# Reflect Problems & Issues 2026 - Reflect Open Split, Price, No Android

Source: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/reflect
Last analyzed: 2026-10-21
Try or Bye score: 60/100

## Verdict: Try with caution

Reflect works for some teams, but users report recurring problems (score 60/100). Most reported issues: Reflect Classic vs Reflect Open: which one should I use?; Does Reflect have an Android app?; Why is Reflect so expensive for a notes app?. Not a good fit for: Android users; Teams needing collaboration; Users who need tables and rich documents. Users most often switch to Obsidian, Logseq, Capacities.

## What it is

Reflect (Reflect Notes) is a note-taking app built around daily notes, backlinks, calendar-linked meeting notes and AI help. In July 2026 the team launched Reflect Open, a free, open-source, local-first Mac app that stores notes as Markdown files synced via iCloud Drive or Git, while the original subscription app (now called Reflect Classic) stays in maintenance mode. It suits Apple users who journal daily and link ideas; Android users and teams are poorly served.

## Common errors & fixes

### Reflect AI Not Working

In Reflect Classic, AI stops when you hit the daily cap (10k tokens on free accounts, 100k on paid ones). Adding your own OpenAI or Anthropic API key removes the cap, but it needs separate API billing. In Reflect Open, AI only works with your own key, entered on every device.

1. **Add your own API key (Classic)** — Create a key on the OpenAI or Anthropic API console Set up API billing with that provider In Reflect, open Preferences > Profile and paste it into the API key field
2. **Set up AI on each device (Reflect Open)** — Open Settings in Reflect Open Add an OpenAI, Anthropic, Google or OpenRouter key Repeat on your iPhone, since keys don't sync between devices
3. **Check the note isn't Private** — Check whether the note is marked Private Private notes are blocked from AI by design; remove the Private setting if you want AI to read it
4. **Wait for the daily reset** — Without your own key, the token cap resets daily Shorten selections to use fewer tokens

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/reflect/issues/ai-not-working

### Reflect Audio Memo Transcription Not Working

Reflect transcribes audio memos with Whisper in the background, and the text appears in your daily note after a few minutes. If it doesn't, update the desktop app to version 2.0.5 or later and restart your computer, which Reflect says clears a permission issue. On Mac, raw recordings are cached so you can recover them.

1. **Update the desktop app** — Check you're on Reflect desktop 2.0.5 or later Update and relaunch
2. **Restart your computer** — Quit Reflect and restart the Mac or PC Record a short test memo
3. **Recover the raw recording (Mac)** — In Finder, press Cmd+Shift+G Enter ~/Library/Caches/app.reflect.AudioRecorder/ Find the cached audio file and re-upload it
4. **Improve accuracy for names** — Go to reflect.app/preferences/profile Add helper text with names and terms you often say

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/reflect/issues/audio-transcription-not-working

### Reflect Open Blank Window on Mac

Reflect Open shows a blank window on macOS 12 because older WebKit (before Safari 16.4) can't render the app. The App Store lists macOS 13 or later as a requirement. Update macOS, or keep using Reflect Classic on older Macs.

1. **Update macOS** — Open System Settings > General > Software Update Install macOS 13 Ventura or later if your Mac supports it Relaunch Reflect Open
2. **Stay on Reflect Classic** — If your Mac can't run macOS 13, keep using Reflect Classic or the web app at reflect.app Classic keeps getting bug fixes with no migration deadline

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/reflect/issues/blank-window-mac

### Reflect Calendar Events Not Showing

If events don't appear next to your daily note, the account usually wasn't fully authorised (Google's permission checkboxes are easy to miss), the calendar isn't selected in preferences, or iCloud was added without an app-specific password. Reconnect the account under Preferences > Connections.

1. **Reconnect Google or Office 365 and tick every checkbox** — Press Cmd+, and open Connections Remove the account, then click Connect an account Choose Google or Office 365 and tick all the permission checkboxes Wait a few seconds for the account to appear in the list
2. **Select the right calendars** — In Preferences > Connections, open the account Make sure the calendars you want are switched on
3. **Use an app-specific password for iCloud** — Sign in at appleid.apple.com Open App-Specific Passwords and click + Name it 'Reflect' and confirm your Apple ID password Paste the generated password into Reflect when adding iCloud

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/reflect/issues/calendar-events-not-showing

### Reflect Forgot Password: Can't Decrypt Notes

In Reflect Classic your password is the encryption key, so it can't simply be reset by email. If any device is still logged in, change the password there or generate a recovery kit on iOS. Otherwise look for the password in Chrome or macOS Keychain, or find the reflect-recovery-kit file from sign-up.

