Privacy policy
Balance is made by Madeleine Malone ("we", "us"), contactable at [SUPPORT EMAIL]. We are the controller of the personal data described here under UK data protection law (UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018).
1. Data that stays on your phone
Your events, to-dos, routines, coursework or work items, modules and grades, meal plans, recipes, shopping list, budget, fitness goals, workouts and weights, habits, settings and passcode are stored only on your device. We cannot see them. Reminders are scheduled on your phone by iOS. If you export a backup, the file goes wherever you choose to save or send it.
2. Apple Calendar and Apple Reminders (Pro, optional)
If you connect them, Balance reads your calendar events and open reminders on your phone so it can show them. It never changes them and never uploads them. The one exception: if you use shared weeks, the free time worked out from your diary (including calendar events) is shared as described in section 5, but never what the events are.
3. Your account (Pro, optional)
You only need an account for sync, shared weeks and AI ideas. We store your email address, the name you give for friends to see, a username we create for you, and your password in encrypted (hashed) form. We use this to sign you in and run those features (legal basis: providing the service you asked for).
4. Sync (optional)
If you turn on automatic sync, a copy of your Balance data (everything in section 1 except your passcode, connected-calendar settings and reminder settings) is stored with your account so your devices match. We also store each device's model name (for example "iPhone 15") and a random device ID so you can see which devices sync. Turn sync off at any time; delete your account to remove the copy.
5. Shared weeks (optional)
When you add friends, we store your connection with them. To find times you are both free, your phone shares your free time windows for the next three weeks (for example "Tuesday 13:30 to 18:00"). Friends never see what you are doing, only when you are free. Past days are deleted automatically.
6. AI ideas (Pro, optional)
Meal ideas, workout ideas, meal plans and week plans are written by Claude, an AI model from Anthropic. When you ask for one, we send Anthropic what is needed for that request: what you typed (for example "something warm with chicken"), the names of your saved meal ideas, and for week plans your free time windows and the titles and due dates of your deadlines, weekly targets and to-dos. We don't send your name or email. Anthropic processes it to produce the answer, does not use it to train its models, and keeps it only for a limited time under its commercial terms. We count how many AI requests you make each day to keep the service fair and affordable. You are asked before AI is used for the first time (legal basis: your consent, which you can withdraw in Privacy & data → AI ideas).
7. Payments
Pro is sold through Apple. Apple handles payment; we never see your card details or Apple ID. We use RevenueCat to check whether your subscription is active. RevenueCat receives purchase information from Apple and a random customer ID, which is linked to your account ID if you sign in.
8. Anonymous usage, answers and feedback
To know whether Balance is helping people, each phone gets a random install code that isn't linked to your name, email or account. Using it, Balance sends: a daily "opened today" signal (unless you switch off Share anonymous usage in Privacy & data); your answers if you choose to answer "How did you hear about Balance?" or the short check-in questions; and any feedback note you send. We use these only to count users, see what brings people in and improve the app (legal basis: our legitimate interest in improving Balance; you can switch the daily signal off at any time). They're kept for 24 months.
9. Security and technical data
Our server runs on Cloudflare and our database on Supabase. Like any web service, they process your device's internet (IP) address when your phone connects, which we use briefly to block abuse (legal basis: our legitimate interest in keeping the service secure). We don't build profiles from it.
10. Who we share data with
Only these service providers, each acting on our instructions: Supabase (accounts and stored data), Cloudflare (server and security), Anthropic (AI ideas), RevenueCat (subscription status) and Apple (App Store payments). Some are in the United States; transfers are protected by the UK International Data Transfer Addendum or equivalent safeguards. We share data with authorities only if the law requires it.
11. How long we keep it
Data on your phone stays until you delete it or the app. Account, sync and shared-weeks data stay until you delete your account; free-time windows are deleted once their day has passed. When you delete your account (Privacy & data → Delete account), we delete your account, synced copy, friends and shared free time straight away; provider backups may hold copies for up to 30 days before they are overwritten.
12. Your rights
You can ask to access, correct, delete or receive a copy of your personal data, and object to or restrict how we use it. Much of this you can do yourself in the app (Export a backup, Delete account). For anything else, email [SUPPORT EMAIL]; we reply within one month. If you're unhappy, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ico.org.uk).
13. Cookies
The Balance app doesn't use cookies or tracking technologies. It saves your information on your device so the app works, and, if you sign in, a sign-in token so you stay signed in. This website doesn't use cookies.
14. Children
Balance is intended for people aged 13 and over. You must be 13 or older to create an account.
15. Changes
If we change this policy in a way that matters, we'll tell you in the app before it takes effect.