FAQ
Questions, answered plainly.
If yours is not here, the support page goes deeper, or just email us.
What is Stills, in one line?
A disposable camera for iPhone. You fill a roll without seeing the photos, and it develops when the roll is finished.
How many frames are on a roll?
Twelve or twenty-seven, your choice when you load one. You can change the default in Settings under Roll length.
Can I really not see the photo I just took?
Really. There is no preview and no review while the roll is open. That constraint is the product, not an oversight.
Do I have to fill the roll before it develops?
No. A sealed roll can be developed early from the darkroom, in Memories, whenever you want to see it.
What does "developing" actually do?
Each frame runs through Stills 400, a film process built for this app: warm highlights, real grain, halation around bright light, and a tone curve that leaves shadows alone.
It runs on your phone in about a second. No server, no upload, no queue.
Where are my photos stored?
On your phone, in the app's own storage. They are never uploaded. Deleting the app deletes them, so take a backup if they matter.
Settings, then Account and data, then Back up everything gives you one file to keep wherever you like.
Is there a cloud? Can you see my pictures?
No, and no. There is no photo library on a server anywhere. The only images that leave your phone are your profile picture and up to five cover frames you deliberately choose for your profile.
The app privacy policy spells out exactly what syncs and what does not.
Do I need an account?
Yes. Setting up Stills creates one, and it takes about ten seconds: Sign in with Apple, pick a handle, done. There is no password to invent and no email to confirm.
It exists so the friends you meet in person can see your profile, and so a backup can be locked to you rather than to whoever finds the file. Your photographs still never leave the phone.
How does search work if nothing is uploaded?
Your phone reads your own developed frames and builds an index on the device — text visible in the photo, what the scene is, a short caption, and the capture time and place. Searching matches your words against that local index. The words you type never leave the phone.
How do I add a friend?
Hold your phones together and both tap. There is nobody to search for and no requests from strangers.
Can I send photos to people?
Frames pass directly between two phones over the Tap, and you can always save a developed photo to your camera roll and share it anywhere you like. There is no messaging inside Stills.
Is it free?
The beta is free. There is no advertising in Stills and there never will be.
Android? iPad?
iPhone only for now. It leans hard on iOS-specific frameworks for the camera, the film process and the on-device intelligence, so a port is not a small job.
When does the beta open, and how do I get in?
Soon. Join the waitlist and you get a TestFlight invitation when it does, then one more email on the day Stills reaches the App Store. Two emails, then we stop.
The first beta has two deliberately incomplete parts: Rolls is locked, and Presence has no messaging. Everything else is ready to be tested properly.
Beta testing starts soon
Get an invite.
Join the waitlist and we will send you a TestFlight invite, then one more email on launch day.