1. **Change the password from a device that's still logged in (Mac, web, iPad)** — Open Reflect and press Cmd+, to open Preferences Select your graph in the sidebar (usually 'My Brain') Click Change password and set a new one Save it in a password manager
2. **Generate a recovery kit on iPhone** — Open Reflect on iOS while still logged in Tap your graph (round button, top left) Tap Generate recovery kit Go to reflect.app/recovery and use the kit to reset your password
3. **Look for a saved copy of the password** — Chrome: Settings > Passwords, search for 'reflect' Mac: open Keychain Access and search for 'reflect' (the desktop app backs up the password there)
4. **Find the recovery kit file** — On the computer you used to sign up, open Downloads Search for a file named reflect-recovery-kit-… Use it at reflect.app/recovery
5. **Contact support** — Email support@reflect.app Reflect keeps daily on-disk backups and may be able to help

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/reflect/issues/forgot-password

### Reflect Open GitHub Sync Slow on iPhone ('Needs Attention')

Reflect Open's iOS GitHub sync is a known weak spot. The 'Syncing' badge can hang for about 30 seconds, and a 'Needs attention' warning appears without details. The team is still working on it, so iCloud Drive is the more reliable option on iPhone.

1. **Wait for the sync to finish before editing** — Open Reflect Open on iPhone Leave it in the foreground until the Syncing badge clears Only then start editing to avoid conflicts
2. **Update the TestFlight build** — Open the TestFlight app Install the latest Reflect Open build Note that TestFlight builds expire, so keep the app updated
3. **Switch to iCloud Drive sync** — Reflect recommends iCloud Drive as the simplest option for Mac and iPhone Create or move the graph into iCloud Drive on the Mac Open the same graph on iPhone
4. **Report it with details** — Note your app version and what you were doing Email support@reflect.app or add to GitHub issue #912

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/reflect/issues/github-sync-slow-iphone

### Reflect Open High CPU With iCloud (fileproviderd)

Early Reflect Open builds (around 0.10.0) made macOS fileproviderd use about 200% CPU while an iCloud-backed graph was open. The bug was fixed in September 2026, so updating Reflect Open is the fix. Restarting fileproviderd helps only temporarily.

1. **Update Reflect Open** — Download the latest Mac build from github.com/team-reflect/reflect-open/releases or let the app auto-update Restart Reflect and check fileproviderd in Activity Monitor
2. **Temporarily restart fileproviderd** — Open Terminal Run: killall fileproviderd Note that the load returns if you're still on an affected build
3. **Use a local folder or Git instead of iCloud** — Create the graph in a regular folder on your Mac Sync it with GitHub or another git remote instead of iCloud Drive

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/reflect/issues/icloud-high-cpu

### Reflect Open Import Failed

Importing a Reflect Classic export into Reflect Open can fail when the export has more than 1000 images with the same file name (like image.png). The importer runs out of numbered names. Export with the 'Reflect Open' format, import into a fresh graph, and ask on Discord if a large graph still fails.

1. **Re-export in the Reflect Open format** — Open Reflect Classic on Mac or at reflect.app Go to Settings > Graph > Export Keep the format set to Reflect Open and click Export notes Wait for the .zip to finish downloading
2. **Import into a new graph** — In Reflect Open, create a new graph on the Welcome screen (iCloud or a local folder) Go to Settings > Import > Import zip… Select the zip; existing content isn't replaced
3. **Work around the duplicate image name limit** — If your graph has many pasted screenshots, they're often all named image.png Ask for help in Reflect's Discord or on GitHub issue #900, which tracks the bug Keep using Classic until a fix ships; there's no migration deadline
4. **Keep your Classic graph as a backup** — Don't delete anything in Classic after importing Edits don't sync between the apps, so pick one to keep working in

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/reflect/issues/import-to-reflect-open-failed

### Reflect Kindle Highlights Not Syncing

Reflect's Kindle sync runs through its Chrome extension every five hours and works only with US Amazon stores. If highlights don't arrive, make sure the extension is installed and you're logged in to Amazon in Chrome. Users report that reinstalling the extension fixed it.

1. **Check you're on Amazon US** — Reflect can only sync highlights from US-based Amazon stores Other regions aren't supported because Amazon has no API
2. **Reinstall the Reflect Chrome extension** — Remove the Reflect extension from Chrome Reinstall it from reflect.app/extension Log in to Amazon when prompted
3. **Stay logged in to Amazon in Chrome** — Open read.amazon.com/notebook in Chrome and sign in Check your highlights appear there Leave Chrome open and wait for the next five-hour sync

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/reflect/issues/kindle-highlights-not-syncing

### Reflect Markdown Export Missing Images

Reflect Classic's Markdown export keeps images as remote links instead of bundling the files, and hashed file names can break internal links. To get a clean copy with attachments, export in the 'Reflect Open' format, import it into Reflect Open, and use the resulting folder of Markdown files.

