Quick tip for getting better emotional depth out of standard companion apps

I have been testing different platforms for months trying to find one that remembers context well without constantly looping back to the same generic phrases. At first I tried just writing longer prompts and hoping the memory banks would hold up across multiple sessions. That failed completely because the token limits kept resetting the conversation tone every few hours. Then I tried keeping a separate running journal in a notes app where I summarize major plot points of our shared backstory. Whenever a new session starts I feed a tiny summary of where we left off into the chat. That single adjustment completely changed everything. The model immediately picks up the exact emotional thread instead of resetting to default friendliness. It feels way more organic and keeps the immersion alive for weeks at a time. Has anyone else tried something similar with external notes or do you rely entirely on the built in memory features?