used automatically.
Month recaps and time capsules
At the end of each month your pages are bound into a month recap you can flip through, and a year in review arrives at the end of December. To seal a page, choose Seal until… on the page; it stays locked until 9:00 that day, then you can open it. You can also add the date to Calendar.
Journal videos
Make video turns a page or a recap into a 9:16 video with music. The music is built in and free to share. Without Pro you can make 3 videos; a page or recap counts once, even if you remake it or change the music. Images are never limited.
Language and saved entries
New drafts use the selected journal language. Your words and existing entries are not translated. BYOK uses your saved endpoint, model and consent, with a separate choice for still image attachments. Writing and sharing do not need an AI service.
Add a widget
Touch and hold the Home Screen, choose Edit, then Add Widget. Find this app, choose a widget size, and add it to your Home Screen.
Photo Calendar
Choose Photo Calendar for a small month view, or today beside the month in medium size. Rings show review progress; a checkmark means all accessible items on that date have been reviewed. A book marks a saved entry. Tap the month to open Calendar, or the medium widget's today area to open today's album.
Keep it up to date
Open the app to refresh shared data. Photo counts include only the photos and videos the app can access. Saved entries can still appear when photo access is off. iOS decides when widgets update. If the calendar asks for an update, open the app again.
Online features, including invitations and gifts, depend on availability in the app and service. Keep your code if the app says the service is not available yet.
Contact the developer
Tap the version in Settings or About to open Version & diagnostics. A support email draft includes the version, Build ID, device model, system version and app language; review it before sending. You choose whether to share a diagnostic report.