FieldNookYour private field book

Complete operating manual

FieldNook User Manual

Version 1.0, September 4, 2026

FieldNook is a private outdoor noticing companion with 333 prompts across four weekly quest paths. It works without an account and keeps your field cards on your device. FieldNook is not navigation, emergency support, safety advice, species identification, or an environmental authority.

1. The four main areas

Hedgerow contains the current weekly quests. Nook contains your quest cards and captured moments. Almanac contains monthly reflections and 33 badges. Drawer contains backup, paid access, support, the user manual, privacy, terms, and the EULA.

2. Start and complete a quest

  1. Open Hedgerow.
  2. Review the four quest paths prepared for the current app week.
  3. Choose an available quest and read the complete prompt.
  4. Select Complete this quest.
  5. Add an optional note, photo, short video, or voice note.
  6. Select Press to Keep.
  7. FieldNook saves the quest card locally, updates progress, and creates an automatic recovery snapshot.

During the first two app weeks, all four paths are available. With active Trail Pass or Forever Almanac access, all four paths remain available. Completing an available quest reveals a fresh quest from that path.

3. Weekly quest access

The full 333 quest catalog is bundled for offline use. FieldNook calculates app weeks from the date the local collection began. During app weeks one and two, all four paths are available, repeatable, and replenish after completion. Beginning with app week three, one rotating highlighted path offers the weekly pick. The other paths show complete previews and are available with paid access.

4. Capture a moment

Open Nook and select Capture a moment. Add any outdoor thought, observation, photo, short video, or voice note worth remembering. A captured moment is independent of a quest and has a distinct label and visual treatment in Nook.

5. Notes, photos, videos, and voice notes

Every attachment is optional and requires your deliberate action. FieldNook accepts prepared photos up to 8 MB, videos up to 25 MB, and voice notes up to 10 MB per card. Photos are decoded and reencoded to remove embedded metadata such as location fields. FieldNook does not request location. Media remains in the private app container and is included in automatic recovery snapshots and exported backups.

6. Organize the Nook

Use Show to view all cards, quest cards, captured moments, or favorites. Use Order to sort newest or oldest first. A pinned card stays above unpinned cards within the selected order. Mark any card as a favorite for a focused collection. You can remove a pin or favorite at any time.

7. View media

Photos appear on their field card. Videos and voice notes include playback controls. If a media file is unavailable, the card remains intact and indicates which media type could not be loaded.

8. Reflections

Almanac summarizes field cards and distinct quests saved during the current calendar month. The reflection prompt is derived locally from your activity. Nothing is uploaded for reflection generation.

9. Badges

Almanac contains exactly 33 illustrated badge designs. Badges recognize quest completion, repeat weeks, captured moments, selected media, pinning, favorites, and keepsake creation. Badge progress is derived locally. FieldNook does not track or verify location, outdoor presence, or physical achievement.

10. Share a keepsake

Image, PDF, and text keepsake sharing requires active Trail Pass, Forever Almanac, or an Epicalin device grant.

  1. Open Nook.
  2. Select Share on a field card.
  3. Choose Beautiful image, Keepsake PDF, or Share details.
  4. Review the generated keepsake.
  5. Choose a destination in the iOS or Android sharing menu.

The export contains the entry type, title, date, quest context when applicable, the complete note, and a description of captured media types. The original card remains private and unchanged. Only the composed export leaves FieldNook when you choose a destination.

11. Work offline

The installed app contains quests, card creation, Nook, reflections, badges, the manual, legal pages, automatic recovery, and user controlled backup. These features work without internet. Store purchase refresh, manual device grants, the secure support form, and destinations chosen in the sharing menu require connectivity. FieldNook provides no safety critical information.

12. Automatic recovery

Automatic recovery is always on. FieldNook creates an integrity checked snapshot after initial setup and after every durable card, pin, favorite, share record, restore, or entitlement state change. It keeps the newest three snapshots. Open Drawer, then Keeping, to view the latest protected time or recover the newest verified snapshot.

If a snapshot cannot be written, FieldNook preserves the primary saved collection and asks you to export a backup. A snapshot is not a replacement for a separate export or platform backup.

13. Export a backup

  1. Open Drawer, then Keeping.
  2. Select Export backup.
  3. Choose a private destination in the system sharing interface.
  4. Keep the JSON file secure because it may contain notes and media.

The export includes a SHA 256 integrity digest. FieldNook never automatically sends a backup to Epicalin.

14. Restore a backup

  1. Keep an existing export before replacing a collection.
  2. Select Restore exported backup.
  3. Choose a FieldNook JSON export.
  4. FieldNook verifies the format, digest, schema, card data, and attachment metadata before saving.
  5. Confirm that the restored card and media counts match expectations.

