User Manual
A personal solar clock for your location. Lifestyle guidance only — not medical advice.
Also see the FAQ (theory).
1. What Solar Rhythm is
Solar Rhythm calculates solar times for your latitude and longitude (dawn, sunrise, noon, sunset, dusk, and related twilight markers) and turns them into a simple daily / weekly rhythm you can follow.
It helps you:
- See when useful outdoor light begins and ends where you are
- Get short lifestyle guidance (morning light, activity window, evening wind-down)
- Optionally put those times into your phone calendar as reminders
It does not replace medical advice, therapy, or clinical circadian testing.
2. Requirements
- A modern mobile or desktop browser
- HTTPS (or
localhost) for reliable geolocation and notifications - Optional: allow location and notification permissions when asked
- Calendar export uses your device’s share sheet or file download (
.ics)
No account, no app store install, no cloud login.
3. Getting started (onboarding)
Step 1 — Find your sun
- Open the app.
- Tap Allow location so Solar Rhythm can calculate local solar times.
- Or pick a test location chip (Perth, London, New York) without GPS.
- Optionally type a location label.
- Tap Continue.
If location is denied, use a test location or later refresh GPS in Settings.
Step 2 — Preferences
- Choose a wake preference: Early / Moderate / Late.
- Set a sleep target time.
- Optionally select goals.
- Tap Start Solar Rhythm.
You can change all of these later in Settings.
4. The dashboard
| Area | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Location | Your label / suburb |
| Week of | Week range, previous / next week, This week |
| Next / last event | Next upcoming enabled solar time |
| Suggested wake window | From wake preference and civil dawn → sunrise |
| Now (guidance) | Short lifestyle guidance (when viewing today) |
| Week rhythm | Mon–Sun accordion of days and times |
Use the settings (gear) button in the header to open Settings.
5. Week rhythm
Browse weeks
- ‹ / › — previous / next week
- This week — jump back to the current week
Expand a day
- Tap a day header.
- The day expands to show that day’s timeline and day actions.
- Tap the same header again to close it — all days can be closed.
Today is marked with a sun icon and green name when not expanded.
Day actions (expanded day)
| Button | Role |
|---|---|
| Export day | Calendar file for this day’s unmarked upcoming times |
| Mark all / All marked | App-only marks for remaining times |
| Cancel day | Cancel .ics for marked times (enabled when marks exist) |
6. Calendar: Export, Mark, Cancel
These are two different jobs:
- Export / Cancel — create files for your phone calendar (
.ics) - Mark / On calendar — remember in Solar Rhythm what you believe you added
Export week
- Tap Export week above the week list.
- Review unmarked times across Mon–Sun.
- Confirm to share or download the
.ics. - Open it with Calendar when offered.
- After saving, use Mark all or per-cue On calendar.
If you later change location, a cancel file often will not remove old events. Delete manually if needed.
Export day
With a day expanded, tap Export day, confirm remaining unmarked times, save to calendar, then mark them in the app.
Mark all / On calendar
- Mark all toggles all remaining times for the day (app only).
- On calendar toggles one cue.
- Marks do not write to or delete from your phone calendar by themselves.
Cancel week / Cancel day
- Cancel week is below the week list — enabled when any day that week has marks.
- Cancel day is under the expanded timeline — enabled when that day has marks.
- Some calendar apps ignore cancel files — delete events manually if needed.
Clear marks (Settings)
Clear on-calendar marks removes all app marks and export records. Your phone calendar is unchanged.
7. Per-cue actions
Tap a timeline row to expand it:
| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| Opens Google Calendar create | |
| Export | Single-event .ics |
| On calendar | Toggles the app mark for that cue |
8. Settings
Open via the gear icon. Tap Save settings when finished (theme previews as you switch).
Location
- Edit Location label
- Refresh GPS location — recalculates solar times
- Changing place with existing marks may offer a cancel file for old cues
Test locations
Perth / London / New York chips apply known coordinates for demos without GPS.
Wake preference & sleep target
Same options as onboarding. Wake preference shifts the suggested wake window; sleep target feeds evening guidance and sleep-prep notifications.
Appearance
- Light — default light grey theme
- Dark — dark theme (saved with settings)
Daily solar times
Choose which solar events appear in the timeline and exports. At least one must stay enabled.
| Time | Default | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Solar midnight | Off | Deep-night proxy |
| Astronomical dawn / dusk | Off | Fine twilight detail |
| Nautical dawn / dusk | Off | Fine twilight detail |
| Civil dawn | On | Practical morning light threshold |
| Sunrise | On | Daylight begins |
| Sunrise end | Off | Sun fully up |
| Golden hour end / Golden hour | Off | Photography |
| Solar noon | On | Peak daylight / alertness |
| Sunset start | Off | Disk begins to set |
| Sunset | On | Daylight ends |
| Civil dusk | On | Evening wind-down cue |
See the FAQ for biology / twilight explanations.
Goals, notifications, reset
- Goals — optional intention tags
- Browser notifications — see below
- Clear on-calendar marks — wipe app marks + export memory
- Reset app data — wipe settings and restart onboarding
9. Notifications
- Opt-in only; requires browser permission
- Up to 4 reminders per day (morning light, activity, sunset, sleep preparation)
- Delivered by the browser — not a push server
- No account required
10. Privacy and data
Stored on your device in localStorage:
- Preferences (wake, sleep, goals, theme, enabled solar times)
- On calendar marks
- Export identity records used for cancel files
Geolocation stays on-device for solar math. Suburb lookup may send coordinates to a geocoding service. There is no Solar Rhythm user account or cloud profile.
11. Tips and troubleshooting
| Problem | What to try |
|---|---|
| Location fails | Use HTTPS; allow permission; or pick a test city |
| Times look wrong | Confirm location / refresh GPS; check device time zone |
| Timeline empty | Enable at least one solar time in Settings and save |
| Export does nothing | Allow downloads; try Share → Calendar / Files |
| Cancel did not remove events | Delete manually — many apps ignore cancel .ics |
| Marks wrong | Adjust Mark all / On calendar, or Clear marks |
| Dark theme not sticking | Appearance → Dark → Save settings |
| Notifications missing | Re-check site permission in the browser |
Practical starter routine
- Outdoor light after civil dawn → sunrise when you can.
- Use solar noon for demanding work or exercise if it fits.
- After sunset / civil dusk, dim screens and overheads where practical.
- Keep a stable sleep target; let solar cues shift gently with the seasons.
12. Disclaimer
Solar Rhythm provides lifestyle guidance only. It is not a medical device and does not diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or condition. Seek professional care for sleep disorders, mood concerns, or eye conditions.