Frequently asked questions
The short answers, in one place. For a full session, start to finish, see How to use TalkStik.
Is TalkStik a substitute for professional support?
Section titled “Is TalkStik a substitute for professional support?”No. TalkStik is not a mental health service, not therapy, not counseling, and not a crisis service. It is not a substitute for professional support of any kind. If you or someone you know is in crisis, please contact your local emergency services.
Here is what TalkStik is: a structure for taking turns, and a mirror for your own words. One of you speaks, the other listens, and afterward each of you gets a private reflection on the conversation. No referee. No judge. No verdict.
Do we both need the app?
Section titled “Do we both need the app?”Yes. TalkStik is built for two people in the same room, each on their own phone. Both of you need the app and an account. One of you starts the session and shares a 6-character code. The other enters it to join. Sessions are for exactly two people.
One thing that surprises new users: TalkStik never plays your partner’s voice through your phone. You hear each other the way you always have, in person. The app records the person holding the stick, and that is all it does.
Do I need an account?
Section titled “Do I need an account?”Yes. You can sign up with an email and password, or continue with Apple or Google. TalkStik is for adults, so you will confirm you are 18 or older. Every new account starts with 30 free minutes of conversation time.
What does TalkStik cost?
Section titled “What does TalkStik cost?”Your first 30 minutes are free. That is a one-time welcome grant, not a trial: it never expires into a charge, and nothing converts automatically. If you want more time, Personal Monthly is $9.99 per month for 240 minutes.
Minutes only count while someone is holding the stick and being recorded, so a session usually spends less than the clock on the wall suggests. The full picture, including the order your minutes are spent in, is on Plan & minutes.
How do I cancel my subscription?
Section titled “How do I cancel my subscription?”Subscriptions are billed through the App Store or Google Play, so cancelling happens in your phone’s own subscription settings. The shortcut: open Plan & minutes in the app and tap Manage subscription. Cancelling does not take away what you paid for. Your subscription minutes stay usable until the end of the billing period.
Does my partner see my reflection?
Section titled “Does my partner see my reflection?”No. Your reflection and your action plan are private to you. Your partner gets their own, and neither of you is ever shown the other’s. The one part you both see is The Field, the shared view of the conversation. This split is permanent: nothing in your private reflection is revealed to your partner, ever.
Where are my reports and transcripts?
Section titled “Where are my reports and transcripts?”In the app, in your session history. Every report stays there so you can return to it: the shared Field, your private reflection, and your action plan. Transcripts are kept with them, and they belong to you.
How long do you keep my audio?
Section titled “How long do you keep my audio?”The audio from your turns is deleted within 24 hours, automatically. What stays is text: your transcripts and reports, kept in your history until you decide otherwise. You can delete your account and everything in it from inside the app. For the full picture, see the data articles in this section.
Something else?
Section titled “Something else?”Write to [email protected]. A human reads it.