One line a day, at a moment you don't choose.
Drawn from scripture, philosophy and contemplative traditions across centuries. Not to resolve anything, but to sit with what hasn't resolved.
What it is
- One line, once a day. It arrives sometime between 8am and 9pm. Not first thing on cue, and not a streak to keep.
- A wide well. Christian, Jewish, Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist, Taoist, Confucian and Stoic sources, some shown in their original language beside the English.
- Ask for a Word. An optional, on-device imagined desert elder, in the tradition of the Desert Fathers and Mothers, offers one short reply if you want it. It is not spiritual direction, and never a real historical figure.
- Out of the way. No feed, no streaks, no badges, no accounts, no analytics.
- Where you are. Live now on Mac. Versions for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch, and a separate Android app, are on their way.
Screenshots
Screenshots are from the iPhone version, which is not yet released. Threshold's palettes are optional, and every palette shows the same one-line screen.
Get it
A one-time purchase of £0.99, or your local currency's equivalent. Requires macOS 14 or later. No subscription and no in-app purchases.
Only the Mac version is available so far. The iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch versions, and the Android app, are not yet released.
Questions
Do I need an account?
No. There is no sign-in anywhere in Threshold, on any platform.
How is the daily quote picked?
Entirely on your device, from the date. No server is involved. A preference leans the mix more secular or more rooted in tradition.
What is “Ask for a Word”?
A separate, opt-in exercise. You ask, and an imagined desert elder, a composite voice, offers one short reply generated on your device. If what you write describes real distress, it steps outside the exercise and points to Samaritans.
Where does the money go?
Threshold was made to help fund the restoration of St Peters, Kirby Bellars, a Grade I listed medieval church in Leicestershire, England, still in active worship. The app's Support screen links to the church's own page for anyone who wants to give further, and so does the church's support page (opens in a new tab).
St Peters, Kirby Bellars
Threshold exists to help fund the restoration of St Peters, a Grade I listed medieval church in Leicestershire, England, still in active worship. To learn about the church, or to give to it directly, visit stpeterskirbybellars.co.uk (opens in a new tab) or go straight to its support page (opens in a new tab).
Privacy
Threshold collects nothing. There is no account and no analytics, and nothing about how you use the app is sent anywhere.