HelpStash Support & FAQ

Last Updated: December 23, 2025

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Frequently Asked Questions

Getting Started

Q: How do I start my first timer?

A: Tap the "Pause a Spend" button on the home screen, enter the purchase amount (optional), select duration, and tap "Start."

Q: What timer duration should I choose?

A: Start with 30 minutes for small purchases (<$50), 1-2 hours for medium purchases ($50-$200), or 24 hours for large purchases (>$200). You can create custom durations up to 7 days.

Live Activities & Notifications

Q: Why isn't my Live Activity showing on the Lock Screen?

A:

  1. Check Settings → Notifications → HelpStash → Allow Notifications: ON
  2. Ensure Live Activities are enabled: Settings → HelpStash → Live Activities: ON
  3. Requires iOS 18.0+ and iPhone (not iPad)
  4. Low Power Mode may suppress Live Activities

Q: I didn't receive a notification when my timer ended.

A:

  1. Check notification permissions: Settings → Notifications → HelpStash
  2. Ensure "Do Not Disturb" is off
  3. Check "Scheduled Summary" isn't delaying notifications
  4. Notification accuracy: ±5 seconds (timer may have just completed)

Subscription & Billing

Q: How do I start the 1-month free trial?

A: Tap "Upgrade to Premium" in the app, select a plan (monthly or annual), and tap "Start Free Trial." You won't be charged until the trial ends.

Q: How do I cancel my subscription?

A:

  1. Open Settings on iPhone
  2. Tap your name at top
  3. Tap Subscriptions
  4. Select HelpStash
  5. Tap "Cancel Subscription"

You'll retain Premium access until the end of your billing period.

Q: How do I restore my Premium subscription on a new device?

A: Open HelpStash → Settings → "Restore Purchases." Your subscription is linked to your Apple ID.

Q: I hit the 3 free pauses limit. How do I continue?

A: Either wait until Monday (weekly limit resets) or upgrade to Premium for unlimited pauses.

Q: Can I get a refund?

A: Refunds are handled by Apple. Visit reportaproblem.apple.com, sign in with your Apple ID, find HelpStash, and select "Request a refund."

Features & Usage

Q: Can I pause the breathing exercise mid-way?

A: Currently, you can exit at any time, but the exercise restarts from the beginning if you return.

Q: How does the streak work?

A: Complete at least 1 timer per day to maintain your streak. You have a 48-hour grace period if you miss a day.

Q: Can I edit or delete a completed timer?

A: Not currently. This ensures data integrity for your stats. If you marked a timer incorrectly, the impact on overall stats is minimal.

Technical Issues

Q: The app crashed. Will I lose my active timer?

A: No. Timers are saved locally and persist through app crashes, force-quit, and phone restarts.

Q: How do I delete all my data?

A: Open Settings in-app → "Delete All Data" → Confirm. Alternatively, uninstall the app.

Q: Can I use HelpStash on iPad?

A: HelpStash is currently iPhone-only. iPad support may be added in the future.

Troubleshooting Guides

Timer Not Starting

  1. Restart the app (force-close and reopen)
  2. Check for app updates in App Store
  3. Ensure iOS 18.0+ (Settings → General → About → Software Version)
  4. If issue persists, email support@helpstash.app with your device model and iOS version

Live Activity Stuck or Not Updating

  1. Lock and unlock your phone to refresh
  2. Swipe down on Lock Screen to refresh
  3. If timer expired but Live Activity remains: Long-press Live Activity → "Remove"
  4. Known iOS limitation: Live Activities may continue past timer end if app force-quit

Stats Not Updating

  1. Verify you marked the timer outcome ("I Didn't Buy It" or "I Bought It Anyway")
  2. Pull-to-refresh on Stats screen
  3. Restart the app

v1.3 Features (December 2025)

How do I use Private AI Reflection?

Requirements:

  • Premium subscription ($1.99/mo or $14.99/yr with 1-month free trial)
  • iPhone 15 Pro or later
  • iOS 26.0 or later
  • Apple Intelligence enabled in Settings → Apple Intelligence & Siri

How to access:

  1. Open HelpStash and tap the "Stats" tab
  2. Scroll down to find the "AI Behavior Summary" card
  3. Tap to open Private AI Reflection
  4. Choose your reflection period: Weekly (7 days) or Monthly (30 days)
  5. AI analyzes your timer history and journal entries to generate insights

What you'll see:

  • Progress: Overview of your improvement over time
  • Patterns: Behavioral trends and triggers identified
  • Strategies: Personalized recommendations based on what works for you
  • Momentum: Motivation and next steps to maintain progress

Privacy guarantee: All AI processing happens 100% on your device using Apple Intelligence. Your data never leaves your iPhone. No external servers, no third-party AI, complete privacy.

Troubleshooting:

  • If "AI Behavior Summary" card doesn't appear, your device doesn't support Apple Intelligence (requires iPhone 15 Pro+ with iOS 26.0+)
  • If it shows "Apple Intelligence not available," enable it in iOS Settings → Apple Intelligence & Siri
  • If generation fails, ensure you have at least 3 completed timers and 2 journal entries for meaningful analysis

How do I add home screen widgets?

HelpStash offers three widget sizes: Small (streak only), Medium (streak + money saved), and Large (full stats dashboard).

Adding widgets:

  1. Long-press anywhere on your iPhone home screen until apps start jiggling
  2. Tap the "+" button in the top-left corner
  3. Scroll down or search for "HelpStash"
  4. Choose your preferred widget size (Small, Medium, or Large)
  5. Tap "Add Widget"
  6. Position the widget where you want it
  7. Tap "Done" in the top-right corner

How widgets update:

  • Widgets automatically refresh when you complete timers, reach milestones, or update journal entries
  • Daily stats update at midnight to show accurate streak and progress
  • No manual refresh needed—widgets stay in sync with your app data

Lock Screen widgets: You can also add HelpStash widgets to your Lock Screen for quick glances. Long-press your Lock Screen → Customize → Add Widgets → HelpStash.

What is the Urge Journal?

The Urge Journal is a structured reflection tool that helps you understand what triggers your impulse purchases. It's based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) principles and is available to all users (free and premium).

How to use it:

  1. After creating a pause timer, tap "Reflect on Urge" in the timer details
  2. Answer prompts about your emotional state before/after the urge
  3. Select common triggers (e.g., stress, boredom, social media, ads)
  4. Rate your emotion intensity on a 0-10 scale
  5. Write notes about what you were thinking or feeling
  6. Save your entry

Benefits:

  • Identify patterns in when and why impulse purchases happen
  • Track emotional changes before and after resisting urges
  • Build self-awareness around spending triggers
  • Premium users get AI-powered insights from journal entries

Privacy: Journal entries are stored locally on your device only. They're never uploaded to servers or shared with anyone.

What are Journal Insights? (Premium)

Journal Insights is a premium feature that transforms your urge journal entries into actionable analytics. It analyzes patterns across all your entries to reveal deeper insights.

What insights you'll see:

  • Top Triggers: Ranked list of what most commonly sparks your impulse purchases (e.g., "Stress triggers 45% of urges")
  • Emotion Trends: How your emotional intensity changes before vs. after resisting purchases
  • Time-of-Day Patterns: When you're most vulnerable to impulse buying (e.g., "Evening urges are strongest")
  • Success Strategies: Which resistance tactics work best for you based on successful outcomes

Requirements: Premium subscription + at least 5 journal entries for meaningful insights.

Feature Requests & Feedback

Have an idea for HelpStash? We'd love to hear it!

Email: support@helpstash.app

Subject Line: "Feature Request: [Your Idea]"

Additional Resources

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