Yes. NeuroRest is free to download and free to use. The app does not contain advertising or in-app purchases at this time. We may introduce optional premium content in a future release; existing free content will remain free.

For the binaural-beat effect, yes — stereo headphones are required. Both over-ear and in-ear headphones (including AirPods) work well. Phone speakers cannot reproduce the binaural effect because the two slightly different frequencies must reach each ear separately.

You can still use the ambient soundscapes (ocean, rain, cicadas, etc.) without headphones, but the core sleep-induction feature relies on the binaural layer.

Yes. From version 1.0.0 onwards, NeuroRest plays audio through iOS's native AVPlayer with proper background-audio support. The audio continues during screen lock, app backgrounding, or putting the phone in your pocket.

You can also control playback from the lock screen and Control Center (play / pause / skip).

If you allow it, NeuroRest can:

• See your recent sleep duration and heart rate from the Apple Health app (usually populated by Apple Watch).
• Save each of your sleep-aid sessions to the Health app's sleep records, so they sit next to your Apple Watch sleep data in one place.

This is optional. You can connect via the Apple Health icon at the top-right of the home screen. Even without connecting, the app works fully — you just won't see personalized sleep data.

NeuroRest uses a microphone-based breathing-rate estimate plus heart-rate data (when available) to approximate when you have fallen asleep. This estimate is not precise and is not intended for clinical use.

For accurate sleep tracking, we strongly recommend pairing an Apple Watch — its sleep analysis is the authoritative source and NeuroRest will display it automatically.

iPhone version 1.0 reads sleep data Apple Watch syncs to Apple Health (no extra setup required). A dedicated NeuroRest watchOS companion app — with real-time heart-rate-based sleep detection and standalone playback — is in development for v2.0.

Open the app → tap the profile icon in the top right → scroll to the bottom → tap Delete Account. After confirming, all your data — account, listening history, redemption records — is permanently removed from our servers.

If you cannot access the in-app option, email us at ntu.neurorest@gmail.com with the subject "Account Deletion Request" and we will process the deletion within 7 business days.

We collect:

• Email and display name (for account login).
• Optional: sleep and heart-rate data from Apple Health (only if you connect it; processed locally).
• Anonymous crash and performance data (Apple's built-in reporters).

We do not sell or share data with advertisers. Microphone audio is processed in memory only and never recorded or transmitted. Full details are in the Privacy Policy.

Try the following in order:

1. Close and reopen the app.
2. Toggle Bluetooth off and on (if using wireless headphones).
3. Restart your iPhone.
4. Update to the latest version of NeuroRest from the App Store.
5. If still broken, email us with: device model, iOS version, and a description of when the issue happens.

Password reset is not yet self-service in the app. Email us at ntu.neurorest@gmail.com with the subject "Password Reset" from the email address you registered with, and we will help you reset it within 24 hours.

We read every email. Please include:

• What you were trying to do.
• What happened instead.
• Device model + iOS version (Settings → General → About).
• App version (visible at the bottom of Settings page in the app).
• Screenshot or screen recording if possible.

Send to ntu.neurorest@gmail.com.