AfterglowOpen Afterglow
FAQ

Everything you're wondering, answered.

The direct answers — no marketing fluff, no invented numbers.

01
What is Afterglow?
Afterglow rebuilds trips you already took, using the photos you already have. Drop in a folder of photos and it builds an interactive globe of your route, a written story, a shareable Instagram reel, and a printable book — no planning or live tracking required.
02
Do I need to have tracked my trip live?
No — that's the whole point of Afterglow. You upload photos after the trip is over, and the location and time data already saved in each photo (its EXIF data) rebuilds your route automatically.
03
What photos work?
GPS-tagged photos work best — most phone cameras save location automatically when location services are on. HEIC photos are fine too; Afterglow converts them right in your browser before anything else happens.
04
Is my data uploaded anywhere?
It depends on whether you're signed in. Signed out, your photo files stay on your device — only their coordinates, timestamps and file names are sent to build your route, and nothing else is uploaded unless you choose to share a trip, which uploads screen-quality copies to power the link. Signed in, your trips back up privately to your cloud diary, and original-quality copies are kept only for trips you choose to archive.
05
Is Afterglow free?
Yes, to start: unlimited trips, sharing, the book editor, the Instagram reel, and 10 AI credits are all free. Plus is €29.99/yr (or €8.99/mo) and adds 50 original-quality archives, 20 AI credits a month, clean PDF export, and 20% off printed books on the yearly plan.
06
What are AI credits?
AI credits pay for premium AI actions inside Afterglow — photo enhancement, for example, costs 1 credit. You start with 10 credits at signup, and Plus renews you with 20 more every month. You're only charged a credit once a result is actually delivered, not for trying.
07
What does photo enhancement do?
Photo enhancement faithfully upscales a photo to print resolution — it's the same photo, just sharper, with faces, text, and composition preserved exactly as they were. You keep both the original and the enhanced version, so nothing is ever overwritten.
08
Can I share a trip?
Yes — generate a private link for any trip whenever you want and share it however you like. Anyone with the link can view the trip, the link never expires on its own, and you can revoke it at any time — revoking deletes the shared copies.
09
Can I print a real book?
Yes — the book editor lays out a full print-ready A4 book from your trip, and printed books start from €49 (check pricing for the Plus discount). Ordering printed books is rolling out.
10
What is the Instagram reel?
It's a free vertical video recap of your trip, rendered right on your device and ready to post to Instagram or anywhere else.
11
How is this different from Polarsteps?
The core difference is timing. Polarsteps records a trip while you're traveling, logging your route live as you go. Afterglow works the opposite way — it rebuilds a trip afterward, from photos you already have, once you're home. See the full comparison for more detail.
12
Can I delete my data?
Yes. You can export any trip as a zip file whenever you like, and delete your account in one click. If you're signed out, your data already lives only in your own browser, so it's yours to clear any time.