Privacy Policy

Elm lets you create and manage:

• Notes and personal writing
• Tasks, events, and reminders
• Drawings and selected photo attachments
• Chat messages and AI-generated responses
• App preferences and planning settings

This content is stored on your device. If iCloud is enabled for Elm, your app data may sync through Apple iCloud / CloudKit so it is available across your Apple devices.

If you grant permission, Elm can read selected Apple Calendar events and Apple Reminders so they can be shown in your daily planning view.

Elm can also create, update, or complete calendar, reminder, task, or event items when you explicitly choose to do so in the app, including through a confirmed AI action card.

You can revoke Calendar or Reminders access at any time in iOS Settings.

Elm includes optional cloud AI features for chat, note analysis, selected-text insight chat, and writing prompts.

Cloud AI features are available to Elm Pro users and require explicit in-app consent before any personal app content is sent to Google Gemini through Firebase AI Logic / Vertex AI.

When you use cloud AI, Elm sends only the context needed for the request to Google Gemini through Firebase AI Logic / Vertex AI, such as:

• Your current AI message or prompt
• Recent chat context
• Selected highlighted text when you use insight chat
• Relevant note or writing excerpts
• Relevant task, reminder, event, or calendar context
• App preferences that affect tone, style, or planning behavior

This data is used to generate AI chat answers, summaries, writing prompts, selected-text insight chat responses, and planner suggestions for you.

Elm does not send your full journal or notes library by default. Elm does not send PencilKit drawing strokes, photos, raw attachments, raw documents, or precise GPS coordinates to Gemini as part of normal AI chat and analysis.

AI responses are assistive. If AI suggests creating, updating, deleting, or completing a planner item, Elm shows a confirmation card first. Nothing is changed until you confirm it.

Elm uses Google Gemini through Firebase AI Logic / Vertex AI. Google Cloud states that customer data sent to Vertex AI managed models is not used to train or fine-tune AI/ML models without the customer's permission or instruction.

Elm does not intentionally use your notes, writing, chat messages, tasks, reminders, or calendar content to train AI models.

Some cloud providers may process prompts and outputs for security, abuse prevention, reliability, or caching according to their own service terms. Elm limits the context sent to AI requests and uses App Check / App Attest to help protect AI access from abuse.

Elm uses Firebase Analytics to understand basic app usage and improve reliability.

Analytics events are designed to measure product interaction, such as feature usage, settings changes, permission flows, and whether actions succeed or fail. These events should not include note text, writing content, chat messages, task titles, reminder titles, calendar event titles, or other personal writing.

Elm does not set a Firebase Analytics user ID. Elm does not use analytics for third-party advertising, ad targeting, or sharing with data brokers.

Under Apple's definition, "tracking" means linking app data with third-party data for advertising or advertising measurement, or sharing app data with a data broker. Elm does not use analytics for that kind of tracking.

Elm asks for permissions only when needed for app features:

• Calendar access: to show and manage selected calendar events.
• Reminders access: to show and manage selected Apple Reminders.
• Notifications: to send alerts for tasks, reminders, events, and app check-ins.
• Microphone and Speech Recognition: to turn speech into text when you use dictation.
• Location When In Use: to optionally add location context to notes.
• iCloud: to sync app data across your Apple devices.

You can manage permissions in iOS Settings.

Subscriptions and purchases are handled by Apple using StoreKit. Elm receives purchase entitlement information so it can unlock Pro features. Elm does not receive your payment card details.

Elm may use the following service providers to operate the app:

• Apple: iCloud / CloudKit sync, Calendar, Reminders, notifications, StoreKit purchases, and system permissions.
• Firebase / Google: Analytics, Remote Config, App Check, Firebase AI Logic, and Google Gemini / Vertex AI.

These providers process data only as needed to provide their services, protect the app, process purchases, provide analytics, or run optional AI features.

Any third party with whom Elm shares user data, including Apple and Firebase / Google, must provide the same or equal protection for user data as described in this privacy policy and as required by Apple's App Review Guidelines.

You can:

• Delete app content inside Elm.
• Revoke permissions in iOS Settings.
• Disable iCloud sync through Apple's iCloud settings.
• Review or change AI consent in Elm settings.
• Stop analytics collection by uninstalling the app, or by using any analytics preference Elm provides.
• Contact us for privacy or deletion requests.

Your Elm content remains until you delete it or remove Elm/iCloud data through Apple's device and iCloud settings.

Analytics and service logs may be retained by Firebase, Google, or Apple according to their service terms and retention settings.

For privacy questions or deletion requests, contact: gareth.dev@icloud.com.

Elm is not designed for children and does not knowingly collect personal data from children.

We may update this policy when Elm's features, service providers, or data practices change. The latest version will be available at this URL.