Need help with BuddyCheck?

Start here #

New to BuddyCheck, or setting someone up? These cover the basics.

What is BuddyCheck? #

BuddyCheck is a free app from Sagebrush Church that helps friends grow closer to God through four simple daily habits: Read, Share, Memorize, and Pray. You connect with buddies, see their day, and share yours. No subscription. No ads.

What are the four Daily Habits? #

• Read. Spend a few minutes reading the day's Bible passage.
• Share. Share a verse, thought, or insight from the reading.
• Memorize. Practice the memory passage with a quick, interactive review.
• Pray. Keep prayer requests visible so a friend can pray with you, not just for you.

You can do them in any order.

How do I finish today's Daily Habits? #

Start on Home. You'll see a card for each habit. Tap one, follow the screen, and tap Done. The app moves you to the next unfinished habit on its own. When all four are done, the day counts toward your streak.

Do I need a buddy to use the app? #

No. You can read, share, memorize, and pray on your own from day one. Buddies make it better, though. Once a buddy joins, you see each other's progress and can cheer each other on.

How do I invite a buddy? #

On the Buddies tab, tap Invite a Buddy. You'll get a link and a QR code. Send the link by text or email, or let your buddy scan the code with their phone camera. Once they accept, they show up in your feed. More detail in Buddies & invites below.

Where can I replay "How BuddyCheck works"? #

In the app, tap your profile picture in the top-left corner, scroll to the bottom, and tap How BuddyCheck works. The tour walks you through Home, Buddies, History, and Awards again. Replaying it never changes your progress.

Is BuddyCheck free? Do I have to attend Sagebrush Church? #

Free for everyone, with no subscription and no ads. BuddyCheck is built by Sagebrush Church, and you don't have to attend Sagebrush, or any church, to use it.

Which phones does BuddyCheck run on? #

iPhone and Android. On the App Store it's listed as BuddyCheck (Sagebrush); on Google Play it's BuddyCheck. The easiest path: open the download link on your phone, or use the App Store or Google Play directly.

Signing in and your account #

Email, Google, Apple, and the questions that come with them.

How do I create an account or sign in? #

Three ways: an email and password, Sign in with Google, or Sign in with Apple. They all work the same once you're in. Whichever you pick first is the one to keep using.

Do I need a password if I use Google or Apple? #

No. Google and Apple handle sign-in on their own. A BuddyCheck password only matters if you signed up with email, or if you want a backup way in. You can add one from Settings under Sign-in methods, with one exception covered in the next answer.

Why does my BuddyCheck email end in @privaterelay.appleid.com? #

You chose Hide My Email when you signed in with Apple. That's an Apple privacy feature, and it's working exactly as intended. Apple created a private address just for BuddyCheck and forwards mail from it to the inbox on your Apple Account. BuddyCheck never sees your personal address, and we have no way to look it up.

Nothing to fix here. Keep using Sign in with Apple and everything keeps working.

Where do emails sent to my Apple private address go? #

Apple forwards them to the email on your Apple Account. If a BuddyCheck email doesn't show up, check that inbox and its spam folder, and check that forwarding is still on in your Apple Account settings under Hide My Email.

Why don't I see "Add Password" in Sign-in methods? #

If you signed in with Apple and chose Hide My Email, we hide the password option on purpose. A password would be tied to your private relay address, which is long, random, and painful to type. Sign in with Apple is simpler and just as secure.

If your account uses a regular email address, Add Password appears in Settings under Sign-in methods. And if you already had a password before connecting Apple, Change Password stays right where it was.

I forgot my password. How do I reset it? #

On the login screen, tap Forgot password?, enter your email, and tap Send Reset Email. Open the link on your phone and set a new password.

One catch: if you originally joined with Google or Apple, you may not have a password at all. Try those buttons first.

I requested a reset or verification email and it never came. #

Give it a few minutes, then check spam. Make sure you typed the exact email on your account. If you signed in with Apple and hid your email, the message routes through Apple to your Apple Account inbox, so look there. Still nothing? Email us and we'll sort it out.

Can I connect both Google and Apple to one account? #

Yes. Open Settings from your profile picture and connect either one under Sign-in methods. Each Google or Apple identity can belong to only one BuddyCheck account, though. If a connection is refused, that identity is already tied to a different account.

Can I disconnect Google or Apple? #

Yes, from the same Sign-in methods list, as long as at least one way to sign in remains. BuddyCheck refuses to disconnect your only method, because you'd be locked out of your own account. Add a password or connect the other provider first.

Why did signing in a different way create a different account? #

Each sign-in method carries its own email. If Apple gave BuddyCheck a private address and you later signed up with your regular email, those look like two different people to us. Sign in the way you did the first time, and your streak and buddies will be there.