If verification fails, the current collection remains unchanged. Try a known good copy rather than editing a protected export.

15. Platform backup

Eligible private app data is configured for iCloud device backup and Android Auto Backup. Availability, timing, retention, encryption, quota, and restore are controlled by Apple or Google and your account settings. FieldNook cannot force a provider backup when it is disabled. Automatic recovery and exported backup remain separate protection paths.

16. Plans and prices

FieldNook Trail Pass Monthly has a $0.99 United States reference price. FieldNook Trail Pass Yearly has a $9.99 United States reference price. Both subscriptions offer a seven day trial when the store reports that you are eligible. FieldNook Forever Almanac is a one time purchase with a $29.99 United States reference price.

The app always displays the authoritative localized price and offer returned by Apple or Google before purchase. Monthly and yearly subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled in store account settings. Trial eligibility may depend on prior use. Deleting FieldNook does not cancel a subscription.

17. Paid capabilities

Trail Pass and Forever Almanac open every weekly quest path, replenish completed paths, and enable image, PDF, and text keepsake sharing. Standard access retains the rotating weekly pick, captured moments, saved cards, pins, favorites, badges, reflections, automatic recovery, and backups.

18. Purchase, pending payment, and cancellation

Select a plan in Drawer, then Access. Apple or Google shows the final confirmation interface. Paid features unlock only after the store reports a completed purchase. A pending purchase remains locked until the store confirms payment. Canceling the purchase screen changes nothing.

Manage subscription cancellation through App Store or Google Play account settings. Cancellation normally preserves access through the paid period. Refunds, account holds, grace periods, and family eligibility follow provider rules.

19. Restore purchases

Open Drawer, then Access, and select Restore purchases. FieldNook checks the store account signed in on that device. Apple purchases and Google purchases do not transfer across platforms because FieldNook has no Epicalin account. Existing private cards remain available if paid access expires.

20. Installation ID and Epicalin grants

Drawer, then Access, shows a random Installation ID in the installed iOS or Android app. Copy this ID only when Epicalin support needs to grant access to that installation. The ID does not contain hardware, account, payment, location, note, or media information. Device grants are additive and never cancel or replace a store purchase.

Authorized administrators manage individual grants in the protected Feedback Service console. Epicalin OS displays only aggregate FieldNook installation and grant counts and provides the protected administration link.

21. Review prompts

FieldNook may ask iOS or Android to show its standard rating interface only after at least three cards and at least seven days of meaningful use. It does not ask how you feel first, offer a reward, or know whether the store displayed or completed the prompt.

22. Reminders

FieldNook uses local notifications only. Notification permission is requested in context after you choose to enable a reminder. The app does not use remote push for reminders.

23. Support, feature requests, issues, and diagnostics

Open Drawer, then Help. Choose a request type and prepare a local draft. Optional diagnostics show only app version, build, platform, schema version, and item counts. They exclude notes, photos, videos, voice notes, location, and Installation ID.

Choose Continue to secure support to open fieldnook.epicalin.com/contact/. The local message is not placed in the URL. Review the protected form, add optional contact details if you want a response or progress updates, complete human verification, and choose Send securely. You can also email support@epicalin.com. Do not include private field card content or sensitive information.

24. Accessibility

FieldNook supports platform text sizing, screen readers, keyboard navigation, switch focus, reduced motion, increased contrast, and forced color modes. Controls use visible text or accessible labels. Status changes use live regions. If an accessibility control is unclear or unreachable, report it through secure support.

25. Storage recovery

If local data is unreadable, FieldNook starts an empty safe view and leaves the malformed value untouched. Recover the newest verified automatic snapshot or restore a known good exported backup. If saving fails, free device storage and try again.

26. Delete data

Delete FieldNook through the platform to remove its local container, including automatic snapshots and the local Installation ID, subject to platform backup retention. Delete exported backup and keepsake copies separately wherever you placed them. Contact support@epicalin.com to request deletion of a support submission or inactive Installation ID record held by Epicalin.

27. Troubleshooting

If plans do not appear, confirm that the build came from the correct store, the store account is connected, and internet access is available. If paid access does not refresh, use Restore purchases. If manual access does not refresh, confirm connectivity and send the Installation ID to support. If a share fails, choose another eligible destination. If media cannot be captured, review the app permission in system settings. If a reminder does not appear, review notification permission and Focus settings.

For additional help, visit https://fieldnook.epicalin.com/support/ or email support@epicalin.com.