FAQ

Account and passkeys

Why do I need a passkey as well as GitHub or Google?

GitHub or Google proves who you are. The passkey opens your encrypted workspace, and it stays on your device or in your password manager; GitHub and Google never see it. If someone got into your GitHub account, they still could not read your journal.

The browser says my passkey cannot unlock Vesper.

Vesper needs passkeys that support the PRF extension. iCloud Keychain, Google Password Manager and 1Password do. Some hardware security keys and older systems do not. Save the passkey in one of the supported stores instead.

I got a new phone. How do I keep access?

If your passkey is in iCloud Keychain, Google Password Manager or 1Password, it is already on the new phone once you sign in to that account. If it was saved on the old device only, unlock Vesper on the old device first and add a new passkey in Settings → Account → Passkeys.

I lost every passkey. Can you help?

No. Nobody can open the workspace without a passkey, including us. You can delete it and start over from the unlock screen, and import an export if you have one. See Losing access.

Can I use both GitHub and Google?

Yes. Link the second one in Settings → Account → Sign-in methods. Accounts are never merged just because they share an email address.

Why is there a waiting list?

The first 100 workspaces are open while Vesper is new. After that, accounts wait in line and are let in as places free up. Sign in again later to check.

Writing and photos

Can I change the photos of an entry?

Not after saving. Copy the text, delete the entry and write it again with the photos you want.

Why does a photo have no place or time?

The photo did not contain them. Screenshots, many edited photos and photos sent through chat apps lose their location and sometimes their time. Upload the original file from the camera or the phone's photo library.

Can I write in Markdown?

Yes. Headings, lists, links, quotes and code blocks all work.

Can I import from Day One, flomo, Memos or Obsidian?

Not yet. Import reads only Vesper's own export.

Privacy

Can you read my entries?

Not while the workspace is locked. While it is unlocked, the server decrypts what it needs to answer your requests and does not keep it. Our database and storage hold only ciphertext, plus what is listed under What is encrypted.

What happens when I make an entry public?

A readable copy of that entry and thumbnails of its photos are stored where the public page can serve them, without camera details, time or place. Making it private again deletes the copy.

Does posting to Threads or Bluesky expose my other entries?

No. Only the entry you post is sent, and only when you click the icon.

AI and the command line

Do AI clients see my whole journal?

They see what they ask for, through the tools listed in Connect an AI client, and only after you approve them. What they read goes to that AI provider under its own terms.

Should I use MCP or the CLI with Claude Code?

Either works. MCP shows up as tools in any client. The CLI and its skill suit Claude Code and other coding agents, and also work in your own scripts.

Why can't my AI client or the CLI write entries?

Writing needs Pro. Run vesper whoami; "write": false means the sign-in is read only. After upgrading, sign in again with vesper login or reconnect the client.

Plans

What happens to my data if I stop paying?

Nothing is deleted. See When Pro ends.

Do I need Pro to export?

No. Export works on every plan, at any time.

Still stuck?

Send a direct message to @yiming9876 on X.