# Press FAQ

*Pre-answered questions a journalist will ask, so you're not writing them fresh
under a deadline. Answers are confirmed against the shipping app; [brackets] need
your input.*

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**What is Autonomic, in one line?**
A private, offline app that scores your daily HRV, blood pressure, sleep and
orthostatic readings against published medical thresholds, for people recovering
from POTS, dysautonomia and long COVID.

**Who is it for?**
People living with or recovering from POTS, dysautonomia, long COVID, ME/CFS and
other post-viral or autonomic conditions, and anyone trying to see whether their
recovery is actually trending the right way.

**How is it private, exactly?**
There is no account and no backend server. Everything is captured, processed and
stored on the device. The app reads from and writes to Apple Health / Health
Connect only when you ask it to. Because nothing is transmitted automatically, the
developer has no ability to see, lose, or sell user data. (See the data-flow
diagram in this kit.)

**Is it a medical device? Does it diagnose anything?**
No. Autonomic is a personal journal and education tool. It does not diagnose,
treat, or prevent any disease, and it tells users to discuss any protocol or
medication changes with their doctor.

**How does it measure HRV without a lab?**
It captures beat-to-beat RR intervals from a Bluetooth chest strap, an Apple
Watch, or the phone's camera (finger over the lens), then computes the standard
time- and frequency-domain HRV metrics on-device, with artifact correction. Noisy
readings are flagged and won't produce a fake score.

**What makes it different from Welltory, Visible, or a smartwatch?**
Three things: it measures real beat-to-beat data instead of guessing from the
wrist; it grades every number against published thresholds instead of a
proprietary black-box score; and it has no cloud or hardware subscription, so it
works with a strap you buy once and own.

**What does it cost?**
Free to use, with no account. Autonomic Pro is $7.99/month or $49.99/year, and
every install starts with 7 days of full access. There is a hardship path for
anyone who can't afford it: email austin@autonomic.care and Austin will send a
free code, no questions asked.

**Who built it?**
One person: Austin, a patient-founder who has lived with long COVID for four-plus
years and built the app during his own recovery, after specialists left him
without answers. He's a solo developer and a dad of six in South Carolina.

**What platforms and when did it launch?**
iOS (with an Apple Watch app) and Android (via Health Connect). Both launched in
July 2026.

**Do you have user data / outcomes to share?**
By design, no. The app collects nothing, so there is no user dataset. [If you
ever publish aggregate insights, it will be from opt-in, anonymized shares or
surveys, note that here when relevant.] The absence of a dataset is itself the
story.

**Can I get a review copy / walkthrough?**
Yes. The app is free to download on both stores, and Austin is happy to give a
live walkthrough or answer questions. Contact: austin@autonomic.care.
