Apriel Crystal's Whereabouts

1. Open the private journal

Select Sign in in the left menu, or expand Private journal sync, then enter Apriel’s password in the clearly labeled password field. On first sign-in, use Change password immediately and choose a private replacement of at least 12 characters. The password controls access only; it never changes, moves, or replaces the separate Apriel journal storage.

2. Configure the trip

After signing in, use Trip setup to set the traveler name, start date, end date, and optional primary location. Select Save trip setup. Dates limit the entries permitted in the journal and can filter a later Google Timeline import.

3. Add a journal entry and location

Select Add journal entry. Set the visit date and time, give it a title and note, then choose one location method: Current location collects fresh GPS after you allow browser location permission; Search for a place turns a selected address or place into coordinates; Coordinates lets you enter latitude and longitude; and an imported Google Timeline point can prefill a location. Review the map pin before saving. Place search and map tiles need internet; direct coordinates do not.

4. Add cultural context

Select the optional Cultural context choice when saving an entry. The journal uses that entry’s coordinates—not the photo image—to search Wikipedia’s geographic index, first within about 3 km and then up to 10 km if necessary. It gives preference to useful cultural matches such as museums, heritage, architecture, Black/African/Caribbean diaspora, jazz, memorials, artists, markets, parks, and historic places. It then saves a short Wikipedia summary and, when available, structured Wikidata facts such as a founding or opening year, the distance from the pin, source links, and license information.

If a reliable geotagged cultural article is not available, the entry says so rather than inventing information. The result is saved with the entry and reused from Cloudflare’s cache when possible; a fresh lookup needs internet access.

5. Add photos

Select a timeline entry first, then choose Add photos or edit that entry. Original JPEG, PNG, and WebP images are stored with Apriel’s separate Cloudflare journal; the journal initially shows smaller previews and opens the original when selected. Photos are linked to the entry’s saved location—the journal does not currently read or infer GPS from photo metadata automatically.

After the entry is saved, the original photo is queued in protected browser storage before upload. If an upload is interrupted, reopening the journal, returning it to the foreground, or regaining Wi-Fi/cellular can resume the queue. Do not clear browser or site data while uploads are pending.

6. Using the journal without internet

Previously loaded entries and any saved cultural context remain available from this browser’s recovery cache. A fresh GPS check-in may still work when the phone can obtain a location, and that pin can wait locally to synchronize later. New cultural lookups, place search, interactive map tiles, manual-entry saving, and new photo uploads require an internet connection. A photo queue can resume after connectivity returns only if its journal entry was already saved and the browser’s storage has not been cleared.

7. Capture an hourly trail

Turn on Hourly check-ins only when wanted. It collects a fresh browser GPS check-in while this page is open. It stops if the browser is closed, locked, or backgrounded for too long; it is not continuous phone tracking.

8. Import Google Timeline data

In the timeline section, choose iPhone/iPad or Android, then select a Google Timeline JSON export. Imported points remain separate from manual journal entries. The coverage audit highlights imported points that do not yet have a journal entry, and each can be turned into one with its date, time, and coordinates prefilled.

9. Sign out and protect access

After signing in, this browser remains signed in for up to 30 days, including when the browser is closed and reopened on the same device. A different device or browser must sign in separately. Use Disconnect this browser on a shared device; changing the password signs out other browsers. Clearing browser data also ends this device’s session. Store the replacement password privately: the journal has no password-recovery back door.