Privacy Policy

Last updated: March 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how Memorist (“Memorist,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) collects, uses, stores, and protects your information. By using the Memorist app (“App”), you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

Memorist is a private journaling and reflection tool. Your entries, prompts, photos, and relationship notes are personal and are not shared publicly or with other users.

Memorist is free to use. You can get started in Guest Mode without creating an account, or create a free account for the full core experience. An optional Subscription is available to unlock advanced features such as additional photos, calendar feed, push notifications, daily reminders, data export, and Stats. This Privacy Policy applies equally to all users regardless of tier. Where data practices differ, we note them explicitly below.

1. Information We Collect

We collect the minimum information necessary to operate the App, protect your data, and improve functionality.

1.1 Account Information

Sign in with Apple: To create a Memorist account, you sign in with your Apple ID using Sign in with Apple. This is the only method for creating new accounts.

When you sign in with Apple, we receive:

How authentication works: Your Apple ID token is passed to Firebase Authentication (provided by Google), which serves as our backend identity and session management layer. Firebase Auth validates your Apple ID token, creates and manages your user identity, and issues your session. The data flow is: Apple (identity provider) → Firebase Auth (identity and session management) → Firestore (user profile storage).

We store the Apple-provided email address in your user profile for account identification purposes only. We do not use it for marketing, advertising, or communications. If you chose “Hide My Email,” the stored address is a private relay address controlled by Apple (e.g., abc123@privaterelay.appleid.com).

Unified identity: Because Memorist uses Sign in with Apple for authentication and Apple’s iCloud Keychain for encryption key storage, your sign-in identity and your encryption key identity are unified under the same Apple ID. This eliminates the need for separate identity systems and simplifies your security posture. See Section 5 for details on encryption.

Legacy phone authentication: Before March 2026, Memorist used phone number verification (SMS one-time password) for account creation. If you created your account using phone verification before March 2026, your phone number may still be associated with your account. You will be prompted to link your Apple ID when you next open the app. Phone sign-in remains available as a fallback for returning users who have not yet migrated. New accounts require Sign in with Apple.

Guest Mode: You may begin using Memorist without creating an account. In Guest Mode, we do not collect an Apple ID, email address, or any personally identifiable information. Your session is anonymous, identified only by a randomly generated, app-specific identifier (not a hardware or advertising identifier). Guest Mode includes up to 30 entries total (including both event entries and daily journal entries). To continue beyond this point, you will need to create a free account by signing in with your Apple ID. When you do, your existing Guest Mode data is automatically preserved and linked to your new account.

Age verification: When you create an account, you confirm that you are 13 years or older. Apple requires users to be at least 13 years old to have an Apple ID in most regions, which aligns with Memorist’s age requirement and provides an additional verification layer. We do not collect government-issued identification or perform independent age verification beyond Apple’s own policies and user attestation at account creation.

1.2 User-Generated Content

Entries are the primary content you create in Memorist. There are two types: event entries (associated with a specific event) and daily journal entries (associated with a day).

Content you create in the App includes:

You retain ownership of your content.

We process this information solely to:

Important: All user-generated content is protected by end-to-end encryption (E2EE). See Section 5 for details.

1.3 Device & Technical Data

Automatically collected in limited form to improve reliability:

We do not collect precise location unless you voluntarily enter it as part of an entry or tag.

Crash reporting: We use Firebase Crashlytics (provided by Google) to detect and fix app crashes. Crash reports are anonymized and do not contain your journal content.

Analytics metadata: When analytics is enabled (you can disable it in Settings), we collect anonymized usage patterns such as which screens you visit and which features you use. We do not collect the text of your entries or events. See Section 10 for details about analytics and your control over it.

What we cannot see: All user-generated content is protected by end-to-end encryption. See Section 5 for a complete breakdown of what is encrypted versus what queryable metadata we store.

1.4 Subscription and Payment Data

Memorist subscriptions are managed via Apple’s App Store.

We do not receive or store:

We may receive anonymized subscription status (active, expired, plan tier) to activate features.

Service tiers:

Subscription details:

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your data only to provide you with a secure and meaningful journaling experience.

Specifically, we use it to:

We do not:

Subscription features and data implications: Certain features are available only with an active subscription: calendar feed, push notifications, daily reminders, export for backup, and Stats. These features are visible in Settings for all users but enabled only for subscribers.

When you subscribe and enable push notifications or daily reminders, we collect a device token (via Firebase Cloud Messaging and Apple Push Notification service) and your notification preferences. If you disable notifications or your subscription lapses, we stop delivering notifications and may delete the associated device token and preferences.

The Stats feature is available only to subscribers. Stats do not introduce any new data collection. Stats processing happens entirely on your device, using your existing encrypted content and queryable metadata (see Section 5). No Stats data is sent to our servers.

