i.Anti-algorithm
No feeds, no push algorithms, no follower counts. The words you write are not buried by other content. This isn't a place where engagement wins — only the words between the two of you stay.
— A PAPER DIARY FOR TWO —
A paper diary,
just for the two of you.
Niannian is a slow-paced iOS journal for couples. Write each other paper-textured letters sealed with cinnabar. Remember every anniversary. Grow a shared ink-painted spirit beast.
Anti-algorithm. Two-person only. Free forever.
Niannian is an anti-algorithm notebook for two.
Nothing you write gets buried by feeds or notifications.
What it is
— nine small things, made for two —
Paper Letters
Nine paper themes, sealed with cinnabar. Send instantly, or schedule a letter for a week, a year from now. A cinnabar stamp falls when they open it.
Anniversaries
The day you met, the day you started, your first trip together — Niannian quietly remembers, without notification noise.
Sync Questions
One small two-choice question every day. See if your answers land in the same place. Monthly resonance score auto-generated.
Morning / Goodnight
AI drafts a few lines for you, pick one and send. Available 6 AM–noon, 9 PM–6 AM each day.
Wish Book
"Small things I'd love them to do" — write them down, one by one. They get a cinnabar stamp when complete.
Cinnabar Wheel
For decisions you can't make alone. What to eat tonight, who takes out the trash. Let the cinnabar decide.
Photo Reading
Upload a photo of you two. AI gently reads the chemistry in the frame.
Bound Memoir
All your letters, days, and answers can be exported as a hand-bound PDF. A diary that's actually flippable.
Spirit Beast v1.2 NEW
An ink-painted Chinese mythical creature — Bai Ze, Qilin, or Xuan Niao. Hatched from your daily interactions, raised together.
Why Niannian is different
— four things we chose not to do —
ii.Two-person only
No third-party perspective. What you write only flows between you and your partner — never appears in social feeds, never recommended to algorithms, never used to train models. This is strictly a two-person space.
iii.Slow-paced
Niannian lets you write a letter to be opened a year from now. It lets you take all morning to think of one sentence to send. It lets a month go by without notification reminders. We don't reward frequency — we reward sincerity.
iv.Free forever
All features are free, forever. If Niannian makes you and your partner smile a little extra, you're welcome to buy the developer a coffee or become a long-term patron — patrons get a tiny "with gratitude" cinnabar mark under their letter signatures. But it's a gesture, not a gate.
The Spirit Beast
— your first ink-painted creature · v1.2 NEW —
Bai Ze · Qilin · Xuan Niao
After you pair, you'll take a personality quiz together. Niannian picks one ink-painted Chinese mythical creature to come to your side.
- Egg30 days + 5 interactions → hatch
- Juvenile+90 days + 30 interactions → adult
- Interactionsyour normal letters / morning-goodnight / wheel / sync answers
- Sharedone beast for two of you. After breakup it sleeps — it doesn't disappear.
— it doesn't need you, you need it —
Frequently asked
— things you might be wondering —
- What is Niannian?
- An iOS journaling app made for two — a couple, partners, anyone in a long-term relationship. After pairing, you can write each other paper-textured letters sealed with cinnabar (with optional scheduled delivery), remember anniversaries, answer a daily sync question, and raise a shared ink-painted spirit beast. Anti-algorithm, slow-paced, free forever.
- Is Niannian free?
- Yes. All features are free forever. If you'd like, you can buy the developer a coffee or become a long-term patron — patrons get a tiny cinnabar mark stamped under their letter signatures.
- Which platforms does Niannian support?
- iOS 17.0 and above. Android version is on the v2.0 roadmap.
- Is Niannian bilingual?
- Yes. Full Simplified Chinese and English support since v1.1.
- How is Niannian different from Couple, Between, or other relationship apps?
- Niannian is anti-algorithm: nothing you write gets buried. It is strictly two-person: no third-party logins, no public timelines. It is slow-paced: letters can be scheduled a year out. And it is aesthetically a paper artifact — rice paper, cinnabar seals, serif type.
- What is the Niannian spirit beast?
- After pairing, you take a personality quiz together and receive an ink-painted creature: Bai Ze, Qilin, or Xuan Niao. From egg, it grows as you naturally interact (30 days + 5 interactions to hatch, 90 days + 30 to mature). One beast for two. After breakup it sleeps, it doesn't vanish.
- Are my letters and data safe?
- Everything stays between you and your partner. Apple Sign-In restores your data on a new device. "Export my copy" gives you a JSON dump savable to iCloud Drive or Files.
- Is there an Android version?
- Not yet. v2.0 roadmap.
- How do I pair with my partner?
- Generate a 5-minute invite code in the app. Or send a beautiful invite preview link — your partner taps it, downloads Niannian, enters the code.
- Who made Niannian?
- Niannian is made by brightvibe — one indie developer, slowly. No funding, no growth team. Just someone who wanted to leave something for two people.
Download Niannian
— iOS 17.0+ · Free forever —
Download on the App Store