Privacy Policy
Last Updated: 22/10/2025
Our Privacy Commitment
At Heard, your privacy is our priority. Your thoughts, feelings, and journal entries are deeply personal, and we've designed our app to keep them that way. This policy explains in plain language what data we collect, how we use it, and who has access to it.
The Short Version: Your journal entries stay on your device and in your private iCloud. We only use trusted services (OpenAI) to help transcribe your voice and provide AI insights, and they don't keep your data. We never sell your information.
What Information We Collect
1. Voice Recordings
When you create a voice journal entry:
What we collect: Audio recordings of your voice
Where it's stored: Locally on your device in a secure folder
What we do with it: Send it temporarily to OpenAI's Whisper service to convert speech to text
How long we keep it: Permanently on your device (you control deletion). Not stored on our servers.
Journal Content
Your transcribed entries, conversations, and reflections:
What we collect: Text from transcriptions, your written entries, AI conversation history, identified emotions, keywords, and any photos you attach
Where it's stored: Locally on your device using Apple's Core Data, and optionally synced to your private iCloud account
What we do with it: Send text to OpenAI's GPT-4 to generate thoughtful follow-up questions and insights
How long we keep it: As long as you keep the app. You can delete any entry anytime.
Account Information
To enable premium features and cloud sync:
What we collect: Email address, authentication credentials (depending on sign-in method: Apple, Google, or Facebook)
Where it's stored: Securely with Firebase Authentication
What we do with it: Verify your identity, manage subscriptions, and sync data across your devices
How long we keep it: Until you delete your account
Usage & Performance Data
To improve the app:
What we collect: Crash reports, performance metrics, feature usage patterns
Where it's stored: Firebase Analytics (anonymized)
What we do with it: Fix bugs, improve features, understand what's working
Important: This data is NOT linked to your journal content or identity
How We Use Your Data
Voice Transcription
When you record a voice entry, we:
Save the audio file locally on your device
Send it securely to OpenAI's Whisper API for transcription
Receive the transcribed text
Delete the audio from OpenAI's servers (they don't retain it)
Save the transcription on your device
Why OpenAI? They provide the best speech-to-text technology available. According to OpenAI's API terms, audio sent for transcription is not used to train their models and is not retained after processing.
AI Conversations & Insights
After transcription, we:
Send your text to OpenAI's GPT-4 to generate thoughtful questions and insights
Store these conversations locally on your device
Use conversation context to make future AI responses more relevant to you
Privacy Note: OpenAI processes your text to provide responses but does not store or use your journal content beyond providing the service.
iCloud Sync (Optional)
If you enable iCloud sync:
Your journal entries sync across your Apple devices using Apple's CloudKit
All data is encrypted and stored in YOUR private iCloud account
We (Heard team) cannot access your iCloud data
Apple handles all encryption and security
Who Has Access to Your Data
✅ You
Full access to all your data
Can read, edit, or delete anything anytime
Can export or back up your data via iCloud
✅ OpenAI (Temporary Processing Only)
Receives your audio for transcription
Receives your text for AI responses
Does NOT store or retain your data
Subject to OpenAI's API Data Usage Policy
❌ Heard Team
We CANNOT access your journal entries
We CANNOT read your private thoughts
We can only see anonymized usage statistics
❌ Advertisers & Data Brokers
We DO NOT sell your data
We DO NOT share your content with advertisers
We DO NOT use your journal entries for marketing
Your Data Rights & Control
You Can:
✅ Delete any entry or recording anytime
✅ Export your data via iCloud backup
✅ Disable iCloud sync and keep everything local
✅ Delete your entire account and all associated data
✅ Opt out of analytics and crash reporting
✅ Control who sees your data (only you)
We Cannot:
❌ Recover deleted entries for you
❌ Access your private journal content
❌ Read your conversations or thoughts
❌ Share your data without your permission
Security Measures
We protect your data through:
Device Encryption: All data on your device is protected by iOS encryption
iCloud Encryption: Apple encrypts your iCloud data end-to-end
Secure Transmission: All data sent to APIs uses HTTPS encryption
Secure Storage: API keys stored in iOS Keychain (the most secure storage on iPhone)
No Server Storage: We don't store your audio or journal content on our servers
Authentication: Multi-factor authentication support via Apple, Google, and Facebook sign-in
Third-Party Services
We use these trusted services:
OpenAI
Purpose: Voice transcription (Whisper) and AI conversations (GPT-4)
Data shared: Audio recordings and text entries
Privacy policy: OpenAI Privacy Policy
Data retention: Not retained after processing (per API terms)
Firebase (Google)
Purpose: User authentication, secure API routing, analytics
Data shared: Email, device ID (anonymized), crash data
Privacy policy: Firebase Privacy Policy
Apple iCloud
Purpose: Optional data sync across your devices
Data shared: All journal content (in YOUR private account)
Privacy policy: Apple Privacy Policy
Children's Privacy
Heard is not intended for users under 13 years old. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately.
