The basics
- What is a string, and why not a streak?
- A string is one habit you're working on for a set number of days. Each day you add a single bead in the colour that honestly describes that day. Unlike a streak, nothing resets to zero when you have a bad day — the bead simply goes on in a different colour and the string keeps growing. You end up with an honest picture of your behaviour instead of a number waiting to be broken.
- What do the green, orange, red and grey beads mean?
- Green means you did the thing. Orange means you did some of it — a partial day, honestly recorded. Red means you missed it. Grey is a planned rest day, and it is left out of your percentage entirely so a deliberate day off never counts against you.
- How is my percentage worked out?
- It is the share of green beads out of the days you actually recorded, excluding grey rest days. So a week with five green beads, one orange and one grey reads as five out of six.
- Why can I only add a bead for today?
- Habit Beads is designed for a single honest check-in each day, not for reconstructing the past from memory. You can only record the current day, and future days are blocked entirely. You can always add or edit the note attached to a bead later.
- What happens if I miss a day?
- Nothing. Habit Beads never marks a day red for you automatically — a missed day is just left blank on the string. Only you can place a red bead, and only if you choose to record the day that way.
- When should I use a grey rest bead?
- Use grey when you planned not to do the habit: a rest day from training, a day off, an illness you decided to sit out. Grey days are excluded from your percentage, which keeps deliberate rest separate from failure.
Getting started
- How long should my first string be?
- Thirty days is a good first string — long enough to see a real pattern, short enough to feel finishable. If you're unsure about a habit, try fourteen days first and start a fresh string afterwards.
- Should the habit be something to do, or something to avoid?
- Both work. A 'do' habit is something you want to add, like reading for fifteen minutes. An 'avoid' habit is something you want to stop, like eating sugar. Pick the framing that makes the daily question easiest to answer with a simple yes or no.
- What happens when a string finishes?
- On its final day the string moves to your History, beads and all, exactly as you recorded it. Nothing is deleted, and you can open it any time to look back. Many people then start a fresh string for the same habit.
- Can I reorder my strings?
- Yes. On My Strings, drag a card by the grip handle on the left, or use the small up and down arrows on each card. The order you choose is saved to your account and follows you across devices.
- Can I hide strings I've finished?
- Finished and archived strings are tucked away in a collapsed section at the bottom of My Strings, and in full in the History tab. Your main list only ever shows what's running right now.
Free and Plus
- What is the difference between Free and Plus?
- Free lets you run one string at a time, up to thirty days long, with all four bead colours, notes and history. Plus removes both limits — as many strings as you like, any length — and unlocks weekly and monthly roll-up views that summarise long strings at a glance.
- How much does Plus cost?
- £2.49 a month, or £19.99 a year. You can switch or cancel at any time.
- How do I cancel Plus, and what happens to my strings?
- Open Settings and choose Manage subscription. Cancelling keeps Plus active until the end of the period you've already paid for. After that, nothing is deleted: strings beyond the Free limit stay fully visible and readable, you simply can't start new ones until you're back within the Free allowance or resubscribe.
- Can I get a refund?
- Yes — there is a 30-day money-back guarantee on Plus. See the Refund Policy page for the details and how to ask.
Your data
- Is my data private?
- Yes. Your strings, beads and notes are visible only to you. Habit Beads doesn't sell data, doesn't run third-party advertising trackers, and doesn't share your entries with anyone. The Privacy Policy sets out exactly what is stored.
- Can I delete my account?
- Yes. Settings has a Delete account option that permanently removes your account, every string, every bead and every note. It cannot be undone, so cancel any active subscription first if you have one.
- Does Habit Beads work on my phone?
- Habit Beads is built mobile-first and works in any phone browser. You can add it to your home screen from your browser's share menu for an app-like icon. Native iPhone and Android apps are planned.
Still stuck? The support page has a contact address, and resources collects further reading on habits.
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