We can't merge two accounts. If you're stuck between two, email us and we'll help you figure out which one to keep.

Can I change my email, name, or photo? #

Name, photo, phone number, birthday: yes. Tap your profile picture, make the change, and tap Save Changes. Your account email is the one thing the app can't change yet. If you need that changed, email us from the address currently on your account.

How do I sign out? #

Tap your profile picture, scroll down, and tap Sign Out. A good idea on a shared or borrowed phone. Signing out never loses progress; everything is saved to your account.

The Daily Habits #

How do I know which habits I've finished today? #

Home shows a card for each habit with Done or Not Started under it. Below that, your plan card tracks the day you're on, your streak, and the award you're closest to earning.

What happens when I finish all four? #

A little celebration, honestly. If the day pushed you past an award, you'll see it right away. The day counts toward your streak, and your buddies can see you finished.

Can I complete a task from an earlier day? #

Yes. Every task screen has a date chip in the top corner; tap it to pick an earlier day. You can also open History and tap any cell. Late completions count in your totals and awards, marked Done Late, but they don't rebuild a broken streak. The one exception is yesterday, which a Grace Day can save.

Can I change something after marking it done? #

Your Share note, yes: tap Edit on your Home card, or open Share for that date and tap the note. This works for current and past notes. Read, Memorize, and Pray are final once done. In Memorize you can tap Play Again anytime, and practice runs never change your record.

What should I write for Share? #

Whatever the reading stirred up. A verse that stood out, a question, one honest sentence about your day. You have room for 600 characters, which is plenty. Your buddies see it in their feed, and each buddy can leave a comment. See their day. Share yours. That's the whole idea.

How do comments, replies, and reactions work? #

Each buddy can leave one 300-character comment on a Shared Note and edit their own comment from Home. If the note is yours, you can add or edit one 300-character reply to each comment.

To react, press and hold someone else's comment and pick an emoji. If reactions are already there, tap the smiley to add another or tap your selected emoji again to remove it. You can't react to your own comment.

Can I delete a Share note? #

Not in the app. You can rewrite it by opening Share for that date, but not remove it. Buddies only see notes from the last 7 days, so older notes fade out of their feed on their own. If a note needs to come down for a serious reason, email us.

How does Memorize work? #

Each week has one memory passage. Read it, tap Start, and the app hides some words plus the chapter-and-verse part of the reference. Tap the missing pieces in order from the word bank; wrong guesses cost you nothing.

Short passages keep a steady challenge. Medium and long passages hide more words as the week goes on, so practice gets harder without changing the passage.

Can I change the Bible version for Memorize? #

Yes. Tap the version chip next to the passage, or set Memorize Bible Version in Settings. Your choices are NIV, NLT, NASB 2020, KJV, and NKJV. The version locks while a puzzle is in progress, so change it before you tap Start.

Why is a task showing the wrong day or passage? #

Check the date chip at the top of the task screen first. If you opened an older day from History, the chip stays on that day until you tap Jump to Today.

Also worth knowing: BuddyCheck days follow the time zone saved in your Profile settings. If you travel, your day keeps using that saved time zone until you change it. If things still look off, pull down to refresh and make sure the app is up to date.

What happens when a reading plan ends? #

Your history, streak, and awards stay yours. Home moves into the next part of the plan, and your past days stay open in History.

Reading the Bible #

How do I complete the Read task? #

Open Read from Home, read the day's passage, and tap Done. That's it. No timer, no quiz. Want more context? Tap Read Full Chapter to open the whole chapter in the Bible tab.

Can BuddyCheck read the passage out loud? #

Yes, for most chapters. Tap the audio button on the Read screen or in the Bible tab. You can pause, skip back 10 seconds, and set the speed anywhere from 1x to 2x. The text scrolls along as it plays. If the button is grayed out, audio isn't available for that chapter yet.

How do I make the Bible text bigger? #

Tap the A button next to the audio control and use plus and minus; there are three sizes. You can also set it in Settings under Bible Text Size. This one is saved per phone, so set it on each device you use.

Can I choose a Bible version for reading? #

The Read task and the Bible tab use one shared translation, so you and your buddies are always looking at the same words. Memorize is where you pick: NIV, NLT, NASB 2020, KJV, or NKJV, from the version chip or Settings.

Can I take notes while I read? #

Yes. Tap the pencil on the Read screen. Whatever you jot down becomes the start of your Share note.

Can I search for a verse, or download the Bible for offline use? #

Not yet. Search in the Bible tab finds books by name, and you can jump to any chapter from there. Full verse search and offline downloads aren't in the app today, though chapters you've read recently will usually still open without a connection.

Prayer requests #

How do I complete the Pray task? #

Open Pray from Home. You'll see the day's prayer prompt and your buddies' requests. Take a moment to pray, then tap Done. Adding a request of your own is always optional.

