A little guidance
Find your way.
A few things to help you feel at home, and keep your memories safe.
Before you change phones
Memories are saved locally. Signing into an Apple or Google account does not sync them through Portal Theory.
- Open the app’s menu, then Settings.
- Choose Export backup. Save the JSON file somewhere you can access later, such as your own Files storage.
- On the other device, open Settings and choose Restore from backup.
- Check the preview carefully. Restoring replaces that app’s local collection; it does not merge two collections.
Back up both devices first if either contains memories you want to keep. Exported files contain your writing and are not encrypted by the app. During the beta, test restoration with non-sensitive entries first.
Where are my Expo Go memories?
Expo Go and the standalone TestFlight app have separate storage. Export from Expo Go, then restore the file inside Portal Theory. The transfer is not automatic.
Can I undo a restore?
Settings → Recover before last restore opens the local snapshot kept immediately before your most recent restore. It is only one recovery slot. A subsequent restore replaces it, and resetting local data clears it. It cannot recover data after losing your device or uninstalling the app.
How do I delete a reflection?
Open the reflection and use its delete control. Deleting the writing leaves its colors available. For a full reset, use Settings → Reset all local data and review the confirmation. Exported files and backups outside the app must be deleted separately. A pre-restore recovery snapshot can also retain earlier writing until replaced or cleared by reset.
Why isn’t Tilt working?
Select Tilt and allow motion access when requested. Touch remains available if permission is denied or your device does not support motion input. Settings includes a control to reverse forward/back tilt.
The app doesn’t appear in TestFlight.
You need an invitation for Portal Theory specifically, even if you already test another app. Open the invitation email on your iPhone and accept it in TestFlight. Our first beta may show the earlier name “Zen Garden.”
Can I recover memories without a backup?
We don’t have a server copy of your reflections. Don’t uninstall or reset the app to troubleshoot missing writing. Preserve the device and any backups you have, then ask for help.
Need a hand?
Include your phone model, operating-system version, app version and what happened. Please don’t send passwords, banking details or your full memory backup. Remove personal writing from screenshots before sharing them.