The short version
- We can't see which apps you lock or earn with. Apple's Screen Time system hands Tonic anonymous tokens instead of app identities. This is enforced by Apple, not a promise from us.
- We use Apple Health to run your rules. Tonic reads Apple Health on your phone to check whether you've earned your apps. To fix bugs and improve Tonic, the app also uploads a copy of those readings, tied to a random ID. We never sell it, use it for ads, or share it with data brokers.
- There is no account. No sign-up, no password, no profile.
- We do collect anonymous usage and diagnostic data, tied to a random ID created on your device, so we can fix bugs and improve the app.
- We never sell data, show ads, or track you across other apps or websites.
What stays on your phone
Your app selections. When you pick apps to lock or earn with, Apple gives Tonic opaque tokens, not app names. We could not upload your app choices even if we wanted to; Apple designed it that way.
Your rules. The configuration of your rituals and limits lives and runs on your device. There's no cloud account it syncs to. (Our diagnostic events do include basic facts about rules, like their type and goal length; see the next section.)
What we collect, and why
Tonic sends us anonymous usage and diagnostic events so we can find bugs and understand which features matter. This includes things like: a rule was created (its type and goal length, not which apps it covers), a locked screen was shown, a goal was completed, which screens of Tonic you visited, crash and performance reports, plus your device model, iOS version, app version, and timestamps. These events are tied to a random identifier created on your device. It isn't your name, email, phone number, or Apple ID, and it resets if you delete and reinstall the app.
Apple Health readings. With your permission, Tonic reads things like workouts, mindful minutes, steps, calories, sleep, and time in daylight to decide whether a rule is satisfied. That check runs on your phone. To help us debug and improve how earning works, the app also includes a copy of these readings in the diagnostic events above, tied to your random device ID. This can include the names of the apps that wrote them (for example, which meditation or workout app you use), so we can make Tonic work better with those apps. We use this only to operate and improve Tonic; we never sell it, use it for advertising, or share it with advertising networks or data brokers.
A few things are only collected if you choose to provide them:
- Your email, if you include one when you contact support or send feedback. If you provide it, we attach it to your usage-analytics profile (PostHog) so we can connect your feedback to how you've used Tonic and reply to you. This links your otherwise-anonymous usage data to you; skip it and everything stays pseudonymous.
- App names you type. Apple hides app names from us, so Tonic lets you label your own apps (for example, naming an app "Kindle" so a locked screen can send you there). Labels you type are included in our usage data; they help us understand what people are locking and earning with. If you skip naming, we never know.
Session analytics. We use an analytics service (PostHog) to understand how Tonic is used, including replays of in-app sessions: the Tonic screens you see and the taps you make inside the app. Replays cover Tonic's own screens only, never anything else on your phone. They can include text you type inside Tonic, such as names you give your rules.
Diagnostics you trigger. If you report a problem, we may send your copy of Tonic a silent request to upload a snapshot of its own state (your rule configuration and app settings, not your Apple Health readings or app identities) so we can investigate the bug you reported.
Notifications. Tonic registers a device push token with Apple so the diagnostics above can work. The token is issued by Apple and identifies your device to Apple's push system, nothing more.
How you found us. If you install Tonic after tapping one of our ads in the App Store, Apple tells us which ad campaign or keyword brought you, your country, and whether it was a first download or a redownload. Apple provides this from its own aggregated data. It is not the advertising identifier, and it does not track you across other apps or websites. We attach it to your random device ID so we can tell which ads reach people who actually stick with Tonic, not just install it.
Feedback you send. Messages sent from Settings → Help & feedback include your text, any screenshots or screen recordings you attach, and your app version and device model, so we can reproduce the issue. This is stored in our own database and private file storage (Supabase), tied to your random device ID and, if you provided it, your email.
Who processes data for us
We don't sell or share your data with anyone for advertising. A small number of services process data on our behalf:
- Supabase hosts our diagnostic and usage event database, your in-app feedback, and any screenshots or recordings you attach to it.
- PostHog provides usage analytics and in-app session replay.
- Resend emails your feedback to our support inbox so we can read it and reply to you.
- Apple handles notifications, subscriptions, and payments, and tells us which of our App Store ads brought you (if any).
Subscriptions and payment
Purchases are processed entirely by Apple. We never see your payment details, billing address, or Apple ID. We only learn whether your copy of the app has an active subscription.
How long we keep things
Raw usage and diagnostic events are kept for 365 days, then reduced to aggregate counts (for example, how many rules were created in a month). Aggregates don't identify your device's activity in detail and are kept indefinitely.
Your choices
- Skip the optional stuff. Email is never required. Without it, your data is pseudonymous: we have no way to connect it to you.
- Revoke permissions anytime. Screen Time, Apple Health, and notification access can each be withdrawn in iOS Settings.
- Delete your data. Email hello@tonichabits.com and we'll delete everything tied to your device from our systems. Deleting the app removes everything stored on your phone.
Children
Tonic is a self-directed tool built for adults managing their own screen time. It is not directed at children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect personal information from them.
Changes to this policy
If we change how Tonic handles data, we'll update this page and the effective date above. Meaningful changes will also be called out in the app's release notes.
Contact
Questions about any of this: hello@tonichabits.com.
Sets Studio LLC, Colorado, USA.