International Users
Heard is operated from the United Kingdom. If you're accessing from outside the United Kingdom:
Your data may be transferred to and processed in countries where OpenAI and Firebase operate
We ensure all partners meet international privacy standards (GDPR, CCPA compliance)
Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy occasionally. When we do:
We'll notify you via the app
The "Last Updated" date will change
Continued use means you accept the changes
Material changes will require your explicit consent
Data Retention
Voice recordings: Kept on your device until you delete them
Journal entries: Kept until you delete them or your account
Account data: Kept until you request account deletion
Analytics: Anonymized data retained for 26 months (standard analytics period)
Account Deletion: If you delete your account, all data associated with your account is permanently deleted within 30 days.
Your Privacy Choices
Opt Out of Analytics
You can disable analytics in Settings > Privacy > Analytics
Disable iCloud Sync
Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Disable Heard
Delete Your Account
Settings > Account > Delete Account (this is permanent)
Request Your Data
Contact us at privacy@heardjournal.app to request a copy of your data
Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)
If you're in the EU/UK, we process your data based on:
Contract: To provide the app services you signed up for
Consent: For optional features like analytics (you can withdraw anytime)
Legitimate Interest: To improve app performance and fix bugs
Contact Us
Questions about privacy? We're here to help:
Email: privacy@heardjournal.app
Web: https://heardjournal.app/
Response time: We aim to respond within 48 hours
California Privacy Rights (CCPA)
California residents have the right to:
Know what personal information we collect
Delete their personal information
Opt-out of data sales (we don't sell data)
Non-discrimination for exercising privacy rights
Summary in Plain English
What you need to know:
Your journal entries stay on YOUR device and YOUR iCloud
We use OpenAI to transcribe your voice and power AI features
OpenAI doesn't keep your data after processing
We never sell or share your personal thoughts
You can delete everything anytime
We take security seriously
Questions? We're always happy to explain more. Reach out anytime.
This privacy policy is designed to be transparent and honest. If anything is unclear, please ask. Your trust means everything to us.
Last Updated: 22/10/2025
Our Privacy Commitment
At Heard, your privacy is our priority. Your thoughts, feelings, and journal entries are deeply personal, and we've designed our app to keep them that way. This policy explains in plain language what data we collect, how we use it, and who has access to it.
The Short Version: Your journal entries stay on your device and in your private iCloud. We only use trusted services (OpenAI) to help transcribe your voice and provide AI insights, and they don't keep your data. We never sell your information.
What Information We Collect
1. Voice Recordings
When you create a voice journal entry:
What we collect: Audio recordings of your voice
Where it's stored: Locally on your device in a secure folder
What we do with it: Send it temporarily to OpenAI's Whisper service to convert speech to text
How long we keep it: Permanently on your device (you control deletion). Not stored on our servers.
Journal Content
Your transcribed entries, conversations, and reflections:
What we collect: Text from transcriptions, your written entries, AI conversation history, identified emotions, keywords, and any photos you attach
Where it's stored: Locally on your device using Apple's Core Data, and optionally synced to your private iCloud account
What we do with it: Send text to OpenAI's GPT-4 to generate thoughtful follow-up questions and insights
How long we keep it: As long as you keep the app. You can delete any entry anytime.
