Why does Meridian need access to my photos? +
Most photos taken on an iPhone contain invisible GPS coordinates and timestamps in their EXIF metadata. Meridian reads these to reconstruct trips you took before installing the app — without you having to do anything manually. Meridian does not access photo content or upload anything.
Does Meridian work without internet? +
Almost entirely yes. The only network request Meridian makes is Apple's CLGeocoder to convert GPS coordinates into readable place names ("Studio Ghibli Museum"). If you're offline, coordinates display as latitude/longitude until a connection is available. All your actual data and processing stays on-device regardless.
Will enabling "Always" location drain my battery? +
Meridian uses iOS's significant location change API for background tracking — not continuous GPS polling. This is the same approach used by Apple's own Significant Locations feature. Battery impact is minimal for most users. If you notice unusual drain, email us with your device model and we'll investigate.
How do I export my year poster? +
Open the Year view → tap the poster → tap Export in the top-right corner. Choose PDF (recommended for printing) or PNG. The file is saved to your Files app or shared directly. A4, A3, and custom sizes are available.
How is this different from Apple's built-in Significant Locations? +
Apple's Significant Locations is hidden inside Settings and gives you a raw list with no design, no timeline, and no export. Meridian gives you a browsable daily map, a structured sojourn list, multi-source data ingestion (photos + Health + location), and the year poster. Same privacy model, completely different product.
Can I import data from Google Timeline, Life360, or other apps? +
Not in the current version. Google Timeline JSON import is on the roadmap. For now, Meridian works from photos EXIF, Apple Health workout routes, and live location. Email us if you have a specific import format you need.
Can I delete specific days or trips? +
Yes. In the Daily Timeline, swipe left on any day to delete it. Individual stops within a day can also be removed. Deleted data is gone permanently — there's no trash or undo beyond 30 seconds.
Does Meridian work on iPad? +
Meridian is iPhone-optimised. It runs on iPad but the layout is not adapted for large screens in the current version. iPad support is planned.
Is there an Android version? +
No. Meridian is built with SwiftUI and depends on Apple Health, CoreLocation, and CLGeocoder — all Apple-only. There are no plans for an Android version.
I uninstalled and reinstalled — where's my data? +
It's gone. All data is stored in the app's local sandbox. Uninstalling deletes it completely — there's no cloud backup. Photos and Health data remain in their respective apps and will be re-ingested when you reinstall, but any manual edits or deleted entries won't be recoverable.