Privacy Policy

Last updated: April 2026

Heirsay (“we,” “our,” or “us”) is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and how we protect it when you use the Heirsay iOS app and website (collectively, the “Service”).

By using the Service, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

1. Information We Collect

Account Information

When you create an account, we collect your email address and, if you choose, your display name. If you sign in with Apple or Google, we receive only the information those providers share with us (typically an email address and a unique identifier).

Content You Create

Heirsay stores the content you create: photos of your heirlooms, audio and video recordings, written story text, and AI-generated transcriptions of your recordings. This content is yours and is stored on your device and, for Premium subscribers, in your secure cloud backup.

Device and Usage Information

We collect anonymized analytics data to understand how the app is used and to identify crashes — including device type, operating system version, app version, and anonymized usage events (such as which screens are visited). This data does not include your name or the content of your stories. Crash reports are collected via Firebase Crashlytics.

Contacts (with Permission)

If you choose to invite family members to a group, we access contact information you provide through the invite flow. We do not store or upload your full device contacts.

Purchase Information

We collect subscription status and purchase history through RevenueCat to manage your Premium access. We do not store payment card details; all payment processing is handled by Apple.

Advertising Identifiers

On the free tier, Google AdMob may collect your device's advertising identifier (IDFA) and IP address for ad personalization and measurement, subject to your App Tracking Transparency consent. If you decline tracking, only contextual (non-personalized) ads are served.

2. How We Use Your Data

We use the information we collect to:

  • Provide and operate the Service
  • Sync your content across devices and enable cloud backup (Premium)
  • Enable family group sharing features
  • Send you notifications you have opted into
  • Analyze app performance, diagnose crashes, and improve the product
  • Manage your subscription through Apple's App Store and RevenueCat

We do not use your personal content (photos, recordings, stories) to train machine learning models. AI transcription is performed on-device using Apple's Speech framework and your audio is not sent to our servers for this purpose.

3. Data Storage

Your content is stored in two places:

  • On your device:All heirloom data is stored locally using SwiftData. This data is included in your device's encrypted backup (iCloud Backup) if you have enabled it.
  • Firebase (cloud):If you have a Premium subscription, your content is backed up to Google Firebase Cloud Storage and Firestore, hosted in the United States. Firebase is a Google Cloud product and is subject to Google's security practices.

Account and authentication data is managed by Firebase Authentication. Push notifications are delivered via Firebase Cloud Messaging. We use Firebase Analytics and Crashlytics for anonymized usage and crash data.

4. Data Sharing

We do not sell your personal data or your content to anyone, ever.

We share data only in the following circumstances:

  • Within your family group: If you create or join a family group, the heirlooms and stories you choose to share with that group are visible to all group members. You control what is shared.
  • Service providers: We use Firebase (Google), RevenueCat, and Google AdMob (free tier only) as service providers. These parties have access to data only as needed to perform their services and are contractually bound to confidentiality.
  • Legal requirements: We may disclose information if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities.

5. Data Retention and Deletion

Your content is retained as long as your account is active. You can delete individual heirlooms, stories, or photos at any time within the app.

To delete your entire account and all associated data, use the “Delete Account” option in Settings within the app, or contact us at support@heirsay.app. Account deletion permanently removes all of your data from our servers within 30 days.

You can export your entire library at any time from within the app before deleting your account.

6. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your data, including encryption in transit (TLS) and at rest. However, no method of electronic storage or transmission is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Advertising

The free tier of Heirsay displays ads served by Google AdMob. AdMob may collect device advertising identifiers (IDFA), IP address, and general location data for ad personalization and measurement. You can control ad tracking through Apple's App Tracking Transparency prompt, which Heirsay presents before any cross-app tracking occurs. If you decline tracking, no cross-app tracking data is collected and only contextual ads are displayed. You can also manage tracking in your device's Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking. Premium subscribers do not see ads and no advertising data is collected for them. For more information, see Google's Privacy Policy at policies.google.com/privacy.

8. Your Rights

You have the right to:

  • Access the personal data we hold about you by contacting us
  • Request correction of inaccurate data
  • Request deletion of your data (see Section 5 above)
  • Opt out of analytics collection by contacting us
  • Opt out of personalized advertising through your device settings or by declining the App Tracking Transparency prompt
  • Export your data at any time from within the app

To exercise any of these rights, contact support@heirsay.app.

9. California Residents (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) provides you with additional rights:

  • The right to know what personal information we collect and how it is used
  • The right to request deletion of your personal information
  • The right to opt out of the sale of personal information — we do not sell your data
  • The right to non-discrimination for exercising your rights

To submit a CCPA request, contact support@heirsay.app.

10. European Users (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), our legal bases for processing your data are:

  • Your consent, for optional features like analytics and ad personalization
  • Performance of our contract with you, to provide the Service
  • Legitimate interests, to improve the Service and prevent fraud

You have the right to withdraw consent at any time and to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority. Data transfers outside the EEA are governed by Google's Standard Contractual Clauses.

11. Third-Party Services

Heirsay uses the following third-party services that may collect data as described in their respective privacy policies:

12. Children's Privacy

Heirsay is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child under 13, please contact us at support@heirsay.app and we will delete that information promptly.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the new policy in the app and updating the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. Continued use of the Service after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

14. Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or your data, please contact us at: support@heirsay.app