Backsight is a private, on-device notebook that turns voice or text notes into quantitative stats over time, offering an offline dashboard for pattern discovery without judgment. You're bad at statistics about yourself — everyone is. Backsight is a mirror that shows what's in your notes, never a coach that tells you what to do.
What is Backsight?
Backsight is a private notebook for self-tracking that converts brief notes — spoken or typed — into an offline dashboard of trends. It transcribes audio locally on your device (recordings never leave it), then surfaces repetition, distribution, spikes, changes, and correlations over time. It runs as a web app with planned Android and iOS support, created by an independent developer (no company name given on the page).
Key Features
- On-device transcription — Voice notes are transcribed without sending audio to the cloud; recordings are deleted immediately after transcription, and the feature works offline.
- Offline dashboard — A local interface shows weekly balance (positive vs. negative records), theme distribution (e.g., work, sleep, family), and topic-valence correlations, all with sample size indicators.
- End-to-end encrypted sync — Notes synced between your own devices are encrypted with keys only you hold; the service never sees plaintext.
- Accountless login — No account needed; your cryptographic keys serve as your identity.
- Unlimited export — Export raw CSV or JSON at any time, free and without paywalls.
- No dark patterns — No streaks, guilt, or reminders; nudges are off by default.
- Local MCP server (planned, paid) — Allows any local agent (Claude, local LLM) to query your notes on your machine; the service never sees the data.
Who is it for?
- Self-trackers who want to quantify personal patterns (mood, energy, habits) without manually reviewing every entry.
- Privacy-conscious individuals who need a tracking tool that never uploads audio or notes to the cloud.
- Developers and power users who want to point their own AI agents at personal data via the planned MCP server.
Use cases
- Mood tracking: Speak or type a moment when you feel a shift; over weeks, see which contexts (work, social, sleep) correlate with positive or negative entries.
- Habit monitoring: Log a quick note after exercise or meditation; the dashboard counts frequency and shows trends without requiring manual tagging.
- Theme analysis: Discover which topics dominate your notes (e.g., work appears 3x as often as family) and how their emotional tone varies with sample size shown to avoid overinterpretation.
How does it work?
- Record a voice note or type a short text entry describing a moment. Audio is transcribed on-device and deleted.
- The dashboard automatically categorizes entries into themes (e.g., work, sleep) and tracks their frequency, distribution, and emotional valence over time.
- You can sync encrypted data across your own devices using keys you control, or export raw data as CSV/JSON anytime.
Pricing
Recording and the offline dashboard are free. Encrypted sync and the agent interface (MCP server) are planned paid add-ons. No dollar amounts announced.
FAQ
Is my data private?
Yes. Transcription happens on your device; notes are end-to-end encrypted during sync with keys only you hold. The service never accesses your recordings or notes.
Do I need an account?
No. Backsight is accountless — your cryptographic keys are your identity. The only email requested is for the waitlist notification.
Can I get my data out?
Always. Export raw CSV or JSON anytime, free, no lock-in.
What does it cost?
Recording and the dashboard are free. Encrypted sync and the agent interface are planned paid add-ons. No pricing announced yet.
Is it a voice journal?
Close. You speak or type a moment; it transcribes on-device and deletes the audio. It's a private voice-first notes app with stats.