Analytics in Guest Mode: Guest Mode users are subject to the same analytics controls as account holders. Analytics may be enabled or disabled in Settings. When disabled, no analytics events are sent to Firebase, regardless of whether you have an account. See Section 10 for full details.

3. Sharing Your Data

We do not sell, trade, or position your personal data for marketing purposes.

We may share limited information:

3.1 Service Providers

To deliver App functionality securely, we work with the following service providers:

Firebase (Google LLC)

Apple Inc.

How authentication works: Apple acts as the identity provider via Sign in with Apple. When you sign in, Apple provides an authentication token to Firebase Auth (Google), which validates the token, creates and manages your user identity, and issues your session. Firebase Auth serves as an intermediary identity and session management layer — it does not independently verify your identity. Your user profile (including your Apple-provided email address) is then stored in Firestore.

Important: These providers are bound by confidentiality agreements and can only process data on our behalf. Firebase stores only encrypted ciphertext for your content (see Section 5: End-to-End Encryption).

3.2 Legal Compliance

We may disclose information if required by law, court order, or governmental request, but only to the extent legally necessary.

4. Data Storage and Security

We take reasonable technical and organizational steps to protect your information.

End-to-end encryption is a core design principle of Memorist, not an optional feature.

Examples may include:

End-to-end encryption (E2EE): All entries (event entries and daily journal entries), photos attached to event entries, and tags are encrypted on your device before syncing to our servers. We never have access to your readable content. See Section 5 for complete details.

No method of digital storage or transmission is 100% secure. You use the App at your own risk.

5. End-to-End Encryption

Your journals, events, and photos are encrypted so only you can read them — not even Memorist.

Memorist uses industry-standard end-to-end encryption (E2EE) to protect your content. This means that all content you create, store, or sync via Memorist is encrypted on your device before it leaves your hands. Only you hold the encryption keys.

Unified identity: With Sign in with Apple, your authentication identity and your encryption key storage are now unified under the same Apple ID. Your sign-in is handled by Apple, and your encryption keys are stored in Apple’s iCloud Keychain — both tied to the same Apple ID. This eliminates the previous separation between your sign-in identity and your encryption key identity, simplifying your security posture and reducing the risk of identity mismatch.

What makes E2EE different

Most apps say “encrypted” but mean they encrypt your data on their servers — where they still hold the keys and can technically read your content.

With E2EE:

What is encrypted

Fully encrypted (unreadable to us):

These are stored in encrypted envelopes (labeled enc in our database). Without your encryption key, they are meaningless bytes.

What is NOT encrypted (queryable metadata)

Even with E2EE, we store some metadata in queryable form to enable core app functionality. This metadata cannot be used to reconstruct your content, but it does reveal patterns about your usage.

Account information:

Event metadata (for timeline sorting and recurrence):

Entry metadata (for daily journal sorting):

Photo metadata:

Tag metadata:

Important: Tag names themselves are fully encrypted. We only store UUID references that link tags to content. An attacker with access to our database could see “Event A uses Tag B” but not what Tag B’s name is.

Can metadata be used to reconstruct your content?

No. The queryable metadata we store (timestamps, recurrence patterns, tag UUIDs) cannot be used to reconstruct your journal entries, event descriptions, or any readable content. Here’s why:

Without your encryption key (stored in your iCloud Keychain), all content remains permanently unreadable ciphertext.

What we explicitly do NOT store:

Why this metadata is necessary:

This is the trade-off of a functional E2EE journaling app: we need minimal metadata to provide features like timeline sorting and recurring events, but we never have access to what you actually write.

Important exception: Calendar Feed (optional export)

The Calendar Feed is available only with an active subscription. It is visible in Settings for all users but enabled only for subscribers. If you are a subscriber and enable the Calendar Feed (Settings → Calendar Feed), you are explicitly choosing to create a plaintext export of your Events for use with third-party calendar apps like Apple Calendar or Google Calendar. This feature does not change how your data is encrypted — it creates an additional plaintext copy specifically for calendar app compatibility.

Why plaintext? Third-party calendar apps cannot decrypt E2EE content. So when you enable this feature, you’re trading E2EE protection for calendar app compatibility.

What gets exported:

How your encryption works

Your encryption key is generated automatically on your device when you first create content. This key is stored in your iCloud Keychain — Apple’s secure, encrypted key storage system.

Benefits:

Important to know:

Your Responsibility: Backups and Key Management

Because we cannot access your encrypted content, we do not store backups of your readable data on our servers. It is your responsibility to back up your content. If you lose access to your encryption keys or devices, your content cannot be recovered by Memorist.

This is the trade-off of true end-to-end encryption: your privacy is absolute, but so is your responsibility to protect your data.

