CognomHelp & FAQ
Last updated: September 2026
If your question isn't here, write to support@cognom.com — we read every message.
Getting started
What is Cognom for?
It's a private memory of the people you care about. After you talk with someone, record a short note or type what happened. Cognom keeps what matters — what they said, what's coming up, what's still open — so you can be present in the moment instead of trying to remember it.
How do I add someone?
Tap any empty leaf on your tree. Adding a person is private and always allowed — a tree entry is your own note about someone and needs nobody's permission.
Do I have to record audio?
No. Every capture works by typing instead. You can make typing the default in Settings → Account → Capture.
Privacy
Can other people find me on Cognom?
No. Cognom has no user search. Nobody can look you up, browse usernames, or discover that you use the app. A username works only when you've given it to someone directly — like a phone number. Typing a partial username finds nothing.
What do other people see?
Nothing, unless you deliberately share it. Your reflections, your raw recordings, and everything you've written about someone stay private by default — the portrait you keep of a person is yours, and there is no way to send it to them. What you can share is deliberate and specific: a moment, a post into a circle, a single "About" answer sent to the person it's about, or a memory left in someone's well. Connecting is mutual, and either side can end it at any time.
Is my data used to train AI?
No. See our Privacy Policy for the full detail.
Connecting with people
What does "connecting" mean?
It links a person on your tree to their real Cognom account. It's a request they have to accept — nothing is shared before that. Once connected, you can add them to circles, share moments, and answer weekly questions together.
Why can't I add someone to a circle?
Two things are required: they must be on your tree, and you must be connected (they accepted your request). Being on your tree is your own private note about someone; it doesn't give you the right to put them in a group.
How do I disconnect?
Open their page and tap Disconnect. Either side can do this at any time. They stay on your tree and nothing you've written is deleted — disconnecting unlinks accounts, it doesn't erase memories.
Just the two of you
How do the paired questions work?
A question goes to both of you. You each answer privately, and neither of you sees the other's answer until both have written one. Two people remember the same thing differently, and that difference is worth keeping.
Can I stop the weekly questions?
Yes — per person, from the "Just the two of you" section on their page, or for everyone in Settings → Account → Connections.
Your own story
What is "Your story"?
Famous people get asked what their street smelled like, or the afternoon they would live again. Nobody asks everyone else. There are 44 of those questions on your own page, under Conversations — childhood, work, love, the ordinary afternoons. Answer one by talking; you can change the question, or write your own.
Where do the answers go?
Into your History, in your own voice and words. What you say also shapes the About section of your page over time — that is distilled from what you have actually told it, never from a form you filled in.
Does anyone else see them?
No. Your story is yours. Nothing there is shared unless you deliberately send a specific answer to a specific person.
Things you leave for each other
What is the memory well?
Somewhere to leave a memory for someone rather than about them. You write it, and it waits on their page until they open it. You will not see it again once it is left — it is a gift, not a post, and the opening is the point.
What are keepsakes?
A short recording kept on a person's page: their laugh, the way they answer the phone, a story told in their own voice. Recordings are private to you and stored so that only your app can fetch them.
What are time capsules?
A moment you seal until a date you choose. It stays closed — not previewed, not searchable — until then, and the app tells you when it opens.
Keeping your account safe
Can I add two-factor authentication?
Yes. Settings → Security & data → turn on two-factor, and scan the code with any authenticator app. You can enrol more than one device, so losing a phone does not lock you out.
What if I lose my authenticator?
If you enrolled a second device, use that. If you did not, write to us — an account with two-factor on cannot be opened without one of its codes, which is the point of it.
Your data
Can I get my data out?
Yes. Settings → Security & data → Export. You get a complete file of everything, readable without Cognom.
What happens if I delete my account?
Everything is removed from our servers. Settings → About → Advanced → Delete account. It cannot be undone, so we ask twice.
I lost something. Can you recover it?
Possibly. Cognom keeps periodic on-device backups (Settings → Security & data → Restore). If that doesn't help, email support@cognom.com as soon as you can.
Still stuck?
Write to support@cognom.com. If you send it from the app (Settings → About → Contact support), it includes the details we need to find your account — no personal content, just your account id and app version.