Privacy Policy

Effective date: March 2, 2026

Ember ("we", "us", "our") is a daily wellness challenge app that helps you build better habits through gamified micro-challenges. This policy explains what data we collect, why, and how we protect it.

        The short version: Your challenge completions, journal entries, and preferences are stored locally on your device. If you create an account, this data syncs to our server so you don't lose it. We don't sell your data. We don't show ads. We don't track you across other apps.
    

1. Data We Collect

Data	Purpose	Stored where
Email & display name	Account creation & identification	Firebase Auth + our server
Challenge completions & skips	Track your progress, calculate XP & streaks	Device + server (if signed in)
Journal entries & mood	Personal reflections after challenges	Device + server (if signed in)
XP, achievements, goals	Gamification & progression	Device + server (if signed in)
Preferences (difficulty, categories, theme, language)	Personalize your experience	Device + server (if signed in)
Device push token	Send daily reminders & notifications	Firebase Cloud Messaging + our server
Anonymous device identifier	Aggregate usage analytics (no personal identification)	Our server

2. Data We Do NOT Collect

Location data (GPS, Wi-Fi, or network-based)
Contacts, call logs, or messages
Photos, camera, or microphone access
Health sensor data (heart rate, steps, etc.)
Device identifiers (IMEI, advertising ID)
Browsing history or data from other apps

3. How We Use Your Data

Provide the service: Deliver daily challenges, track your progress, sync data across devices.
Notifications: Send daily reminders, achievement alerts, and weekly recaps (opt-out available in settings).
Aggregate analytics: Understand usage patterns to improve the app. This data is anonymized and not linked to your identity.
Leaderboards: If you opt in, your display name and XP may appear on leaderboards visible to other users.
Accountability partners: If you link with a partner via invite code, limited progress data (streak count, nudge status) is shared with that partner only.

4. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services:

Firebase Authentication (Google LLC) — Handles sign-in via Google or Apple. See Firebase Privacy Policy.
Firebase Cloud Messaging (Google LLC) — Delivers push notifications to your device. See Firebase Privacy Policy.

We do not use third-party analytics SDKs, advertising frameworks, or tracking pixels. We do not sell, rent, or share your personal data with third parties for their marketing purposes.

5. Data Storage & Security

Local storage: All app data is stored in an encrypted app sandbox on your device.
Server storage: Synced data is stored on our servers hosted in the European Union (Hetzner, Germany).
Encryption in transit: All communication between the app and our servers uses HTTPS/TLS encryption.
Access control: Server access is restricted and protected by authentication and rate limiting.

6. Data Retention

We retain your data for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account, we will delete all associated personal data from our servers within 30 days. Anonymized, aggregate analytics data may be retained indefinitely.

7. Your Rights

You have the right to:

Access your data — all your data is visible within the app.
Delete your account — request deletion via our account deletion page.
Opt out of notifications — disable in app settings or your device notification settings.
Withdraw from leaderboards — your data will no longer appear publicly.

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), you also have the right to data portability, rectification, and to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

8. Children's Privacy

Ember is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

9. Android Permissions

Permission	Why we need it
Internet	Sync data, authenticate, fetch challenge content
Notifications	Daily reminders and achievement alerts (opt-in on Android 13+)
Schedule exact alarms	Deliver daily challenge reminders at your preferred time
Boot completed	Re-schedule notification alarms after device restart

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes through the app or via email. The "effective date" at the top of this page reflects the latest revision.

11. Contact Us

If you have questions about this privacy policy or your data, contact us at:

Email: privacy@goember.app