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Last updated: 06/02/2026
Contents
- What CalmTide does
- HealthKit permissions
- The HPA Balance Score
- Today, Week & Trend
- Connecting SolGlow
- Breathwork & notifications
- CalmTide Pro
- Privacy and data
- Troubleshooting
- Medical disclaimer
- Contact
What CalmTide does
CalmTide estimates your cortisol load and HPA-axis balance by reading the metrics your Apple Watch and iPhone already collect in Apple Health, and weighing them against published exercise-and-recovery research. It produces:
- A weekly HPA Balance Score (0–100),
- A daily cortisol status — low, moderate, elevated, or high — with one smart recommendation,
- An 8-week baseline-cortisol trend, the signal most apps never surface.
CalmTide is an estimation tool, not a medical device. See the medical disclaimer.
HealthKit permissions
CalmTide asks for permissions in two stages to reduce friction. It works with whatever you grant — but the more it can read, the more accurate the estimate.
| Stage | Data & why |
|---|---|
| On first launch | Workouts, heart rate, HRV (SDNN), resting heart rate, sleep analysis, mindful sessions, active energy, exercise time — the core inputs to your score. |
| Later, in context | Respiratory rate, blood oxygen, VO₂ max, walking heart rate, time in daylight, environmental audio, body mass — requested only when you open a feature that uses them. |
You can review or change everything in Apple Health → profile picture → Apps and Services → CalmTide, or in CalmTide under the gear icon → Health Data Permissions.
The HPA Balance Score
The weekly score blends five weighted components: exercise quality and dose (with an inverted-U penalty for overtraining), HRV, sleep (deep sleep weighted most), mindfulness and breathwork, and morning sun. When SolGlow is connected, your Cortisol Awakening Response feeds the sun component and carries more weight. The score needs about a week of data to settle.
Today, Week & Trend
Today shows your score ring, a personalised recommendation, a five-item protocol checklist, and a recovery-signals row. Week tracks MET-minutes against a 530/week target, a zone-distribution chart, and a session list with a cortisol-effect badge on each workout. Trend plots your 8-week estimated baseline cortisol against an optimal trajectory with annotated spikes and milestones.
Connecting SolGlow
Install both SolGlow and CalmTide on the same iPhone, signed in to the same Apple ID. They share a secure on-device container automatically — open SolGlow once so it can publish its sun and CAR data, then open CalmTide → gear icon → SolGlow. It should read Connected within a day.
This happens entirely on your device; nothing is sent over the internet. CalmTide considers SolGlow connected only if SolGlow has written data within the last 48 hours, so open SolGlow regularly to keep it fresh.
Breathwork & notifications
CalmTide includes a guided breathwork timer; completed sessions count toward your mindfulness component. Optional notifications include a morning check-in (8am), a post-hard-workout recovery nudge, a Sunday weekly summary, and a recovery alert when two hard sessions stack up. Toggle these under the gear icon → Notification Settings.
CalmTide Pro
CalmTide is free. Pro unlocks the deeper Insights and extended history, available as a monthly or annual subscription or a one-time lifetime unlock. Prices appear in the app from the App Store. Subscriptions renew automatically until cancelled and can be managed in iOS Settings → your name → Subscriptions; the lifetime unlock is a single purchase. Use Restore Purchases on the paywall if you've bought Pro before.
Privacy and data
Everything is computed on your device. CalmTide has no account, no analytics, and no server — your health data never leaves your phone. The only data shared is the small SolGlow exchange, which stays in a local container on the same device. Full detail is in the privacy policy.
Troubleshooting
My HPA score looks low or empty
The score needs about a week of data and relies on an Apple Watch for HRV and sleep. Confirm your Watch is worn overnight and during workouts, that CalmTide has Read access in Apple Health, and that a few workouts have been logged.
SolGlow won't connect
Open SolGlow to refresh its data (CalmTide needs it within the last 48 hours). Confirm both apps are on the same device and Apple ID. Multi-device sync isn't available yet.
HRV or sleep is missing
HRV and sleep stages require an Apple Watch on a recent watchOS, worn overnight. Without a Watch, CalmTide uses what it can but estimates will be coarser.
I want to reset everything
Deleting CalmTide from your Home Screen clears all of its local data, including cached snapshots and the SolGlow container contents written by CalmTide. Data in Apple Health is owned by Health and remains there.
How do I check the app version?
Open CalmTide → gear icon → scroll to About / Methodology. Version and build appear there.
Medical disclaimer
CalmTide provides wellness estimates based on published exercise-physiology research. It does not measure cortisol directly, is not a medical device, and should not be used to diagnose, treat, or make decisions about any medical condition. Talk to a qualified professional about stress, sleep, or health concerns.
Contact
Questions, bugs, or feedback? Email support@twisteddatastudios.com.