Smile Until Questions: How the Daily Smile Journal Works

Smile Until is a free iPhone app for a ten-second daily ritual: you smile into the front camera, it takes the photo by itself, and the day is lit in your journal. These are the questions people ask us most, answered by the team that makes it.

What is Smile Until?

Smile Until is an iPhone app for a ten-second daily ritual. You open it, the front camera finds your smile inside a sun ring and takes the photo by itself, and that day is lit in your journal. On a harder day you can use Memory Lane and pick one of your own photos that made you smile instead. It is made by AIVORY COMPANY LIMITED.

How does the smile camera work?

The app opens straight to the front camera. As it sees a real smile, the sun ring around your face fills up, and when it is full the photo is taken for you. A soft glow and a gentle tap confirm the moment. There is also a shutter button if you would rather take the photo yourself.

Which iPhones does Smile Until work on?

Any iPhone with iOS 17 or later. iPhones with Face ID use the TrueDepth camera and Apple's face tracking to see your smile. Other models, like iPhone SE, use Apple's Vision framework on the device.

What if I don't feel like taking a selfie?

Choose Memory Lane. It shows three to five of your own photos, picked on your iPhone from the things you said you like when you set the app up, such as family, pets, travel or sunsets. If one makes you smile, tap "This made me smile" and the day is lit, the same as with a selfie.

What does a lit day mean?

A lit day is any day with at least one moment, either a smile selfie or a Memory Lane photo. Your journal shows this month's lit days as a sun arc, with a count of days lit so far, and a calendar where you can open any day to see its moments again.

What happens if I skip a day?

Nothing is lost. A day without a moment stays open. It is not marked as a mistake, and the days before it stay lit.

How does relighting a day work?

Once today is lit, you can relight an open day from the past with one more smile. You can relight up to three days a day, and there is no deadline, so a quiet day from weeks ago can still be relit. Relit days are shown as relit in the calendar.

Does Smile Until use streaks?

No. Smile Until counts lit days, not days in a row, so one quiet day never resets anything. We explain why in a habit tracker without streaks.

Are my photos uploaded anywhere?

No. Smile detection runs on your iPhone, and your selfies are stored inside the app on your iPhone, not in the cloud. Memory Lane shows photos straight from your own library.

Does Smile Until copy my photo library?

No. Memory Lane picks photos on your iPhone and remembers only which ones it showed you. It never copies or uploads them. It also works if you give Photos access to only some of your pictures.

Can I keep my photos outside the app?

Yes. Open any day and save a moment to Photos. Nothing leaves the app unless you choose to save or share it. Because selfies are stored inside the app, deleting the app deletes them, so save the ones you love first.

Do I need an account?

No. Open the app and smile. There is nothing to sign up for.

How much does Smile Until cost?

Smile Until is free to download from the App Store, and it has no ads.

Does Smile Until collect any data?

It uses analytics and crash reports to keep the app working well. They never include your photos. The App Store privacy label lists exactly what is collected, and our Privacy Policy explains it.

Does it send reminders?

Only one a day, at a time you pick. You can change the time or turn it off whenever you like.

Is there a widget?

Yes. A Home Screen widget shows how many days of the week are lit and whether today is still open.

Can I make the text bigger?

Yes. Smile Until supports larger text sizes throughout the app, with calm colours and clear type.

Is Smile Until in other languages?

Not yet. The app is in English for now. The ritual itself needs very few words: you smile, and the day is lit.

Is Smile Until a health or therapy app?

No. It is a small daily ritual and a private journal of moments you smiled. It does not diagnose or treat anything, and it is not a substitute for talking to someone when you need to.

Does it work on iPad or Android?

Smile Until is made for iPhone. There is no Android version.

How is it different from other photo a day apps?

Most photo a day apps are built for a timelapse or a video of your year. Smile Until is built for the ten seconds themselves: the camera waits for a smile, and the journal counts lit days. It does not export a timelapse. Our comparison of photo a day apps for iPhone covers the others fairly.

Where can I get it?

On the App Store, for iPhone with iOS 17 or later. The home page has the download link and a short tour of how it works.