How to protect your data:

1. Enable iCloud Backup (Recommended)

2. Use Multiple Devices

What happens if you lose access to iCloud Keychain:

Best practices:

Your Responsibility: Device Security

Because your encryption keys are stored on your device (via iCloud Keychain), the security of your Memorist content depends entirely on the security of your devices.

Since our servers cannot decrypt your content or help with recovery, you must protect your devices and keys. A compromised device means compromised journal content.

Essential security practices:

1. Use a strong device passcode

2. Enable biometric security

3. Enable device encryption

4. Keep your device physically secure

5. Never share your device passcode

6. Keep iOS updated

What happens if your device is compromised:

What Memorist cannot do:

Remember: Your privacy is absolute, but so is your responsibility. The same encryption that protects you from us also protects your content from recovery if you lose access to your devices or keys.

Guest Mode (Getting Started Without Creating an Account)

Even if you start using Memorist in Guest Mode (without creating an account), your data is still protected by E2EE. Your encryption key is tied to your anonymous session. End-to-end encryption applies equally to Guest Mode, Free, and Subscription users — it is a core design principle, not a paid feature.

What Guest Mode includes: Guest Mode provides core journaling features with up to 30 entries total (including both event entries and daily journal entries) and 1 photo per event entry. Certain features — calendar feed, push notifications, daily reminders, export for backup, and Stats — are visible in Settings but available only with an active subscription. You may also see a banner encouraging account creation for long-term data safety.

Creating an account from Guest Mode: When you create a free account by signing in with your Apple ID, your Guest Mode data and encryption key are automatically preserved and linked to your new account. No data is lost in this transition.

Data Export and E2EE

Memorist provides a data export feature for backup purposes (Settings → Export for backup). This feature is available only with an active subscription; it is visible in Settings for all users but enabled only for subscribers. Important: The export feature does not change how your data is encrypted. It decrypts your content on your device and produces a plaintext backup file. The export process maintains our E2EE security model:

Important: Exported files are not encrypted. This is intentional—the export is designed so you can access your data even if you lose access to Memorist or your encryption keys. Treat exported files like you would treat your physical journal.

Technical Details

For transparency and security researchers:

6. Support Limitations Due to E2EE

Because of our end-to-end encryption architecture, there are important limitations on what Memorist support can help you with.

What We CANNOT Do

We cannot recover your data if you lose access to your encryption keys.

This is not a policy choice — it is a technical reality of end-to-end encryption. Your encryption keys are stored exclusively on your devices via iCloud Keychain. We do not have copies of your keys, and we cannot decrypt your content without them.

Specific scenarios where we cannot help:

× Lost Apple ID or iCloud Keychain access

× Forgotten device passcode

× Account recovery after key loss

× Data access from lost or stolen devices

× Decryption of your content

What We CAN Help With

✓ Technical issues and bugs

✓ Account and billing

✓ General guidance

✓ Privacy and security questions

Why This Limitation Exists

This is the fundamental trade-off of true end-to-end encryption:

You get absolute privacy → We cannot read your content, even if we wanted to.

You accept absolute responsibility → We cannot recover your content if you lose access to your keys.

Most journaling apps offer account recovery because they hold your encryption keys (or don’t encrypt at all). Memorist is different: you hold the only keys, which means you are the only one who can unlock your content.

Before You Contact Support

If you’re experiencing issues accessing your content, please check:

  1. Are you signed into iCloud? (Settings → [Your Name])
  2. Is iCloud Keychain enabled? (Settings → [Your Name] → iCloud → Keychain)
  3. Are you using the same Apple ID that you used when you created your content?
  4. Do you have iCloud Backup enabled? (Settings → [Your Name] → iCloud → iCloud Backup)
  5. Are you signed in on other devices? Try accessing Memorist on another device signed into the same iCloud account.

If none of these steps work and you’ve lost access to your iCloud Keychain, we cannot recover your data. This is by design.

7. Your Content

Your journal entries, images, tags, and reflections are private by default.

You may:

Export formats available:

1. Full data export (.zip)

Download all your content as JSON files via Settings → Export for backup.

Export options:

What’s included in full export:

What’s NOT included:

Important security notes:

Rationale: The export focuses on your irreplaceable content (entries, including both event entries and daily journal entries). Settings and preferences are device-specific and easily reconfigurable. See Section 5 for details on how export maintains E2EE.

2. iCalendar (ICS) feed

Optional calendar feed for event entries only (plaintext, opt-in only). Daily journal entries are never included. See Section 5 for details about this plaintext export option.

Backups: Because of end-to-end encryption, we cannot back up your readable content on our servers. You are responsible for backing up your data using the export feature or other backup strategies. See Section 5 (“Your Responsibility: Backups and Key Management”) for recommended backup strategies.

If you delete your account, associated data may become permanently unrecoverable.