Account Information
To enable premium features and cloud sync:
What we collect: Email address, authentication credentials (depending on sign-in method: Apple, Google, or Facebook)
Where it's stored: Securely with Firebase Authentication
What we do with it: Verify your identity, manage subscriptions, and sync data across your devices
How long we keep it: Until you delete your account
Usage & Performance Data
To improve the app:
What we collect: Crash reports, performance metrics, feature usage patterns
Where it's stored: Firebase Analytics (anonymized)
What we do with it: Fix bugs, improve features, understand what's working
Important: This data is NOT linked to your journal content or identity
How We Use Your Data
Voice Transcription
When you record a voice entry, we:
Save the audio file locally on your device
Send it securely to OpenAI's Whisper API for transcription
Receive the transcribed text
Delete the audio from OpenAI's servers (they don't retain it)
Save the transcription on your device
Why OpenAI? They provide the best speech-to-text technology available. According to OpenAI's API terms, audio sent for transcription is not used to train their models and is not retained after processing.
AI Conversations & Insights
After transcription, we:
Send your text to OpenAI's GPT-4 to generate thoughtful questions and insights
Store these conversations locally on your device
Use conversation context to make future AI responses more relevant to you
Privacy Note: OpenAI processes your text to provide responses but does not store or use your journal content beyond providing the service.
iCloud Sync (Optional)
If you enable iCloud sync:
Your journal entries sync across your Apple devices using Apple's CloudKit
All data is encrypted and stored in YOUR private iCloud account
We (Heard team) cannot access your iCloud data
Apple handles all encryption and security
Who Has Access to Your Data
✅ You
Full access to all your data
Can read, edit, or delete anything anytime
Can export or back up your data via iCloud
✅ OpenAI (Temporary Processing Only)
Receives your audio for transcription
Receives your text for AI responses
Does NOT store or retain your data
Subject to OpenAI's API Data Usage Policy
❌ Heard Team
We CANNOT access your journal entries
We CANNOT read your private thoughts
We can only see anonymized usage statistics
❌ Advertisers & Data Brokers
We DO NOT sell your data
We DO NOT share your content with advertisers
We DO NOT use your journal entries for marketing
Your Data Rights & Control
You Can:
✅ Delete any entry or recording anytime
✅ Export your data via iCloud backup
✅ Disable iCloud sync and keep everything local
✅ Delete your entire account and all associated data
✅ Opt out of analytics and crash reporting
✅ Control who sees your data (only you)
We Cannot:
❌ Recover deleted entries for you
❌ Access your private journal content
❌ Read your conversations or thoughts
❌ Share your data without your permission
Security Measures
We protect your data through:
Device Encryption: All data on your device is protected by iOS encryption
iCloud Encryption: Apple encrypts your iCloud data end-to-end
Secure Transmission: All data sent to APIs uses HTTPS encryption
Secure Storage: API keys stored in iOS Keychain (the most secure storage on iPhone)
No Server Storage: We don't store your audio or journal content on our servers
Authentication: Multi-factor authentication support via Apple, Google, and Facebook sign-in
Third-Party Services
We use these trusted services:
OpenAI
Purpose: Voice transcription (Whisper) and AI conversations (GPT-4)
Data shared: Audio recordings and text entries
Privacy policy: OpenAI Privacy Policy
Data retention: Not retained after processing (per API terms)
Firebase (Google)
Purpose: User authentication, secure API routing, analytics
Data shared: Email, device ID (anonymized), crash data
Privacy policy: Firebase Privacy Policy
Apple iCloud
Purpose: Optional data sync across your devices
Data shared: All journal content (in YOUR private account)
Privacy policy: Apple Privacy Policy
Children's Privacy
Heard is not intended for users under 13 years old. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately.
International Users
Heard is operated from the United Kingdom. If you're accessing from outside the United Kingdom:
Your data may be transferred to and processed in countries where OpenAI and Firebase operate
We ensure all partners meet international privacy standards (GDPR, CCPA compliance)
Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy occasionally. When we do:
We'll notify you via the app
The "Last Updated" date will change
Continued use means you accept the changes
Material changes will require your explicit consent
Data Retention
Voice recordings: Kept on your device until you delete them
Journal entries: Kept until you delete them or your account
Account data: Kept until you request account deletion
Analytics: Anonymized data retained for 26 months (standard analytics period)
Account Deletion: If you delete your account, all data associated with your account is permanently deleted within 30 days.