1. **Export via Reflect Open instead** — In Classic, go to Settings > Graph > Export and choose the Reflect Open format Install Reflect Open on Mac and create a graph in a local folder Import the zip under Settings > Import Your notes and attachments are now plain Markdown files in that folder
2. **Try the HTML or JSON export** — Press Cmd+, and select your graph Choose HTML zip or Reflect JSON and click Export Keep it as a full backup alongside the Markdown
3. **Download images before you cancel** — While your account is active, open notes with important images Save them manually, since remote links may stop working later

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/reflect/issues/markdown-export-missing-images

### Reflect Open Not Syncing With Reflect Classic

This is by design: Reflect Open and Reflect Classic are separate apps, and importing creates a one-time copy. Edits made after the import don't sync between them. Re-export and re-import to bring later Classic changes over, then work in one app only.

1. **Re-import newer Classic notes** — In Classic, go to Settings > Graph > Export and choose the Reflect Open format In Reflect Open, go to Settings > Import > Import zip… Import into a fresh graph to avoid duplicates
2. **Choose one app to work in** — Decide whether you need Classic-only features (web app, publishing, integrations) If not, switch fully to Open and stop editing in Classic
3. **Set up sync for Reflect Open itself** — Put the graph in iCloud Drive to share it between Mac and iPhone Or connect GitHub (or any SSH git remote) for versioned sync

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/reflect/issues/reflect-open-not-syncing-with-classic

### Reflect Semantic Search 'Couldn't Load the Model' Error

When you enable semantic search in Reflect Open, it downloads a model file (model.onnx). The error 'invalid peer certificate: unknown issuer' usually means a corporate proxy or security tool such as Zscaler is intercepting HTTPS. Try a home network or ask IT to allow the download.

1. **Try a different network** — Connect to a home network or phone hotspot Open Settings in Reflect Open and click Enable semantic search again
2. **Check for HTTPS interception** — Open Terminal Run: curl -sv -o /dev/null https://huggingface.co 2>&1 | grep issuer A normal result mentions 'Amazon RSA 2048'; a company name or Zscaler means traffic is being intercepted
3. **Ask IT to allow the model download** — Share the curl output with your IT team Ask them to exempt huggingface.co from HTTPS inspection

Full guide: https://www.tryorbye.com/products/reflect/issues/semantic-search-model-download-error

## Common problems

- **Reflect Classic vs Reflect Open: which one should I use?** (reliability): In July 2026 Reflect launched Reflect Open, a separate local-first, open-source app, and moved new development there. Classic only gets maintenance and bug fixes. Moving makes a one-way copy, and later edits don't sync between the two apps. Integrations, AI conversations, note history and published URLs don't carry over.
- **Does Reflect have an Android app?** (mobile): No. Reflect has never shipped a native Android app. Classic users on Android can only use the web app in a browser. Reflect Open lists Android as out of scope, with no release date. Reviewers flag the missing Android app more consistently than any other con.
- **Why is Reflect so expensive for a notes app?** (pricing): Reviewers say Reflect Classic costs about $10/month billed annually ($120/year), with no permanent free plan, and call that steep next to the free Obsidian and Logseq. Reflect Open is free on Mac, but the iPhone/iPad app lists Reflect Pro at $9.99/month or $99/year. AI in Open also requires your own paid API key.
- **Reflect iPhone app missing desktop features** (mobile): On iOS, Classic lacked in-note search, suggested backlinks and calendar events. AI chat on mobile and desktop-style search on mobile are still 'in progress' on the public roadmap. Reflect Open's iPhone app is a TestFlight beta, and the team says it may lack desktop features.
- **Reflect Open missing publishing and integrations** (integrations): Reflect Open launched without publishing, a web app, an iPad app or some Classic integrations. Published URLs and integration settings don't transfer when you move. The team says it will close most of the gap but has given no dates.
- **Lose your Reflect password and you lose your notes** (security): In Classic, the sign-up password is the encryption key. Reflect's docs warn that losing it means permanently losing access unless you have a logged-in device, a saved copy in Chrome or macOS Keychain, or the recovery kit. The recovery kit downloads only to the first device you signed up on.
- **Reflect Markdown export missing images and breaking links** (integrations): One detailed review calls Classic's Markdown export barely usable. Images aren't bundled; the notes keep only Firebase links. The export also drops front matter, and hashed file names break internal links. A Reddit user kept Apple Notes for attachments because Reflect handles them poorly.
- **Is Reflect Open end-to-end encrypted?** (security): No. Classic encrypts notes on the device (XChaCha20-Poly1305, audited by Doyensec). Reflect Open stores plain Markdown files and adds no encryption layer of its own. Privacy depends on your Mac, iCloud Advanced Data Protection or your Git host. The 'Private' note flag only blocks AI, not iCloud or GitHub sync.
- **Reflect Open sync problems with iCloud and GitHub** (reliability): Open's GitHub issue tracker shows real sync pain. An iCloud graph pinned macOS fileproviderd at about 200% CPU (fixed September 2026). iOS GitHub sync hangs for up to 30 seconds and shows a vague 'Needs attention' warning. An external-change conflict could silently discard unsaved edits.
- **Reflect has no tables and limited formatting** (usability): Users note there are no tables. Headings can't be collapsed outside indented lists, and there are no folders, cards or grid views. The flat, backlink-only structure confuses people who organise long documents hierarchically.
- **Reflect AI limits and bring-your-own-key costs** (pricing): Classic's built-in AI is capped at 10k tokens/day on free accounts and 100k tokens/day on paid accounts. Going past that needs your own OpenAI or Anthropic API key with separate billing. In Reflect Open, AI only works with your own key (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google or OpenRouter), which you must enter on each device.
- **Reflect can't rename tags** (usability): Renaming tags is the most-voted request on Reflect's public roadmap (about 410 votes), still listed as planned. Customisable templates for #person, #meeting and daily notes (about 367 votes) and smart queries (about 286 votes) are also still missing.
- **Reflect Kindle sync only works with Amazon US** (integrations): Kindle highlight sync runs through the Reflect Chrome extension every five hours and supports only US Amazon stores, because Amazon has no API. Apple Books isn't supported. Users outside the US or without Chrome get nothing.

