Story Circle Privacy Policy

Writing saved on your device

Projects, scenes, research and story-bible notes, pass-the-phone stories, player names you type, drafts and daily word counts are saved on your iPhone or iPad with iOS file protection, with one recovery copy. We never receive them. Whether app data is included in iCloud or computer backups depends on your device’s backup settings. Deleting a story or project removes it and its recovery copy. Journal deletion works differently, as explained below. Deleting the app removes its local storage; exported files and device backups remain wherever you saved them.

Memoir, Diary and Wellness

Memoir accounts, earlier wording, choices about differing accounts, diary entries, places, tags, photographs, wellness check-ins and notes stay in the app’s protected storage on your device. Selecting a photograph copies it into the journal. Gathered Commons Press LLC receives none of this material.

Wellness summaries and optional wording are prepared on your device. Keepsake totals and settings stay there too. Calling, texting or opening an outside support page is your choice, and that destination’s privacy practices apply.

App Lock

App Lock uses your device’s Face ID, Touch ID or passcode. Story Circle does not receive or store your biometric measurements or device passcode. The lock limits access to the app’s screens; journal files and photographs also use your device’s file protection. App Lock does not protect a copy you export or share.

Journal copies and Memory files

Ordinary PDF, EPUB and Markdown exports and shared Memory files are not encrypted. Depending on the format, they can contain private wording, dates, places, tags, names and photographs. They go to the save or share destination you choose.

A Memory file can also include contributors’ separate accounts, earlier wording and unresolved differences. Agree with the people involved before sharing it. Once a copy is shared, we cannot recall it or control who receives it next.

Password-protected journal backups

A journal backup includes Memoir, Diary and Wellness pages, their photographs and keepsake information. The app encrypts it with the password you choose before you save or share it. We receive neither the backup nor its password, and we cannot recover a forgotten password. Keep it somewhere safe. Restoring a backup adds missing items and preserves items already on your device.

Deleting journal material

Delete a diary entry from its page, or choose Delete on a recent wellness check-in or note. To remove a Memoir account, delete the Memory that contains it; clearing an account’s text can leave earlier wording behind.

Deleting an item removes it from the current journal, but does not immediately clear every local copy. A recovery copy can keep it until a later save, and files prepared for sharing can remain in temporary storage. Deleting the app removes all of its local storage. Copies you saved, shared or included in a device backup remain outside the app and must be managed where they are kept.

Voice drafts

When you choose Speak a draft, the app asks for microphone and speech recognition permission. Speech becomes text on your device using Apple’s on-device recognition. The audio is not recorded to a file, kept or sent to us. If on-device recognition is not available for your device or language, the feature does not run.

Story memories

When you choose Record a story memory, the app asks for microphone permission. Before recording you confirm that everyone speaking knows they are being recorded, and the screen shows when recording is on. The audio and any chapter marks are saved in the app’s protected storage on your device. Transcribe on this phone uses Apple’s on-device speech recognition only; the audio and transcript are never uploaded or sent to us. A recording leaves your device only if you choose Save or share the recording. Deleting a memory removes its recordings from the app.

Writing help

Writing help is off until you turn it on for a project. Its suggestions are worked out on your device by fixed rules. On supported devices, Suggest a rewording sends one sentence to your device’s writing tools; nothing is sent to us or to a server. Nothing in your writing changes unless you tap a suggestion, and phrases you choose to keep are never changed.

Reminders

Writing reminders are local notifications scheduled on your device. They send nothing to us.

Sharing, books and feedback

When you share a story, or an EPUB or PDF book, the iOS share sheet sends it only where you choose; books are made on your device. Exports include the contributor names in the story. Send feedback opens an email to us in your mail app with the app version, build, iOS version and device model filled in; nothing is sent unless you send it. Research links open websites with their own privacy practices.

No online rooms in this version

This version of Story Circle does not include online shared rooms. Nothing you write leaves your device unless you share or export it.

Children

Story Circle is designed for teens and adults writing with people they know. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. Parents and teachers should supervise younger writers, especially when recording or sharing stories.