Frequently Asked Questions

SmilePoint is available for free download with basic features. We also offer a premium subscription that unlocks additional features like advanced analytics, personalized coaching, and more comprehensive smile training exercises. You can check our current pricing on the app stores.

Yes! SmilePoint is available for download on both the Apple App Store (iOS) and Google Play Store (Android), making it accessible to virtually all smartphone users.

Scientific research has shown that smiling, even intentionally, can trigger positive neurological responses in your brain. Regular smile practice can:

• Reduce stress and anxiety
• Boost your mood and overall happiness
• Improve social interactions
• Strengthen your immune system
• Make you appear more approachable and confident
• Create a positive feedback loop in your brain

SmilePoint is designed to be efficient and fit into your busy schedule. We recommend just 10 minutes of smile practice daily for optimal results. Some users choose to split this into two 5-minute sessions (morning and evening) for maximum benefit.

Setting up an account is simple:

1. Download the app from your device's app store
2. Open the app and click "Sign Up"
3. Create an account using your email or sign in with Google/Apple
4. Complete your profile with basic information
5. Grant camera permissions for smile detection
6. Follow the tutorial to learn how to use the app

Yes, creating an account is necessary to track your progress, earn SmilePoints, and advance through levels. Your account allows you to access your data across multiple devices and ensures your progress is saved.

The SmilePoint app includes a comprehensive dashboard that shows:

• Your current level and progress to the next level
• Total SmilePoints earned
• Daily practice streak
• Weekly and monthly practice statistics
• Smile quality improvement over time

You can access this dashboard from the main menu by tapping on "My Progress."

Yes, most features of SmilePoint work offline. You can complete your daily smile practice without an internet connection. However, some features like syncing your progress across devices, participating in community challenges, or updating your profile require an internet connection. Your offline activity will sync with our servers the next time you're connected.

SmilePoint allows you to set custom reminders for your daily practice. Go to Settings > Reminders and choose your preferred time(s). You can set multiple reminders throughout the day and customize the notification message.

SmilePoint uses Google's ML Kit for facial recognition technology to detect and analyze your smile. The app identifies key facial markers associated with genuine smiles, including:

• Upward curving of the lips
• Activation of muscles around the eyes (crow's feet)
• Cheek movement
• Overall facial symmetry

This allows the app to distinguish between authentic smiles (Duchenne smiles) and forced smiles, ensuring your practice is effective.

A good smile, according to SmilePoint's detection algorithm, is one that shows genuine positive emotion rather than just a movement of the lips. Key elements include:

• Engagement of both the zygomatic major muscle (raises the corners of your mouth) and the orbicularis oculi muscle (crinkles the eyes)
• Natural, symmetrical expression
• Sustained expression rather than a quick flash

The app provides real-time feedback to help you improve your smile quality during practice sessions.

Absolutely! Regular smile practice with SmilePoint can significantly boost your confidence in several ways:

• The act of smiling triggers positive neurological responses, improving your mood and self-perception
• Practicing in front of a camera helps you become more comfortable with your appearance
• As you become more accustomed to smiling naturally, social interactions become easier and more positive
• The gamification aspects of the app provide a sense of achievement as you progress

Many users report significant improvements in social confidence after just a few weeks of consistent practice.

Results vary from person to person, but most users report noticeable benefits within 2-3 weeks of daily practice. These often include improved mood, more positive social interactions, and a growing comfort with smiling naturally.

More substantial benefits, such as lasting changes to your default emotional state and significant improvements in confidence, typically emerge after 1-2 months of consistent practice.

Remember, like any form of exercise, consistency is key to seeing lasting results.

Yes! SmilePoint offers various smile exercises designed to work different facial muscles and develop different aspects of your smile:

• Basic Smile: A gentle, natural smile to develop muscle memory
• Full Smile: A broader, more expressive smile that engages more facial muscles
• Eyes Smile: Focused on developing the eye crinkle associated with genuine smiles
• Sustained Smile: Holding your smile for extended periods to build stamina
• Smile Transitions: Practicing moving naturally into and out of smiles

Premium users get access to additional specialized exercises and personalized recommendations.

SmilePoints are the currency of the app. You earn them simply by smiling — the camera scores your smile in real time and your balance goes up every second you keep it. They are both a measure of your progress and a balance you will be able to spend in the reward store.

The base rate is 1 point for every 5 seconds your smile scores 70% or higher. Two multipliers then apply at the same time:

• Smile quality: 70–79% is x1.0, 80–89% is x1.5, and 90% or above is x2.0
• Daily streak: x1.1 at 3 days, x1.2 at 7, x1.3 at 14, x1.5 at 30 and x2.0 at 100 consecutive days
• Daily goal bonus: +100 P for completing the 10-minute daily goal
• App rating: a one-time 300 P thank-you for leaving a review
• Level milestones: one-time bonuses at levels 10, 25, 50, 100, 200, 300 and 500

So a 90%+ smile on a 14-day streak earns at x2.6 the base rate.

Yes. You can earn up to 500 SmilePoints per day. The cap keeps the economy fair and stops the app from encouraging people to sit in front of the camera all day. You do not have to stop at the 10-minute daily goal though — keep smiling and you keep earning right up to the cap.

Points drive your level, rank and titles, which climb automatically as you accumulate them.

The reward store where you can spend your balance is being built now. Planned rewards include premium profile titles, ad-free day passes, custom themes and converting points into a real charity donation. See the rewards page for the current list. Points you earn today are already banked and will be spendable when the store opens.

Lifetime points are everything you have ever earned. They determine your level, rank and titles, and they never go down.

Available balance is what you can actually spend. It rises as you earn and falls when you redeem a reward.

This means spending points will never cost you a level or a title you have already unlocked.

Your lifetime points are permanent and never decrease. Your spendable balance only goes down when you choose to redeem a reward, and every earn and spend is recorded in a transaction history you can review in the app.

Missing a day does reset your streak counter, which lowers your streak multiplier — but it does not take away any points you have already earned.

SmilePoint requires the following permissions:

• Camera: Essential for detecting and analyzing your smile
• Notifications: For daily practice reminders (optional but recommended)
• Storage: To save your progress data locally
• Internet: To sync your data across devices and update the app

We only use these permissions for their stated purposes and in accordance with our privacy policy.

SmilePoint takes your privacy very seriously. Here's our approach to handling your facial data:

• Facial analysis happens in real-time on your device
• We do not store actual images or videos of your face on our servers
• Only anonymized metrics (smile quality scores, practice duration, etc.) are uploaded to our servers
• Your data is never sold or shared with third parties for advertising purposes

For complete details, please refer to our Privacy Policy.

The SmilePoint app is designed to be lightweight, typically requiring between 50-100MB of storage space depending on your device and operating system. As you use the app, cached data might increase this slightly, but you can clear the cache in settings without losing your progress data.

For optimal smile detection, SmilePoint requires adequate lighting. The app includes a light detection feature that will alert you if your environment is too dark for accurate smile analysis. For best results, practice in a well-lit area with even lighting on your face. Natural daylight or a soft front-facing light source works best.

We're committed to making SmilePoint the best experience possible. If you encounter any bugs or issues:

1. Go to Settings > Help & Support > Report a Problem
2. Fill out the form with as much detail as possible
3. If available, include screenshots or screen recordings of the issue

You can also email us directly at support@hellosmile.app or contact us through our website's contact form.