The Privacy-First Approach to Your Digital Diary

Your diary is deeply personal. Every entry is a moment in time—a memory, a thought, a confession that you share with no one. When you move your diary online, privacy becomes essential.

What Is End-to-End Encryption?

End-to-end encryption (E2EE) means your data is scrambled on your device before it ever leaves. Only you hold the key to unlock it. Even the server that stores your entries can't read them.

Here's how it works:

1. You write an entry in askt
2. Your device encrypts it with a unique key (AES-256-GCM, the same standard used by banks)
3. The encrypted entry is sent to our servers
4. The servers store the scrambled data—they never see the original text
5. Only your device can decrypt it using your personal key

Why Traditional Apps Fall Short

Most journaling apps store your entries as plain text on their servers. This means:

• Hackers who breach the server can read everything
• The company itself could theoretically access your entries
• Your data is vulnerable to government requests
• Your privacy depends entirely on the app's security practices

With encryption, even if a breach occurs, the attacker gets gibberish. Your entries remain yours alone.

How askt Protects Your Entries

askt uses recovery-code-based encryption. When you sign up, you receive a recovery code—a two-part phrase like XXXXX-YYYYY. This code is never stored on our servers. Only its cryptographic hash is saved.

Your encryption key is wrapped (secured) using your recovery code. This means:

• You alone control access — only you know your recovery code
• No master key — askt doesn't hold an unencrypted version of your key
• Recovery is safe — even if you lose the code, it can't be brute-forced from the hash

When Should You Enable Encryption?

Encryption is opt-in in askt. Enable it if:

• You handle sensitive topics in your diary
• You want maximum privacy
• You're journaling in a shared environment
• Privacy matters more to you than search (encrypted entries can't be server-side searched)

A Note on Searching Encrypted Entries

When E2EE is enabled, server-side search doesn't work for encrypted entries—the server can't read the text. You can still search through your entries, but it happens on your device. This is a privacy trade-off many users accept gladly.

The Bottom Line

Digital privacy is a right, not a luxury. askt's encryption puts control back in your hands. Your diary stays yours—locked, private, and untouchable.

Start journaling with confidence. Your secrets are safe.