Account deletion: When you delete your account, all data is permanently removed immediately with no grace period or recovery option. This includes:

Important: Because encryption keys are stored in iCloud Keychain with sync enabled, keys may remain accessible on your other Apple devices after account deletion. Apple provides no API for us to force-delete keys from all devices. However, these keys become useless after account deletion since there is no encrypted data to decrypt.

We cannot restore your account or data after deletion.

8. Children’s Privacy

Memorist is for users 13 years and older.

We do not knowingly collect information from users under age 13.

If you believe a minor under 13 has created an account, please contact us at: hello@memorist.me

9. Third-Party Services

Memorist integrates with Apple’s systems for:

Your use of Apple services is governed by Apple’s own policies.

We are not responsible for:

10. Analytics (Minimal & Respectful)

We use Firebase Analytics (Google Analytics 4) to:

We do not collect the text of your journal entries for analytics.

Analytics may be anonymized or aggregated before use.

Your control: You can disable analytics in Settings → Analytics. When consent is disabled, no events are sent to Firebase.

11. AI and Feature Processing

If the App analyzes or enhances content (e.g., for tagging or insights), it is strictly local on-device or private to your account.

On-device machine learning: We use Core ML (Apple’s on-device machine learning framework) for tag type classification (identifying whether a tag represents a Person, Place, or Thing). This processing happens entirely on your device. No content is sent to external servers for AI processing.

Your writing is never used to train public or external models.

If this ever changes in the future, we will obtain clear user consent.

12. Data Retention

We retain your information as long as:

Guest Mode data retention: Guest Mode data is associated with your anonymous session and persists as long as the session remains active. If you do not create an account, your data may be subject to removal after an extended period of inactivity. We encourage Guest Mode users to create a free account to ensure long-term data preservation.

Account-based data retention (Free and Subscription): Your data is retained for as long as your account exists, regardless of subscription status. If your subscription lapses or you choose to unsubscribe, your data remains intact and accessible — only subscription-specific features (calendar feed, push notifications, daily reminders, export for backup, and Stats) are disabled. Unsubscribing never results in data loss.

When deleting your account, associated data will be removed immediately. There is no grace period or backup retention after account deletion. This is a permanent, hard delete with no recovery option.

What gets deleted:

What happens to iCloud Keychain: Your encryption key in iCloud Keychain may persist on other devices after account deletion. Apple provides no API for us to force-delete keys from all devices. However, these keys become useless since there is no encrypted data to decrypt.

13. International Use

Data may be stored or processed in different regions to ensure reliability.

By using Memorist, you consent to transfer and processing of your information outside your country, as necessary to provide the service.

Firebase data location: Your data may be stored in Google Cloud Platform regions, primarily in the United States. All data stored is encrypted ciphertext (see Section 5).

Cross-border data transfers: Where required by law (including GDPR), we rely on Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission to ensure adequate protection for international data transfers. These are legally binding commitments between data processors to protect personal data transferred outside the EU/EEA.

Important: Because your content is protected by end-to-end encryption, even if your encrypted data is transferred internationally, it remains unreadable without your encryption keys (which are stored exclusively in your iCloud Keychain).

14. Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have certain rights, including:

Important limitation: Due to end-to-end encryption, if you lose access to your encryption keys (via iCloud Keychain), we cannot recover your content for you. This is by design to ensure true privacy.

We will honor your rights where required by law and will do our best to support reasonable requests.

For GDPR (EU) users:

For CCPA/CPRA (California) users:

15. App Store Data Safety Disclosures

Our app store listings reflect our E2EE architecture and minimal data collection practices.

When you view Memorist in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, you’ll see “Data Safety” or “App Privacy” labels. These disclosures are consistent with this Privacy Policy and reflect our commitment to privacy.

What we report in app stores:

Data Collected:

User Content:

Data Linked to You:

Data Not Linked to You:

Key statement for app stores:

“Memorist uses end-to-end encryption. Your journal entries, events, photos, and personal notes are encrypted on your device before syncing. We cannot access or read your content. Only minimal metadata (timestamps, settings) is stored to enable core functionality like timeline sorting and multi-device sync.”

Important clarification:

Even though we store your encrypted data on our servers (Firebase):

For the official breakdown of what data Memorist collects and how it is linked to you, please refer to our App Privacy labels in the App Store.

Verification:

You can verify our data collection practices by:

  1. Reviewing this Privacy Policy
  2. Checking our App Store / Google Play listing
  3. Examining our open-source security architecture documentation (if made available)
  4. Contacting us with specific questions at hello@memorist.me

If you notice any discrepancy between our app store disclosures and this Privacy Policy, please contact us immediately.

16. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time.

If we make material changes, we will notify you within the App or by other reasonable means.

Continued use of the App after updates indicates acceptance of the revised Policy.

17. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or your data, contact us:

Email: hello@memorist.me

Website: https://memorist.me

This Privacy Policy is effective as of March 2026 and applies to all users of the Memorist app.