# Gather - Handheld Curiosity — Remember what & how you notice

> Multimedia field recorder for personal archives of ideas, moments, and rituals. (iPhone/iPad app by Spencer Chang.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gather-handheld-curiosity/id6468843059 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Spencer Chang](https://appshunter.io/developer/1708138525)
- Category: Lifestyle, Utilities
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 5.00/5 from 29 App Store ratings · 4 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 15.5 · 44 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2025-01-22
- Data updated: 2026-08-14
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gather-handheld-curiosity/id6468843059/reviews.md

## What is Gather?

Develop your curiosity and personal taste with Gather, a multimedia field recorder for cultivating your personal archive of ideas, moments, and rituals. 

Key Features:

* Offline-Capable: Full functionality without internet connection
* Privacy-Focused: No ads, no logins, no tracking and all data is stored on-device*
* Quick Capture: Collect everyday inspiration and moments on-the-go as fast as texting yourself
* Organize: Connect unorganized blocks later while in transit or after getting home, so you don’t have to worry about organizing when collecting.
* Review: Revisit your favorite moments and curb your social media addiction while scratching your scroll itch in a TikTok-like feed

Additional Benefits:

* Multimedia support: collect text, images, videos, and links! Support for more types like audio on the horizon
* Are.na Integration: Sync selected collections and blocks to give them an online home
* Personalization: Customize app icons and configure the interface through detailed settings
* Share extension: quickly save text, images, and links from other apps
* Open-Source: Transparent, secure, and community-driven

Gather was developed by a person (Spencer) for their own use, which means it has the best interests of the person using it in mind. No dark patterns or corporate shenanigans, ever.

* this doesn’t include content that you decide to sync to external providers

---

Gather is made and maintained by Spencer Chang, an indie engineer and internet artist based in San Francisco, California. You can learn more about the philosophy behind Gather in this interview with Are.na (https://www.are.na/editorial/an-interview-with-spencer-chang)

Gather emerged from a personal need for a tool to facilitate my own archival practice—something that helped me collect the daily inspiration I encountered, connect them to relevant containers, and revisit ideas that important to me.



More info: https://gather.directory/

Privacy Policy: https://gather.directory/privacy

## Key features

- Offline functionality
- Privacy-focused, no ads or tracking
- Quick multimedia capture
- Organize and connect notes
- Review moments in a feed
- Are.na integration
- Open-source

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Gather Contribution | $2.99 | one-time |
| Gather Contribution | $34.99 | one-time |
| Gather Contribution | $99.99 | one-time |
| Gather Contribution | $5.99 | one-time |
| Gather Contribution | $9.99 | one-time |
| Gather Contribution | $12.99 | one-time |
| Gather Contribution | $59.99 | one-time |


## Recent user reviews (4 of 4)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gather-handheld-curiosity/id6468843059/reviews.md

### 5/5 — The right amount of opinion in a software

*2025-04-29*

This is a super great field journal app to jot down and go back all random thoughts in life through a simple motion: Gather, then sort

On a technical side, I appreciate this as a note app that doesn't force our tendency for categorization but account for it through the gather & sort UX. It gives me just the right amount of structure. 

Really appreciate the clean app!

### 5/5 — thank you!

*2025-04-17*

I am so happy that Gather exists. I tried so many other ways to make my phone notes feel like they had life in them, and this app finally made a space feel personal and at home, the way a physical notebook does. I also love that it’s offline oriented and that it connects to are.na! <3

### 5/5 — Incredible

*2025-03-28*

A tool I didn’t know I needed so bad, the best way to make sense of all the digital rubbish your phone absorbs everyday. Incredible for archiving. A truly mindful practice.

### 5/5 — simple, elegant, meaningful

*2025-03-03*

every app should be built like this. things like this were possible before Silicon Valley lost its soul

## Frequently asked questions about Gather

### What is Gather used for?

Gather is a multimedia field recorder designed to help you develop curiosity and personal taste. It allows you to capture ideas, moments, and rituals, building a personal archive of inspiration.

### Does Gather have ads?

No, Gather is privacy-focused and does not contain any advertisements. It also does not require logins or tracking, with all data stored on-device.

### Can I use Gather offline?

Yes, Gather offers full functionality without an internet connection. This allows you to capture inspiration and moments on-the-go, regardless of your connectivity.

### What types of media can I collect with Gather?

Gather supports the collection of text, images, videos, and links. Support for additional media types like audio is planned for future updates.

### How is my data stored in Gather?

All data collected in Gather is stored on-device, ensuring your privacy. This does not include content that you choose to sync with external providers like Are.na.

### Is Gather available on Android?

Currently, Gather is supported on iPhone, iPad, and iPod. Information regarding Android availability is not provided in the current data.

### How often is Gather updated?

Gather was last updated on February 26, 2025, with version 1.02. This indicates a recent update, suggesting ongoing maintenance and development by the indie engineer.

### What is the rating for Gather?

Gather has an excellent rating of 5.0 stars based on 20 ratings, indicating a very positive user reception.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.3.7 — 2026-08-12

Performance and reliability improvements:

- Reduced battery use while Gather is left open.
- Made Are.na syncing more efficient.
- Improved collection selection speed and responsiveness.
- Removed pending connections when their remote Are.na block has been deleted.

### 1.2 — 2026-06-18

- new photo picker that shows you what's already been added
- new organize view that supports grid & detail

### 1.11 — 2026-04-19

- handle v3 Are.na API

### 1.1 — 2026-04-15

- better UI for collections in texting view
- @-select multiple collections to add to in texting view
- bug fixes

### 1.02 — 2025-02-26

update app store photos order

## Apps similar to Gather

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [CocoonWeaver: Audio Notes](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cocoonweaver-audio-notes/id1464144628) | 4.6 (317) | Free | Lifestyle |
| [Stow - Wishlist Maker](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stow-wishlist-maker/id6733216505) | 5.0 (17) | Free | Lifestyle |
| [Quick Journal: just write](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/quick-journal-just-write/id6554003659) | 4.9 (20) | Free | Lifestyle |
| [Pool, the screenshot app](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pool-the-screenshot-app/id6752956163) | 5.0 (1) | Free | Lifestyle |
| [What's going on? Friend Diary](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/whats-going-on-friend-diary/id6471529194) | 4.8 (48) | Free | Lifestyle |
| [I Ching Lite](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/i-ching-lite/id489725185) | 4.9 (1,053) | Free | Lifestyle |

## More apps by Spencer Chang

- [on our way - take-home-art](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/on-our-way-take-home-art/id6762408593)

All apps by Spencer Chang: https://appshunter.io/developer/1708138525

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-14.*