How do I add, change, or remove a prayer request? #

On the Pray screen, tap Add Prayer Request, use the one 300-character box for everything you'd like prayer for that day, and tap Submit. To change it, tap Edit on your request card. To remove it, open it from your Home feed and clear the text; the button turns into Remove.

Who sees my prayer request? #

Your prayer requests are shared with you and your accepted buddies. They are not public. They show in their feeds for about 7 days. There's no way to share a request with only some of your buddies, so write with your whole circle in mind.

How do I pray for a buddy, and will they know? #

Tap Pray on their request card. It flips to Prayed, and your buddy gets a notification with your name on it. That's the heart of the app: praying with your friends, not just for them. On your own request, you'll see everyone who tapped.

Why did the app ask me to agree to a Community Policy? #

The first time you post something buddies can see, we ask you to accept the Community Policy. It's a short set of ground rules that keeps BuddyCheck kind and safe. You accept it once, and again only if the policy changes.

Buddies and invites #

What can my buddies see? #

Buddies see your name and photo, whether you finished today's habits, your current streak, and awards as you earn them. They also see your Share notes and prayer requests from the last 7 days, and they can comment on your notes. They can't browse your History or read anything older than that week. You see the same about them.

How do I open a buddy's profile? #

Tap an accepted buddy's photo or name. You'll see a larger photo, their current streak, today's habits, and earned awards, with Check or Nudge right there. Report, Block, and Remove Buddy are tucked inside the three-dot menu. Buddy profiles do not show friend lists.

How do invites work? #

Tap Invite a Buddy on the Buddies tab. Share the link by text or email, or let them scan the QR code with their phone camera; both open the same invite. There's no code to type. When they open it, they accept your request in the app.

One link works for up to 10 people, and every link expires after 24 hours. Need another? Tap Invite a Buddy again. Fresh links are free and instant.

Why is my invitation still pending? #

Your buddy opened the link but hasn't accepted yet; your request is waiting on their Buddies tab. Until then, they show under Invited on yours, where you can tap Withdraw if you change your mind. If they never opened the link at all, nothing appears, and the link expires after 24 hours. Just send a fresh one.

Why did my invite link open a website instead of the app? #

That happens when the app isn't installed yet, the link was opened on a computer, or an email app opened it in its built-in browser. The page that opens has two buttons: Get BuddyCheck and Open Invite in App. Install first if needed, return to the invite, and tap Open Invite in App.

How many buddies can I have? Can I remove one? #

As many as you like; there's no limit. To remove one, open their buddy profile, tap the three-dot menu, and choose Remove Buddy. Removing is quiet. It simply takes you out of each other's feeds, and either of you could send a new invite later.

What do Check and Nudge do? #

Each buddy card in your feed has one button. When your buddy has finished habits, it's a green check: tap it to do a Buddy Check and let them know you saw. When they still have habits left, it's an amber Nudge, which sends a gentle reminder to their phone.

Nudges are encouragement, not enforcement. Use them the way you'd want them used on you.

BuddyCheck always acts on your buddy's current local day. If they're already on tomorrow and you aren't, Check and Nudge wait until your date catches up.

Streaks, Grace Days, and awards #

What counts toward my streak? #

Finish all four habits on their day, and your streak grows by one. Your BuddyCheck day follows the time zone saved in Profile settings. Finishing a task late adds to your totals but doesn't rebuild a broken streak, with one exception right below.

What happens if I miss a day? #

Your streak resets, but yesterday gets special treatment. Miss yesterday and Home shows Save my streak. Tap it, finish yesterday's habits today, and your Grace Day protects the streak automatically. Days older than yesterday can't be repaired. And awards you've already earned stay earned, always.

What is a Grace Day, and how many do I get? #

A Grace Day covers one missed day so your streak survives. You get one per calendar month, and it can only cover yesterday, never further back. Home shows how many you have left when it offers the catch-up. Life happens. That's what it's for.

How do awards work? #

Awards mark streaks, milestones, and finished plan sections. They land on their own the moment you cross the line, usually right after the habit that earned them. Browse them all on the Awards tab, where locked ones show your progress. Once earned, an award is yours for good; losing a streak never takes one back.

Where can I see my history? #

The History tab. Up top are your running totals: days prayed, days read, and verses memorized. Below is a day-by-day table for each section of the plan, marked Done, Done Late, or Missed. Tap any cell to open that day's task, even months later.

Why does History show a different number than I expected? #

Totals count every completion, late ones included. Your streak counts only days finished on time or saved by a Grace Day. So the two numbers can differ, and both are right. If one looks truly wrong, pull down to refresh, and email us if it still does.