Your Privacy Choices
Opt Out of Analytics
You can disable analytics in Settings > Privacy > Analytics
Disable iCloud Sync
Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Disable Heard
Delete Your Account
Settings > Account > Delete Account (this is permanent)
Request Your Data
Contact us at privacy@heardjournal.app to request a copy of your data
Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)
If you're in the EU/UK, we process your data based on:
Contract: To provide the app services you signed up for
Consent: For optional features like analytics (you can withdraw anytime)
Legitimate Interest: To improve app performance and fix bugs
Contact Us
Questions about privacy? We're here to help:
Email: privacy@heardjournal.app
Web: https://heardjournal.app/
Response time: We aim to respond within 48 hours
California Privacy Rights (CCPA)
California residents have the right to:
Know what personal information we collect
Delete their personal information
Opt-out of data sales (we don't sell data)
Non-discrimination for exercising privacy rights
Summary in Plain English
What you need to know:
Your journal entries stay on YOUR device and YOUR iCloud
We use OpenAI to transcribe your voice and power AI features
OpenAI doesn't keep your data after processing
We never sell or share your personal thoughts
You can delete everything anytime
We take security seriously
Questions? We're always happy to explain more. Reach out anytime.
This privacy policy is designed to be transparent and honest. If anything is unclear, please ask. Your trust means everything to us.
Last Updated: 22/10/2025
Our Privacy Commitment
At Heard, your privacy is our priority. Your thoughts, feelings, and journal entries are deeply personal, and we've designed our app to keep them that way. This policy explains in plain language what data we collect, how we use it, and who has access to it.
The Short Version: Your journal entries stay on your device and in your private iCloud. We only use trusted services (OpenAI) to help transcribe your voice and provide AI insights, and they don't keep your data. We never sell your information.
What Information We Collect
1. Voice Recordings
When you create a voice journal entry:
What we collect: Audio recordings of your voice
Where it's stored: Locally on your device in a secure folder
What we do with it: Send it temporarily to OpenAI's Whisper service to convert speech to text
How long we keep it: Permanently on your device (you control deletion). Not stored on our servers.
Journal Content
Your transcribed entries, conversations, and reflections:
What we collect: Text from transcriptions, your written entries, AI conversation history, identified emotions, keywords, and any photos you attach
Where it's stored: Locally on your device using Apple's Core Data, and optionally synced to your private iCloud account
What we do with it: Send text to OpenAI's GPT-4 to generate thoughtful follow-up questions and insights
How long we keep it: As long as you keep the app. You can delete any entry anytime.
Account Information
To enable premium features and cloud sync:
What we collect: Email address, authentication credentials (depending on sign-in method: Apple, Google, or Facebook)
Where it's stored: Securely with Firebase Authentication
What we do with it: Verify your identity, manage subscriptions, and sync data across your devices
How long we keep it: Until you delete your account
Usage & Performance Data
To improve the app:
What we collect: Crash reports, performance metrics, feature usage patterns
Where it's stored: Firebase Analytics (anonymized)
What we do with it: Fix bugs, improve features, understand what's working
Important: This data is NOT linked to your journal content or identity
How We Use Your Data
Voice Transcription
When you record a voice entry, we:
Save the audio file locally on your device
Send it securely to OpenAI's Whisper API for transcription
Receive the transcribed text
Delete the audio from OpenAI's servers (they don't retain it)
Save the transcription on your device
Why OpenAI? They provide the best speech-to-text technology available. According to OpenAI's API terms, audio sent for transcription is not used to train their models and is not retained after processing.
