Quick answers for data, imports, permissions and workout behaviour. The full manual is available in the TrainNotes Guide.
Protect your data first
TrainNotes is local-first, so your phone contains the primary copy of your training history. Before reinstalling the app, replacing the phone or testing a restore, create a fresh TrainNotes backup and save it somewhere outside the app.
Do not delete TrainNotes to troubleshoot a problem unless you have confirmed that a current backup can be opened.
Import troubleshooting
Automatic matching is intentionally conservative. Search the full TrainNotes catalog and choose the correct Exercise, or create a new one only when the movement truly does not exist. Review equipment and movement—not just similar words.
Imported workouts keep the dates stored in the source file. Use the month and year picker in History to jump directly to the export’s date range.
Some Strong exports do not include a weight unit. Choose the unit that was active when that file was exported; TrainNotes cannot infer it reliably from the numbers alone.
Use manual column mapping. Confirm the date format and how rows should be grouped into sessions, then inspect the workout, Exercise and set totals in the preview before importing.
Permissions
Only to select an unambiguous saved Exercise Variant near a location you assigned. The lookup happens once when a workout starts; it does not continuously track your location and workout start never depends on it. You can deny location and select Variants yourself.
Only when you add a progress photo. Library access selects an existing image; Camera access captures a new one. Body measurements work without either permission.
Notifications support template reminders and workout timers. You can disable them in iOS Settings; the workout log remains usable.
No. Apple Health access is optional and only supports the Health features you explicitly enable.
Workout behaviour
Actual and Target are separate. A difficult session is recorded exactly, but it does not silently lower the next target. Choose a different progression policy or update the target explicitly.
Those machines are separate Variants because their loads may not be comparable. PRs remain Variant-specific, while muscle statistics can still aggregate them through the parent Exercise.
A PR must be strictly better than every preceding comparable result for that Variant. Equaling a record is not a new record.
Trial and purchases
How does the trial work?
Activate 60 days of full access on first launch. This is not a subscription and does not charge automatically. The permanent unlock is a one-time purchase; the app shows Apple's current localized price before purchase.
What happens after 60 days?
Your history, results, statistics, and exports remain accessible. Starting new workouts and changing training content require full access. A workout already in progress can still be finished.
How do I restore access?
Open Settings → TrainNotes access → Restore purchases using the Apple Account used for the original activation or purchase. Restoration keeps the original trial start date. It does not restart the trial.
Does restoring a purchase restore my workouts?
No. Purchase restoration restores access. Your workouts are stored on your device; use a TrainNotes backup or your device backup to transfer records.
Report a problem
When reporting an issue, include the TrainNotes version, iPhone model, iOS version, the screen where it happened and the exact steps that reproduce it. A screen recording is especially useful for gesture or layout problems.
Remove personal details from screenshots before sending them. Your workouts, progress photos, Health records, and backups are not attached automatically.
TrainNotes