The short version
Everything you log in Dottie stays on your device. I never receive it, and neither does anyone else.
- Dottie has no accounts, no servers and no analytics.
- Your records are stored encrypted on your device.
- Nothing is sold, shared or sent anywhere, because nothing ever leaves your device.
- You can delete everything at any time.
The rest of this page explains exactly what Dottie stores, where, and how you control it.
Who makes Dottie
Dottie is made by me, Robert Taylor, an independent developer in Alberta, Canada. There is no company behind it and no one else involved in running it.
You can reach me at hello@thedottie.app with any question about this policy.
What Dottie stores, and where
Dottie stores only what you enter, and only on your device, in an encrypted database.
- What you log: periods and bleeding, symptoms, moods, notes, and daily entries such as pain, energy, sleep, stress, exercise, medications and, if you choose, weight and blood pressure.
- Your settings: things like your birth control, pregnancy details, goals, reminders and preferences. Your birth year is optional.
- Readings from Apple Health, if you turn that on (see below).
The database is encrypted with a key kept in your device's secure storage (the iOS Keychain), and it is excluded from iCloud and computer backups. If you set a PIN or turn on Face ID, Dottie stores only what it needs to check them. Your PIN itself is never stored, and Face ID data never reaches Dottie at all.
What leaves your device: nothing
Dottie never sends your information anywhere. It has no code that connects to the internet.
- No accounts and no sign-in.
- No analytics, crash reports, advertising or tracking of any kind.
- No third-party services that receive your data.
- Reminders are created on your device. Their lock-screen text is generic, so it doesn't reveal what you track.
Because I never receive your data, I can't see it, sell it, share it or lose it. The only time anything leaves your device is when you send it yourself, such as a backup or a report for your doctor.
Apple Health
Dottie can read from Apple Health, only if you allow it, and never writes to it.
- Import past periods: if you choose to, Dottie reads your menstrual history once and adds it to your own log.
- Health sync (Dottie Plus, off until you turn it on): Dottie reads sleep, temperature, weight and blood pressure to show them alongside your cycle.
Synced readings, like blood pressure, stay in Dottie's encrypted database on your device and are never included in backups. Turning sync off deletes them from Dottie. Periods you import become part of your own history, so they are included in backups and stay if you turn sync off. To withdraw Dottie's permission entirely, use the Health app's settings.
Data from Apple Health is never used for advertising and is never shared with anyone.
Backups and doctor reports
Both are made on your device, and both go only where you send them.
Backups contain your logs and settings, encrypted with a passphrase you choose. You pick where to save them, using the iOS share sheet. Without your passphrase, no one can open a backup, including me. If you forget it, the backup cannot be recovered. Backups never include synced Apple Health readings, your PIN or your encryption keys.
Doctor reports are PDF summaries you can create to share with a clinician. They are not encrypted, so treat them like any medical document. Anything you type only for a report, such as your name or medications, is not saved in Dottie. Dottie deletes its own copy of the report after you share it.
Purchases and permissions
Dottie Plus is sold through the App Store. Apple handles payment and your Apple ID under Apple's privacy policy. Dottie checks your purchase on your device and keeps only whether Plus is active and when it renews. I never see your name, payment details or Apple ID.
Permissions Dottie may ask for, each optional:
- Face ID, to unlock the app.
- Apple Health (read only), as described above.
- Notifications, for reminders you set.
Dottie never asks for your location, contacts, photos, camera or microphone.
Deleting your data
You can erase everything at any time from Settings, using Delete all data. This permanently removes:
- all your logs, notes and settings;
- the encryption keys, so nothing left behind can be read;
- your PIN and lock settings;
- any Apple Health readings Dottie stored;
- all scheduled reminders.
Deleting the app removes your records, but iOS can keep a few small items in secure storage, such as your theme choice. Use Delete all data before deleting the app to remove everything. Some things are outside Dottie's control: Apple keeps its own record of your purchases, permissions you granted stay in iOS Settings until you change them, and backups or reports you've already sent elsewhere stay wherever you saved them.
There is nothing for me to delete on my side, because I never have a copy.
Younger users
Dottie is designed for ages 13 and up, and it includes a mode for people who are just starting their periods. Dottie doesn't collect personal information from anyone, of any age: everything stays on the device it was entered on.
This website
This website (thedottie.app) uses no cookies, analytics or trackers, and loads nothing from other companies. It is hosted on GitHub Pages. Like any web host, GitHub may keep standard server logs, such as IP addresses, for security; I don't receive or use them.
Requests for your data
I can't hand over what I don't have. If a government, court, company or anyone else asks me for your information, I have nothing to give: no records, no accounts and no copies. Your data exists only on your device and in any backups you made.
If you email me
If you write to hello@thedottie.app, I receive your email address and whatever you send. I use it only to reply to you. The mailbox is hosted by Zoho Mail. I don't add you to any list, and I don't share your email with anyone.
Changes to this policy
If this policy changes, I'll post the new version here with a new effective date. If a change ever affected how your data is handled, I'd explain it in the app before it took effect.
Contact
Questions about privacy: hello@thedottie.app