AI Conversations & Insights
After transcription, we:
Send your text to OpenAI's GPT-4 to generate thoughtful questions and insights
Store these conversations locally on your device
Use conversation context to make future AI responses more relevant to you
Privacy Note: OpenAI processes your text to provide responses but does not store or use your journal content beyond providing the service.
iCloud Sync (Optional)
If you enable iCloud sync:
Your journal entries sync across your Apple devices using Apple's CloudKit
All data is encrypted and stored in YOUR private iCloud account
We (Heard team) cannot access your iCloud data
Apple handles all encryption and security
Who Has Access to Your Data
✅ You
Full access to all your data
Can read, edit, or delete anything anytime
Can export or back up your data via iCloud
✅ OpenAI (Temporary Processing Only)
Receives your audio for transcription
Receives your text for AI responses
Does NOT store or retain your data
Subject to OpenAI's API Data Usage Policy
❌ Heard Team
We CANNOT access your journal entries
We CANNOT read your private thoughts
We can only see anonymized usage statistics
❌ Advertisers & Data Brokers
We DO NOT sell your data
We DO NOT share your content with advertisers
We DO NOT use your journal entries for marketing
Your Data Rights & Control
You Can:
✅ Delete any entry or recording anytime
✅ Export your data via iCloud backup
✅ Disable iCloud sync and keep everything local
✅ Delete your entire account and all associated data
✅ Opt out of analytics and crash reporting
✅ Control who sees your data (only you)
We Cannot:
❌ Recover deleted entries for you
❌ Access your private journal content
❌ Read your conversations or thoughts
❌ Share your data without your permission
Security Measures
We protect your data through:
Device Encryption: All data on your device is protected by iOS encryption
iCloud Encryption: Apple encrypts your iCloud data end-to-end
Secure Transmission: All data sent to APIs uses HTTPS encryption
Secure Storage: API keys stored in iOS Keychain (the most secure storage on iPhone)
No Server Storage: We don't store your audio or journal content on our servers
Authentication: Multi-factor authentication support via Apple, Google, and Facebook sign-in
Third-Party Services
We use these trusted services:
OpenAI
Purpose: Voice transcription (Whisper) and AI conversations (GPT-4)
Data shared: Audio recordings and text entries
Privacy policy: OpenAI Privacy Policy
Data retention: Not retained after processing (per API terms)
Firebase (Google)
Purpose: User authentication, secure API routing, analytics
Data shared: Email, device ID (anonymized), crash data
Privacy policy: Firebase Privacy Policy
Apple iCloud
Purpose: Optional data sync across your devices
Data shared: All journal content (in YOUR private account)
Privacy policy: Apple Privacy Policy
Children's Privacy
Heard is not intended for users under 13 years old. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately.
International Users
Heard is operated from the United Kingdom. If you're accessing from outside the United Kingdom:
Your data may be transferred to and processed in countries where OpenAI and Firebase operate
We ensure all partners meet international privacy standards (GDPR, CCPA compliance)
Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy occasionally. When we do:
We'll notify you via the app
The "Last Updated" date will change
Continued use means you accept the changes
Material changes will require your explicit consent
Data Retention
Voice recordings: Kept on your device until you delete them
Journal entries: Kept until you delete them or your account
Account data: Kept until you request account deletion
Analytics: Anonymized data retained for 26 months (standard analytics period)
Account Deletion: If you delete your account, all data associated with your account is permanently deleted within 30 days.
Your Privacy Choices
Opt Out of Analytics
You can disable analytics in Settings > Privacy > Analytics
Disable iCloud Sync
Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Disable Heard
Delete Your Account
Settings > Account > Delete Account (this is permanent)
Request Your Data
Contact us at privacy@heardjournal.app to request a copy of your data
Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)
If you're in the EU/UK, we process your data based on:
Contract: To provide the app services you signed up for
Consent: For optional features like analytics (you can withdraw anytime)
Legitimate Interest: To improve app performance and fix bugs
Contact Us
Questions about privacy? We're here to help:
Email: privacy@heardjournal.app
Web: https://heardjournal.app/
Response time: We aim to respond within 48 hours
California Privacy Rights (CCPA)
California residents have the right to:
Know what personal information we collect
Delete their personal information
Opt-out of data sales (we don't sell data)
Non-discrimination for exercising privacy rights
Summary in Plain English
What you need to know:
Your journal entries stay on YOUR device and YOUR iCloud
We use OpenAI to transcribe your voice and power AI features
OpenAI doesn't keep your data after processing
We never sell or share your personal thoughts
You can delete everything anytime
We take security seriously
Questions? We're always happy to explain more. Reach out anytime.
This privacy policy is designed to be transparent and honest. If anything is unclear, please ask. Your trust means everything to us.