Anchor Privacy Policy

Last updated: 2026-04-28

This Privacy Policy explains what information Anchor collects, how it is used, and the choices you have. Anchor is a communication coaching app for couples. It is not a medical, mental-health, or therapeutic service.

1. Who we are

Anchor is operated by Team Anchor ("Anchor", "we", "us"). For privacy questions, data-access requests, or deletion requests, contact:

• Email: privacy@team-anchor.com
• Website: https://team-anchor.com

2. What we collect

We collect only what is needed to operate the app and provide coaching grounded in your own communication history.

2.1 Account identity

• Apple ID identifier, email, and (if you provide it) display name, returned by Sign in with Apple.
• Equivalent identifier and email if you sign in via Sign in with Google on Android.

2.2 Imported chat history

• WhatsApp chat exports (.txt / .zip) you choose to share with Anchor.
• iMessage threads imported via the AnchorImporter macOS helper, which reads ~/Library/Messages/chat.db only after you grant Full Disk Access.
• Imports are scoped to the partner thread you select. Anchor does not access threads with other contacts.

2.3 In-app conversations

• Reflect messages: your private one-on-one conversation with the AI coach.
• Together messages: the joint chat between you, your partner, and the AI coach.

2.4 Memory Bank

• Short notes the AI extracts from your conversations to maintain continuity (e.g., recurring topics, agreements). Each user has a private Memory Bank; the AI also maintains a shared relationship Memory Bank that both partners can see in Together.

2.5 Device and delivery data

• Apple Push Notification service (APNs) device token, or Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) token on Android, used to deliver push notifications.
• Subscription receipts from Apple StoreKit 2 (iOS/macOS) or Google Play Billing (Android) used to validate your subscription status.

2.6 Diagnostics

• Crash reports collected via Apple MetricKit (iOS) and Firebase Crashlytics (Android). These reports are aggregated and do not contain message contents.
• Server logs (request paths, status codes, latency, error traces) used to operate and debug the service.

We do not collect contacts, location, advertising identifiers, photos, microphone, or camera data. We do not use third-party analytics or advertising SDKs.

3. How we use your information

• Provide coaching. Imported chat history, Reflect messages, Together messages, and Memory Bank entries are sent to our AI provider so the coach can respond with context grounded in your actual communication.
• Operate the app. Authenticate you, deliver real-time messages between partners, send push notifications, validate subscriptions, and recover from crashes.
• Improve reliability. Aggregated diagnostics and server logs help us find and fix bugs.

We do not sell your data, share it with advertisers, or use it to train third-party AI models.

4. Third parties we rely on

4.1 Zero-retention contract with our AI provider

Anchor uses Gemini via the paid tier (Google Cloud / Vertex AI) under a zero-retention configuration. This means the AI provider does not retain your prompts or responses for model training or human review beyond the time needed to return the response. We do not use AI Studio's free tier, which logs prompts. If we change providers in the future, this policy will be updated and the same zero-retention posture will be required.

5. Where data is processed and stored

• The Anchor backend runs on Fly.io (currently in U.S. regions). Postgres is the system of record for your messages and Memory Bank.
• Imported chat files are stored in Cloudflare R2.
• AI inference happens in Google Cloud / Vertex AI regions configured by Anchor.

6. Your rights and choices

• See your data. You can request a copy of your account data by emailing privacy@team-anchor.com.
• Delete an import. From Settings, you can delete any individual chat import. The file in R2 and any derived rows in Postgres are removed.
• Delete a relationship. Either partner can leave a Together relationship. Together messages are removed for both partners.
• Forget everything. From Settings, you can request full account deletion. This removes your account, all imports, Reflect history, Together memberships, your private Memory Bank, push tokens, and subscription metadata. Anonymized aggregate logs may persist for up to 30 days for security and abuse investigation, after which they are purged.
• Withdraw consent. You can revoke Full Disk Access for AnchorImporter or uninstall the app at any time.

Requests are honored within 30 days.

7. Security posture

• All traffic between your device and Anchor is encrypted in transit using TLS.
• Data at rest in Postgres, Cloudflare R2, and backups is encrypted using provider-managed keys.
• Apple Sign In tokens (JWTs) are stored in the iOS/macOS Keychain.
• Server access is restricted to the Anchor team using hardware security keys.

Anchor is not end-to-end encrypted. Our servers and our AI provider see your messages in plaintext in order to provide coaching. We rely on the zero-retention contract described above and on encryption in transit and at rest. If end-to-end encryption is a requirement for you, Anchor is not the right product.

8. Children

Anchor is for adults. You must be at least 13 years old to create an account, and at least 18 years old to use Together (the joint couples chat). We do not knowingly collect data from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has created an account, contact privacy@team-anchor.com and we will delete it.

9. Communication coach, not therapist

Anchor's AI is a communication coach, not a therapist, counselor, or medical provider. It does not diagnose, treat, or provide care for any mental-health, medical, or relationship condition. If you are in crisis or need professional help, please contact a qualified professional or, in an emergency, your local emergency services.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy as Anchor evolves. Material changes will be announced in-app and the "Last updated" date at the top of this document will change. Continued use of Anchor after a change means you accept the updated policy.

11. Contact

Questions, requests, or complaints: privacy@team-anchor.com.