Notifications and reminders #

How do I set a daily reminder? #

Tap the clock icon at the top of Home, or open Settings and tap Daily Reminder. Turn it on and pick a time; it starts at 6:00pm. The reminder lists only the habits you haven't finished, and it stays quiet on days you're already done.

Why am I not getting reminders? #

Reminders arrive as phone notifications, so two switches both need to be on: Enable Notifications inside BuddyCheck's Settings, and permission for BuddyCheck in your phone's own Settings app. If you've moved time zones, open the reminder and save it again so it follows you. Still quiet? Email us with your phone model.

Which things actually buzz my phone? #

Only two: your daily reminder and a nudge from a buddy. Everything else, like new prayer requests, comments, buddy requests, and awards, waits in the bell at the top of the app. That's on purpose. BuddyCheck tries to earn its place on your lock screen, not camp on it.

How do I manage in-app notifications? #

Tap the bell. Things that need you sit on top; buddy activity is grouped below. Swipe a row left to dismiss it, or tap Mark All Read. Tapping a notification takes you straight to the right screen.

How do I turn sounds off? #

Settings, then Enable Sound Effects. One switch covers all of them, from button taps to the little fanfare when you finish a habit.

Offline, syncing, and updates #

Can I use BuddyCheck without a connection? #

Partly. You can open the app and see your plan, streak, awards, and recently read chapters. Finishing a habit, posting a note, or praying for a request needs a connection, though. BuddyCheck never fakes a save: the Done button grays out, and anything you've typed waits safely on your phone. Back online, tap Done for real.

A task didn't save. Did I lose it? #

Almost certainly not. Check your connection first; offline saves are blocked, not lost, and your typed text is kept as a draft. Then pull down to refresh, because the save may have gone through before the error appeared. A finished habit can't be completed twice, so retrying is always safe.

Why is the app showing older information? #

BuddyCheck keeps a copy of your data on the phone so it opens fast, then refreshes when you come back to it. Pull down on Home or Buddies to refresh right away.

Why did the app change without a store update? #

Small fixes arrive quietly over the air. That's normal, and it's how bug fixes reach you fast. Bigger changes still come through the App Store and Google Play, so it's worth checking your store app for updates now and then.

Can I use one account on two devices? #

Yes, just sign in on both. Habits, buddies, prayer requests, and your streak stay in sync. A few comfort settings live on each phone separately, like Bible text size and audio speed.

Privacy, safety, and your account #

Who can see what I post? #

Only buddies you've accepted. Nothing you write in BuddyCheck is public: no public profiles, no discover feed, no strangers. Nobody can message you or join your circle without an accepted invite. The full picture is under What can my buddies see.

How do I report something or someone? #

Open the buddy's profile and tap the three-dot menu, or use the options icon on their note, comment, or prayer request. Choose Report and pick the reason that fits. Reports go to BuddyCheck moderators, and the person is never told who reported them.

If someone makes you uncomfortable, block first and sort the rest out later. Block lives in the same menu, removes them from your circle immediately in both directions, and blocks any reconnection. You can unblock them later from the Buddies tab, but that doesn't make you buddies again; reconnecting takes a fresh invite.

Why was my note or request removed? #

Two possibilities. BuddyCheck automatically declines posts containing certain abusive language when you try to save them. And if a moderator reviews a report and agrees, the content is removed and you'll see it replaced. If you think a removal was a mistake, email us.

Does BuddyCheck sell my data or show ads? #

No and no. BuddyCheck is a ministry of Sagebrush Church, not a business. We don't sell your information, and there are no ads. The Privacy Policy spells out exactly what we collect and why, in plain language.

How do I delete my account? #

In the app: tap your profile picture, scroll down, tap Delete Account, and type DELETE to confirm. It's immediate and permanent. Your habits, notes, prayer requests, buddies, and awards are gone for good, so be sure.

The account deletion page covers the fine print, including how long backup copies last and an email option if you can't get into the app.

When something's not working #

The app is stuck or blank. What should I try? #

In order: close the app fully and reopen it, check your connection, check your store app for an update, and restart your phone. Please don't delete the app as a first step. Your account is safe on our servers, but reinstalling clears drafts and local settings, and it's rarely the actual fix.

Why was I signed out? #

The usual reasons: the app hasn't been opened in over 30 days, your password was changed or reset, or the account was deleted. A bad connection should never sign you out. If it keeps happening, email us; that's something we want to know about.

Where do I find my app version? #

At the very bottom of Settings, in the line that starts "BuddyCheck v". Tap that line and a diagnostics panel opens with a Share button. That shared text tells us exactly which build you're on, so paste it into your email when something's wrong.

What should I include when I email support? #

The email on your BuddyCheck account, your phone model, the app version or shared diagnostics, what you expected, what happened instead, and roughly when. A screenshot helps more than a paragraph. Send it to buddycheck@sagebrush.church.