## What users like

- **Fast, frictionless daily notes and backlinks**: Reviewers and Reddit users describe Reflect as seamless and frictionless. Its strengths are daily notes, intuitive linking, suggested backlinks and unlinked mentions.
- **Calendar-linked meeting notes**: Connect Google, Office 365 or iCloud calendars and the day's events appear next to your daily note, ready to turn into meeting notes. Google contacts show up in the backlink menu.
- **Strong voice memos and transcription**: Audio memos are transcribed with Whisper into your daily note. iPhone users can start a recording from a lock screen widget, and app reviews praise the transcription quality.
- **Audited end-to-end encryption in Classic**: Classic encrypts notes and files on the device before upload, and Doyensec's audit of the design found no vulnerabilities.
- **Reflect Open is free, open source and plain Markdown**: The new Mac app is MIT-licensed and free. Your notes are Markdown files in a folder you choose, synced through iCloud Drive or Git, so you're never locked in.
- **No-questions-asked refunds and an indie team**: Reflect's stated policy is a full refund with no questions asked. Users trust its staying power because it has no VC pressure.

## Pricing

- **Reflect Open (Mac)**: $0.00 (free) — hidden costs: AI only works with your own OpenAI, Anthropic, Google or OpenRouter key, billed by the provider. Mobile access is paid.
- **Reflect Pro (iPhone/iPad) Monthly**: $9.99 (monthly) — hidden costs: Billed through the App Store. Existing Classic subscribers can carry their subscription over by signing in with their Classic account.
- **Reflect Pro (iPhone/iPad) Yearly**: $99.00 (yearly) — hidden costs: Auto-renews through the App Store.
- **Reflect Classic**: $120.00 (yearly) — hidden costs: About $10/month billed annually per third-party reviews; Reflect no longer lists Classic pricing publicly. Heavy AI use needs your own API key.

## Who should and shouldn't use it

- **Daily journalers on Mac and iPhone** — Good fit: Daily notes, quick capture, voice memos and backlinks are Reflect's core strengths, and Reflect Open is free on Mac.
- **Meeting-heavy professionals** — Good fit: Calendar events appear beside the daily note, and transcription and AI turn meetings into notes and action items.
- **Markdown and local-first fans** — Good fit: Reflect Open stores plain Markdown in a folder you control, synced via iCloud or Git.
- **Android users** — Avoid: There is no Android app. Classic offers only the browser, and Open has no Android version planned.
- **Windows users** — Depends: Classic works through the web app. Reflect Open's Windows builds are experimental and unsigned.
- **Teams needing collaboration** — Avoid: Reflect is a personal notes app with no shared workspaces or real-time collaboration.
- **Users who need tables and rich documents** — Avoid: No tables, limited formatting and a flat structure make it a poor fit for structured documents.
- **Privacy-first users** — Depends: Classic has audited E2EE but is in maintenance mode. Open is local-first but not encrypted by Reflect itself.

