Exhale ("the app," "we") is built so that your most personal data never has to leave your phone. This policy explains exactly what stays on your device, what is transmitted and why, and the choices you have.
The following is stored only locally on your device and is never uploaded to us: your name, your onboarding answers and recovery profile, your no-contact streak and day zero, journal entries and moods, urge and relapse history, and your settings. Deleting the app deletes this data permanently. We have no accounts, no logins, and no copy of this information.
Unsent letters are also stored only on your device. The one exception is if you turn on the optional "Reply" mode described below, which sends that conversation to be answered — if you leave Reply mode off, nothing you write there ever leaves your phone.
When you message the in-app coach, your message, recent conversation turns, and a short summary of your recovery profile (first name, day count, onboarding answers) are transmitted securely to our server (Google Firebase) and forwarded to an AI provider (via OpenRouter) solely to generate a reply. These messages are processed transiently: our server does not store your conversations. AI providers process this content under their own privacy terms. Do not include information you consider highly sensitive (such as government IDs or financial details) in coach messages.
By default, Unsent letters is a one-way space: you write, nothing is sent anywhere, and the messages stay on your device.
You can optionally switch on Reply mode, which shows a simulated response written by AI. It is not your ex-partner, it is not a real person, and no message is ever delivered to anyone. When Reply mode is on, the recent messages in that conversation and a short, non-identifying summary of your situation (such as who ended the relationship and roughly how long it lasted) are transmitted securely to our server and forwarded to the same AI provider solely to generate the simulated reply. Your name is not included. As with the coach, these messages are processed transiently and our server does not store them.
Reply mode is off until you turn it on, you can switch it off at any time, and clearing the conversation in the app deletes it from your device.
Subscriptions are processed by Apple. To manage subscription status, we use RevenueCat, which receives purchase history and a random app-scoped identifier (not your name or Apple ID). See RevenueCat's privacy policy. We never see or store your payment details.
Daily check-in reminders are scheduled locally on your device. They are optional, and no notification data is sent to any server.
We do not sell personal data, show third-party ads, use third-party analytics or tracking SDKs, or track you across other apps and websites.
You can turn off check-ins in Settings, decline notification permissions, and erase all app data at any time via Settings → Reset all data or by deleting the app. Because your data lives on your device and neither coach messages nor Reply-mode messages are retained by us, deletion is fully within your control. If you have a privacy question or request, contact us and we will respond within 30 days.
Exhale is not directed at children under 16, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them.
Exhale is a self-help tool, not a medical device or a substitute for professional mental-health care. If you are in crisis, please contact local emergency services or a crisis line immediately.
If we materially change this policy, we will update it here with a new effective date. Questions or requests: appterrastudio@gmail.com.