Privacy Policy
Effective date: September 2, 2026
Thank you for using Cowie (“Cowie”, “we”, “our”, or “us”). Cowie is a time-management and digital-wellbeing app that helps you build healthy habits, focus, and manage your screen time by turning time into a personal “time bank” of time coins.
This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, how we use and protect it, and the choices you have. By using Cowie, you agree to the practices described below.
When you create an account, we collect:
- Login identifier (email address, or an identifier provided by Apple or Google Sign-In).
- Profile details you provide, such as a display name, an optional goal, and your preferred companion mode (“Caring” or “Roast”).
- Your pet’s name, appearance/skin choices, and current form, if you customize them.
1.2 Time Bank & Activity Data
Cowie is built around your personal time bank. We store data you create while using the app, including:
- Balance and totals: time coins earned, spent, and your current balance.
- Habits & deposits: the habits you create, deposit/check-in history, and streak information.
- Focus sessions: duration, mode, and completion status of focus sessions.
- Steps: step counts you choose to convert into time coins.
- Screen-time controls: the apps you choose to block, and related intercept activity.
- Transfers & pledges: if you use social features, records of transfers, pledges (commitment contracts), and co-focus sessions between you and other users.
- Reports: weekly summaries generated from your activity.
1.3 AI Companion Chat & Memory
Cowie includes an AI companion that can chat with you and remember things you choose to share:
- Chat history: the messages you send and the companion’s replies.
- Memories: notes you explicitly ask Cowie to remember.
- AI processing:
- On iOS, the AI companion runs primarily on your device using Apple Intelligence / on-device processing.
- On Android, chat requests are processed by a third-party AI provider to generate replies. We send the text of your message and relevant context (such as your recent activity) to generate a response.
- HealthKit (iOS): with your permission, we read your step count to power step-to-time-coin conversion. We do not read other health data.
- Screen Time (iOS): with your permission, we use the Screen Time API to shield apps you select. Your app selection is stored on your device and used to apply blocking; we do not upload your app-usage timeline.
- Android: we use the built-in step sensor and, if you enable it, “Usage Access” to detect when you open a blocked app so we can show an intercept page. This detection happens on your device.
If you subscribe to Cowie Pro, payments are processed by RevenueCat, Apple App Store, or Google Play. We do not receive or store your credit card or other payment details.
We use the information we collect to:
- Provide, operate, and maintain Cowie (time bank, habits, focus, blocking, social features).
- Enable the AI companion and its memory.
- Compute streaks, reports, and statistics.
- Prevent fraud and abuse (e.g., validating coin transactions).
- Process and manage subscriptions.
- Improve and debug the app.
- Your data is stored securely in our cloud backend (Supabase), protected with row-level security so each user can only access their own data.
- We use industry-standard safeguards to protect data in transit and at rest.
- While we take reasonable measures to protect your data, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure.
4. Third-Party Services
We work with limited third-party services that may process your data:
- Supabase – cloud database and authentication hosting.
- AI provider (Android only) – processes chat messages to generate companion replies.
- Apple Intelligence / on-device processing (iOS only) – generates companion replies on or near your device.
- RevenueCat / Apple / Google – subscription and payment processing.
- We do not sell your personal information, and we do not use advertising networks that track you.
5. Sharing with Other Users
If you use social features (transfers, pledges, co-focus rooms), certain information is visible to the other participant(s) you choose to engage with, such as your display name and the details of the pledge or co-focus session. No personal data is shared publicly.
6. Your Rights & Choices
- Access & correction: You can view and edit most of your data within the app.
- Delete your account: You can delete your account from the app. This permanently removes your profile and associated data from our services.
- Notifications & permissions: You can withdraw HealthKit, Screen Time, notification, or Usage Access permissions at any time through your device settings.
- AI chat & memories: You can delete chat history and memories within the app.
- Withdraw consent: You can stop using the app at any time.
7. Data Retention
We retain your data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the service. If you delete your account, we delete your data. Some data may be retained for a reasonable period to comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and prevent abuse.
8. Children’s Privacy
Cowie is not directed to children under the age of 13 (or the minimum age required in your jurisdiction), and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children.
9. International Data Transfer
Your data may be processed and stored in countries other than your own. We take steps to provide appropriate safeguards for such transfers.
10. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify you through the app or by other appropriate means. Continued use of Cowie after changes means you accept the updated policy.
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or your data, please contact us at:
This policy is provided for informational purposes and should be reviewed by your legal counsel before publication on the App Store / Google Play.