Answers to common questions, and step-by-step troubleshooting for when something isn't working quite right.
Yes. Download it once, it's yours. No subscription, no in-app purchases, no "pro" tier hidden behind a paywall. Ever. That said, if Gather brings you joy, donations are always appreciated ☕
Completely offline, always. The only features that need a connection are the optional live weather emoji and the World Cup banner — both are entirely optional and can be toggled off in Settings.
Yes. Every line of code that runs on your machine is available for you to read and inspect.
macOS 12+ (Apple Silicon and Intel), Windows 10+, and Android. An iOS version is on the ideas list.
All your data is stored in a single JSON file on your machine. There is no cloud, no server, no account.
Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/Gather/gather-data.json
Windows: %APPDATA%\Gather\gather-data.json
Copy the file above to anywhere you like — an external drive, iCloud, a USB stick, Dropbox. It's just a file. We recommend doing this occasionally, especially before updating the app.
Close Gather, replace the existing gather-data.json file at the path above with your backup copy, then reopen the app. Your data will be restored exactly as it was.
If you don't have a backup, the data is unfortunately gone — Gather doesn't keep a recycle bin or history of deleted items. This is a good reminder to back up your data file occasionally.
Sync runs a temporary local server on your desktop app. Your Android phone connects to it directly over your home Wi-Fi — no cloud, no external servers. Your data never leaves your local network. Data never leaves your local network. The session expires after 5 minutes for security.
Everything — tasks, notes, habits, check-ins, currently enjoying, countdowns, quick links, and settings. The only things that don't sync are cover photos and local file images, since those are device-specific file paths.
Get from Desktop pulls your desktop data down to your phone, replacing what's on Android with the desktop version. Send to Desktop pushes what's on your phone up to the desktop. Always choose the direction that has your most up-to-date data.
Your phone and Mac/PC must be connected to the exact same router. Mobile data, a hotspot, or a guest network will not work. On Android, go to Settings → Wi-Fi and confirm the network name matches your desktop's connection.
In Gather desktop, go to Settings → Sync and tap Start. You should see a QR code appear. The server is only active while that session is running — it expires after 5 minutes.
The QR code contains a secure token that changes every session. Typing the address manually without the correct code will result in a "Forbidden" error. Always scan first. If scanning doesn't work, copy the full address including the ?t=XXXXXX part shown below the QR code.
If your Mac firewall is enabled, it may be blocking incoming connections from your phone. Go to System Settings → Network → Firewall → Options and make sure Gather is set to "Allow incoming connections". If Gather isn't listed, try starting a sync session — macOS should prompt you to allow it.
A VPN on either device can route traffic away from your local network, making your phone and desktop invisible to each other even on the same Wi-Fi. Disable any VPN on both devices before syncing, then re-enable it afterwards.
If the server was started more than 5 minutes ago, the session will have expired. Hit Stop then Start again in desktop Settings → Sync to get a fresh QR code and token, then scan again on your phone.
100.64.x.x or 10.x.x.x, a VPN is interfering. If it shows the right IP but still fails, your router may have client isolation enabled — a setting that prevents devices on the same network from talking to each other. Check your router settings or try temporarily connecting to a different network.
Download the APK from the Downloads page or the Release Notes. Open the downloaded file on your Android device. If prompted, you'll need to allow installation from unknown sources — this is normal for apps installed outside the Play Store. Go to Settings → Apps → Special app access → Install unknown apps and allow your browser or file manager.
Not yet — install via APK for now. No Play Store account required, and the APK is the same app.
Notifications require a real APK build — they don't work in Expo Go preview mode. If you've installed via the APK and notifications still aren't arriving, check that Gather has notification permission in your Android Settings → Apps → Gather → Notifications.
Download the latest APK from the Release Notes page and install it on top of the existing app. Your data is stored separately and won't be affected by an update.
Go to Settings → Modes and scroll to the Notifications section. You can enable reminders for to-dos, habits, and daily check-ins, or create up to 6 custom reminders with your own message and time.
Make sure Gather has notification permission on your Mac or PC. On Mac, go to System Settings → Notifications → Gather and ensure notifications are allowed. On Windows, check Settings → System → Notifications.
Scheduled notifications only work in the installed APK build — not in Expo Go. If you're using the APK, check that Gather has notification permission: Settings → Apps → Gather → Notifications → Allow. Also check that battery optimisation isn't killing the app in the background.
Go to Settings → Appearance → Colour palette. There are 15+ palettes, each with a light and dark variant. Your choice is saved immediately.
Click the moon icon at the bottom of the sidebar at any time, or go to Settings → Appearance → Light / Dark.
Settings → Appearance → Font. There are 10 fonts available, from clean sans-serifs to serifs and display options.
Go to Settings → Sections. Each section has an on/off toggle. Hidden sections remain in the sidebar and still save their data — they're just not shown on the home dashboard.
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