Build a training routine
Choose four safe, familiar scent sources. The timer guides you through each one.
Make scent part of everyday life.
Practice smellfulness
Pay deliberate attention to the scents around you and save what you notice as a Scent Moment.
Look back over time
Return to earlier training sessions, ratings, and Scent Moments in Journal and Statistics.
Training and Scent Moments in the app.
This video shows the current Version 1 interface with fictional demonstration data.
- 01TrainChoose four scents and follow the timer.
- 02NoticeCreate a Scent Moment after an everyday smell experience.
- 03RecordAdd a rating, note, tags, photo, or location when relevant.
- 04ReviewOpen Journal and Statistics to see your saved entries.
App demo
Duration: 70 seconds
From choosing scents to reviewing your records
Open training, Scent Moments, and today’s tasks.
Organize the scent sources you use at home.
Check your selection before starting.
The app guides you through one scent at a time.
Save how you experienced each scent.
Write a note and optionally add tags, a photo, or a location.
See training activity, ratings, and earlier entries.
Training, journaling, and statistics in one app.
Each training session and Scent Moment is saved in your personal history.
Keep your training scents organized
Add familiar scent sources and choose four for training. For a new scent, you record your own impression before reference descriptors appear.
Record smells from daily life
Add a title, note, and descriptive tags. A photo and location are optional.
Review activity and ratings
See completed trainings, streaks, recorded ratings, and scent-specific observations. Sniff It does not calculate a clinical score.
Export your records
Create a PDF or CSV file when you want to keep, review, or share a copy of your records.
Science
Smell training in clinical research.
Olfactory training involves repeated, deliberate exposure to a small set of scents. Systematic reviews and international expert consensus support it as an option for post-infectious smell loss. Results vary, and research is continuing.
Sniff It helps you organize and record training. The app has not been clinically validated as a treatment.
Privacy
Your records stay on your iPhone.
Sniff It does not require an account. The app stores your records locally and does not upload them to a research server. You decide when to create or share an export.
- No account required
- No advertising
- No automatic data transfer
- PDF and CSV export
Research
Use Sniff It in olfactory research.
Included in Version 1
Version 1 provides these features in English and German:
- timed training with four user-selected scent sources;
- training dates, ratings, streaks, and session history;
- Scent Moments and a personal scent library;
- PDF and CSV exports initiated by the user;
- local storage with export controlled by the participant.
Preprint and study status
The system-design preprint describes Version 1. A prospective feasibility and usability study is in preparation to examine initial usability, intended use, and four weeks of self-directed use.
Suggested citation
Engelhardt M, Freiherr J. Sniff It: A Mobile Companion for Olfactory Training and Everyday Smell Journaling. Preprint. Zenodo. 2026. doi:10.5281/zenodo.22877566
Sniff It is not presented as a clinically validated intervention. App ratings and home activities are personal records, not substitutes for standardized psychophysical olfactory testing. Research deployments require an appropriate study protocol and separate consent/data-collection arrangements.
Try the Version 1 beta.
The current Version 1 beta is available through TestFlight. Beta access is separate from participation in any research study.
Common questions
Is Sniff It a medical device or diagnostic test?
No. Sniff It supports personal smell training and records subjective observations. It does not diagnose smell disorders, measure olfactory function, or replace standardized clinical testing or professional medical care.
Do I need a commercial smell-training kit?
No. You can organize safe, familiar scent sources you already have and choose four for training. Always follow product and material safety instructions; do not deliberately smell unknown substances, smoke, solvents, or strong irritants.
Where is my data stored?
Locally on your device. Sniff It does not send your records to a research server automatically. You can create and share a PDF or CSV export when you choose.
Is there a subscription?
No subscription is planned for Version 1. Core training, journaling, statistics, and export remain usable without one. Optional Supporter purchases, if offered, are limited to cosmetic extras.
How can I discuss a research project or provide professional feedback?
Email neurosense@fau.de for questions about study design, methods, beta access, or collaboration.