Mood Ring is a small Android app for noticing how you've been feeling. Now and then it asks a quick question, it has a short check-in at the end of the day, and it offers an occasional questionnaire. Then it shows you how things change over time. I made it for a small circle of friends and family, so it is not in the Play Store.
Get the app
- Android APK: Download Mood Ring 1.1.0 (~35 MB, Android 7.0 or newer, 64-bit phones)
- Google Play: not published. This is a direct download.
- iOS: not planned
If you want to confirm the file you downloaded is the one I published, its SHA-256 is:
657e8c7e6182276d92c8102633e193578cd27967364cb8628ad919f55b877021
Install
1. Let your browser install apps
Android only installs apps from the Play Store until you give permission, and you give it one app at a time.
- Open the download link above on your phone.
- When it finishes, tap the downloaded file. Android will say your browser (or file manager) isn't allowed to install unknown apps. Tap Settings, turn on Allow from this source, then go back.
- Tap Install.
- Play Protect may warn you that it doesn't recognize the developer. That's expected, because the app isn't in the Play Store. Tap More details, then Install anyway, if you're comfortable with that.
You can turn Allow from this source back off afterward. It isn't needed for updates.
2. Let the reminders through
The first time you open Mood Ring, it asks to send notifications. Say yes, or it can't remind you to check in.
Many phones also shut down background apps to save battery, which can make reminders show up late or not at all. If your reminders don't arrive:
- Open Android Settings → Apps → Mood Ring → Battery.
- Choose Unrestricted (some phones call it Don't optimize).
Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus, Huawei, and some other brands add their own extra battery settings. dontkillmyapp.com has step-by-step instructions for each brand.
Updates
Most updates arrive on their own. The app checks for one when it opens and asks before it restarts to apply it. You only need to download a new APK when the version number on this page changes. You can see which version you have in the app under Settings → About Mood Ring.
Uninstalling
Uninstalling Mood Ring deletes everything you've entered in it, unless Android backup is on (see below). If you want to keep your history, use Export JSON or Export CSV under Settings → Your data first and save the file somewhere safe.
What it does
- Quick nudges. A few times a day, at random times within hours you choose, it asks "how are you feeling right now?" Answering is one tap on a five-point scale from Awful to Great, plus an optional energy rating.
- An end-of-day check-in. A mood for the day, an optional note, and any questions you've added yourself. For example, "Did you exercise?" (yes/no), "How well did you sleep?" (a 1–5 rating), or "How many coffees?" (a count).
Occasional questionnaires. Short, widely used screening questionnaires, each on a schedule you pick, such as every two weeks:
- GAD-7 (anxiety)
- PHQ-9 (depression)
- K10 (psychological distress)
- PSS-10 (stress)
- WHO-5 (wellbeing)
- UCLA 3-item (loneliness)
- Satisfaction With Life Scale
- History. A calendar colored by mood, and each day's entries in detail.
The reminders are deliberately vague, like "How are you feeling right now?" or "How was today?" They never show a mood, a score, or the name of a questionnaire, because notifications can show up on your lock screen.
It is not a diagnosis
Mood Ring is not a diagnostic tool, and it doesn't replace professional care. The questionnaires are screening tools. If you're worried about how you've been feeling, a doctor or other health professional can help. The app has an If you need help now screen with crisis lines. It works offline. In the US, you can call or text 988 at any time.
Privacy
- It stays on your phone. Everything you enter is saved in a database on your phone. There is no account to create and no server to sync to.
- Nobody else sees it. There are no ads, no analytics, no crash reporting, and no third parties. The only thing the app ever sends over the internet is the check for app updates, and that check sends none of your data.
- Your own Google backup. Android backs up app data to your own Google account, so your history can come back when you move to a new phone. If you'd rather it didn't, turn it off in Android Settings → Google → Backup. That setting applies to the whole phone.
- You can take it with you, or delete it. Settings can export everything to a JSON or CSV file that you save wherever you want, or delete all of it from the phone.
The app is free. It has no paid features, and I have no plans to add any.