## Alternatives

- **Obsidian** (https://www.tryorbye.com/products/obsidian): Free local Markdown notes with backlinks, a native Android app and a huge plugin ecosystem. You trade Reflect's polish and built-in calendar for more setup.
- **Logseq** (https://www.tryorbye.com/products/logseq): Free, open-source outliner with daily journals and backlinks on every platform, including Android. It gets slower on big graphs and is less polished.
- **Capacities** (https://www.tryorbye.com/products/capacities): Object-based notes that handle mixed media and attachments better. Some Reflect users moved to it for the interface but missed Reflect's speed.
- **Mem** (https://www.tryorbye.com/products/mem): AI-first notes with automatic resurfacing and voice and web capture, for people who want AI organisation over manual linking.
- **Roam Research** (https://www.tryorbye.com/products/roam-research): The original daily-notes and backlinks tool, with stronger queries, but even pricier and with weak mobile apps.
- **Bear** (https://www.tryorbye.com/products/bear): A polished Apple-only Markdown notes app with tables and a cheaper subscription. Linking and backlinks are lighter.

## FAQ

### Is Reflect worth it in 2026?

For Apple users who journal daily and want fast backlinks, calendar-linked meeting notes and voice transcription, yes. Reflect Open is now free on Mac. It's a weaker pick if you use Android, need tables or collaboration, or want a product that isn't mid-transition between Classic and the beta Open app.

### How much does Reflect cost?

Reflect Open is free on Mac. The iPhone and iPad app lists Reflect Pro at $9.99/month or $99/year in the App Store. Reflect Classic has been about $10/month billed annually ($120/year), and existing Classic subscriptions carry over to Reflect Open.

### What is Reflect Open?

Reflect Open is a separate, open-source (MIT), local-first version of Reflect launched in July 2026. Notes are Markdown files in a folder you choose, synced via iCloud Drive or Git. It's in beta on Mac and on iPhone via TestFlight. New development happens there, while Classic gets maintenance only.

### Do Reflect Classic and Reflect Open sync with each other?

No. Importing into Reflect Open creates a one-way copy, and later edits in either app stay separate. Pick one app to work in after you move.

### Is Reflect available on Android or Windows?

There's no Android app. Classic works in a browser on Android and Windows. Reflect Open has experimental, unsigned Windows and Linux builds, lists Android as out of scope and has no web app.

### Is Reflect end-to-end encrypted?

Reflect Classic is. Notes are encrypted on the device with XChaCha20-Poly1305 and the design was audited by Doyensec. Reflect Open is not encrypted by Reflect; it stores plain Markdown, so protection comes from your device, iCloud Advanced Data Protection or your Git host.

### What happens if I forget my Reflect password?

In Classic, the password is your encryption key. If you're still logged in somewhere, change it under Preferences > your graph > Change password, or generate a recovery kit on iOS. Otherwise check Chrome saved passwords, macOS Keychain or the recovery kit file in your Downloads folder, then contact support.

### Can I export my notes from Reflect?

Yes. In Classic, open graph preferences (Cmd+,), choose a format (Reflect JSON, CSV, Markdown zip, HTML zip or Reflect Open) and export. Reviewers say the Markdown export misses images and internal links, so check the result before you rely on it.

### Does Reflect have AI?

Yes. Classic includes AI (GPT-4o or Claude, with Gemini for chat) capped at 100k tokens/day on paid accounts and 10k on free accounts. Your own API key removes the cap. Reflect Open uses only your own OpenAI, Anthropic, Google or OpenRouter key.

### Does Reflect have tables?

No. Tables are a long-standing feature request, and formatting is limited compared with Notion or Bear.

### Can I get a refund from Reflect?

Reflect's stated policy is a full refund, no questions asked. Email support@reflect.app. App Store subscriptions for the iPhone app are refunded through Apple.

### What is the best alternative to Reflect?

Obsidian is the closest free alternative, with local Markdown, backlinks and an Android app. Logseq suits outliners, Capacities handles mixed media better, and Mem leans harder on AI.

### Should I move from Reflect Classic to Reflect Open?

Only if you're happy with beta software and don't rely on publishing, integrations or the web app. There's no deadline, Classic keeps getting bug fixes, and Reflect advises keeping your Classic graph and backing up the new one.

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Try or Bye aggregates problem patterns from user reviews, forums, and app stores. Methodology: https://www.tryorbye.com/methodology