Support

What is HeadPause Pro?

Pro is a one-time $4.99 unlock that adds the full Balance library (Epley, Semont, Half-Somersault, BBQ Roll), unlimited Still session length, Motion drift haptics and telemetry, full practice history, and iCloud sync across your devices. The free tier includes the Brandt-Daroff and Gaze Stabilization routines, 5-minute Still sessions, Motion horizon-hold, and 30 days of history. No subscriptions, no recurring charges.

Do I need AirPods to use HeadPause?

Yes. HeadPause reads head motion (pitch, roll, yaw) from the motion sensors built into AirPods, AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, and other Apple head-tracking capable headphones. The app cannot track your head without them. Without AirPods, the routines will not start.

Do I need an Apple Watch?

No. HeadPause does not use the Apple Watch, Apple Health, or any biometric sensors. All head tracking is done through AirPods only.

Does HeadPause use HealthKit?

No. HeadPause does not read from or write to Apple Health. It does not request HealthKit permissions at all.

Does HeadPause use the microphone?

No. HeadPause does not request microphone access and does not record audio. It plays back voice cues and ambient soundscapes through your AirPods, but it never listens through them.

What does HeadPause actually measure?

Head pitch (up/down tilt), roll (side-to-side tilt), and yaw (left/right rotation), sampled roughly ten times a second. The app derives drift, steady percentages, calm scores, and horizon-hold percent from those samples. Nothing else.

Is HeadPause a medical device?

No. HeadPause is a wellness and training tool, not a medical device. It does not diagnose or treat vertigo, BPPV, motion sickness, or any other condition. The balance routines are educational demonstrations of the same canalith repositioning maneuvers clinicians use, not a substitute for clinical care. If dizziness is new, severe, or paired with hearing loss, weakness, numbness, double vision, or a bad headache, contact a clinician.

What are the three practice modes?

Balance: eight symptom-first routines (Epley, Semont, Brandt-Daroff, Half-Somersault, BBQ Roll, Gaze Stabilization, and baseline tests) that guide you through slow head positions. Still: eyes-closed steadiness sessions where you sit quietly while the app measures how much your head drifts. Motion: horizon-hold sessions where you keep your head level with a soft box-breathing pacer, designed for moving environments like cars, trains, or planes.

How is the calm score calculated?

The Still practice samples head pitch and roll about ten times a second. The calm score rewards time spent near your starting pose and penalizes large drifts. Held-steady percent is the fraction of samples inside a roughly 6 degree tolerance. Peak drift is the largest single deviation during the session. None of these are clinical numbers. They are a consistent ruler you can practice against.

What are the drift chime and haptic nudges?

During Still sessions, the ambient soundscape fades when your head drifts and returns as you settle. That is your audio feedback for closed-eyes practice. During Motion sessions, a soft haptic tap paces your breath, and a slightly stronger tap fires if you leave the horizon window for long enough that a reminder helps. Both are gentle signals, not corrections.

Where is my practice history stored?

All session logs, completion counts, personal bests, and preferences are stored locally on your iPhone. If you enable iCloud sync in Settings, your history syncs across your own devices through Apple's encrypted iCloud container. Nothing is sent to any GMX3C server.

How do I delete my data?

Open Settings inside the app and use the reset options to clear practice history. Deleting the app from your iPhone removes all on-device HeadPause data. If you had iCloud sync enabled, you can also remove the HeadPause container from your iCloud settings.

What does the AirPods status chip in the header mean?

The chip in the top-right shows which audio output is connected, with a matching SF Symbol (AirPods Pro, AirPods Gen 3, AirPods Max, or generic headphones). If you see AirPods not connected, pair or reconnect your AirPods. If you see a simulator or unsupported device warning, the app cannot track head motion on that device. Routines will stay disabled until a supported pair connects.

What is BPPV?

BPPV stands for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. Benign means not dangerous. Paroxysmal means it comes in sudden short bursts. Positional means it is triggered by how you move your head. Vertigo means the room-spinning sensation. Put together: short, harmless, head-position-triggered spinning. It is the most common cause of vertigo and usually the most treatable. HeadPause has an in-app primer that explains this in more detail.

When should I NOT use the balance routines?

Skip the balance routines if your vertigo is brand new, severe, or paired with hearing loss, weakness, numbness, double vision, or a bad headache, as those are clinician-level symptoms. Also skip if you have recent neck or back surgery, unstable cervical spine disease, or if kneeling and lying flat are unsafe for you. When in doubt, call a doctor.