Straight answers.
The things students and parents actually ask us. If your question is not here, write to support@retoldbyyou.com and a person will answer.
What is Retold, and does it write my essay?
It interviews you about your life, keeps what you say in a memory bank that belongs to you, and coaches you through writing essays from that material. It never writes your essay. Not a sentence, not an opening line, not a phrase to paste. Ask it to and it will decline and walk you through writing the passage yourself. That is the whole design, spelled out in the integrity promise.
Is using Retold cheating?
No more than working with a great teacher is cheating. A coach asks you questions, points at what is working, and tells you when a paragraph is not earning its place. You do the writing, so every sentence you submit is yours. Schools set their own rules about outside help, so check your school's policy and follow it. More on where we draw the line in the integrity promise.
What counts as an essay toward my monthly limit?
Starting coaching on a new prompt counts once. After that the essay is yours to work on: reopening it, revising it, developing it further, or coming back a month later never counts again. You are charged for beginning a new piece of work, not for returning to it.
Who can see my stories?
You. Our staff does not read your memory bank. Your material is processed by an AI model to generate coaching, which is described plainly in the privacy policy. Nothing is sold, and nothing is used to advertise to you.
Can I get my data out, or delete everything?
Yes, and without asking us. Settings has both: export everything as a readable PDF, with a machine-readable JSON copy beside it, and delete your account outright. A delete removes your profile, bank, essays, and chats, and cancels any subscription.
How do plans and cancellation work?
Plans are monthly. You can cancel anytime from Manage billing in Settings, and your plan stays active through the end of the period you have already paid for. Billing questions go to support@retoldbyyou.com.
I am under 18.
Then use Retold with a parent or guardian's permission. The full rule lives in the terms.
Why not just use ChatGPT?
Because ChatGPT writes for you. You cannot honestly submit that, and admissions readers have read thousands of those essays, so it sounds like no one in particular. Retold works the other way around: it remembers your real stories across every essay you write, and coaches you until the writing sounds like you, because it is.
How do I reach a human?
Write to support@retoldbyyou.com. We aim to reply within 24 hours.
Still stuck? support@retoldbyyou.com