Privacy Policy

Last updated: July 24, 2026

Dearly (“Dearly”, “we”, “us”, or “our”) is a private messaging app for two people. This Privacy Policy explains what personal data we collect, how we collect and use it, with whom it is shared, how long we keep it, and the choices and rights available to you.

By creating an account or using Dearly, you acknowledge this Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the app.

1. Who we are

Dearly is operated by Ethan Dietrich, an individual based in Switzerland (the data controller for personal data processed in connection with the app).

Contact for privacy and support: dearlyapplication@gmail.com

We do not publish a postal address. Please use email for privacy requests.

2. Scope

This Policy applies to:

  • the Dearly iOS app;

  • related Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets and the notification service extension;

  • our backend services used to operate Dearly; and

  • the website pages that host this Policy and related legal information (including https://dearly.app/privacy).

3. Data we collect

We collect the categories of data below. Exact fields depend on how you use the app and which permissions you grant on your device.

Account and identity

  • Name — the display name you provide (and, where available, a name suggested by Sign in with Apple or Google).

  • User ID — identifiers created by our authentication system and/or Sign in with Apple or Google.

  • Email address — only if Apple or Google shares an email with us as part of sign-in (Apple may provide a private relay address).

  • Profile avatar — if you upload one.

  • Connection type — optional label you choose for the relationship (for example partner, best friend, or family), used only inside the product experience.

Messages and other user content

  • Dearlys you send: text, doodles, multi-layer “compose” content, mood selections, photo dearlys and captions, and related metadata (such as send time and whether a dearly was seen).

  • Question of the Day answers and related pairing activity for that feature.

  • Feedback you submit through in-app feedback (message content and category).

Photos

  • Images you choose from your photo library or capture with the camera when creating a photo dearly or avatar. We only upload the media you choose to send or set as your avatar—not your entire library.

Location (optional)

  • If you enable “Share distance” and grant location permission, we collect location coordinates from your device to compute and display distance to your connected person (including on the Lock Screen distance widget when both of you opt in as designed).

  • Location sharing is off by default. You can turn it off at any time in Settings and revoke permission in iOS Settings.

Device and notifications

  • Push notification token (a device identifier used by Apple Push Notification service) so we can deliver notifications when a new dearly or related alert arrives.

Purchases

  • Subscription / purchase status for Dearly Pro (for example whether Pro is active, and who purchased), processed via Apple and RevenueCat so we can unlock Pro features for you and, when applicable, your connected person.

  • We do not receive or store your full payment card details; Apple processes payments.

Pairing and invites

  • Invite tokens, short invite codes, expiry times, and whether an invite was accepted—so two people can connect securely.

  • Pair membership identifiers linking the two accounts in an active connection.

What we do not collect

  • We do not access your device Contacts address book.

  • We do not use advertising identifiers (such as IDFA) for tracking.

  • We do not integrate third-party analytics or crash-reporting SDKs that profile you for advertising.

  • We do not show third-party ads in Dearly.

4. How we collect data

  • Directly from you — when you create a profile, send dearlys, answer prompts, upload an avatar, send feedback, or create an invite.

  • From sign-in providers — Apple or Google, when you choose Sign in with Apple or Google.

  • From your device with permission — camera, photo library, location, and notifications, each controlled by iOS permission prompts and system settings.

  • From purchase infrastructure — Apple App Store / StoreKit receipts and RevenueCat entitlement updates needed to operate subscriptions.

  • Automatically as needed to run the service — for example timestamps and technical identifiers required for authentication, delivery, and security.

5. How we use data

We use personal data to:

  • create and secure your account;

  • pair you with one other person and manage invites, disconnect, and reconnection;

  • deliver, store, and display dearlys, gallery history, widgets, and Question of the Day;

  • send push notifications you allow;

  • compute and show distance when both people opt into location sharing;

  • process and restore Dearly Pro entitlements (including partner unlock when one person subscribes);

  • respond to feedback and support requests;

  • maintain security, prevent abuse, and operate, troubleshoot, and improve the service; and

  • comply with law and enforce our terms where applicable.

We do not sell your personal data. We do not use your messages or media to train artificial intelligence models. We do not use your content for third-party advertising.

6. Sharing

Your connected person

When you are paired, your connected person can see profile basics you share in the product (such as name and avatar), dearlys and related content you send in that pair, Question of the Day activity as designed, and distance information only when both of you have opted into location sharing as designed.

Service providers (processors)

We use trusted service providers to host and operate Dearly. They process data on our instructions to provide their services—not to sell your data or advertise to you with it. We require that these parties provide the same or equal protection of user data as described in this Policy and required by Apple’s App Store Review Guidelines.

Legal and safety

We may disclose information if required by law, legal process, or governmental request, or if we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, safety, or security of Dearly, our users, or the public.

7. International transfers

We are based in Switzerland. Our processors may process data in Switzerland, the European Economic Area, the United States, or other countries where they operate. Where required, transfers rely on appropriate safeguards offered by those providers (such as Standard Contractual Clauses) and their published privacy commitments.

8. Security

We use industry-standard measures appropriate to a cloud-hosted messaging app, including encryption in transit (HTTPS/TLS), authentication, and access controls (including row-level restrictions so pair content is limited to the two members of an active pair under normal app operation).

Important: Dearly is not an end-to-end encrypted messenger. Message content, media, and related data are stored on our systems and those of our processors so the service can deliver dearlys, widgets, notifications, and history. People who operate or support the infrastructure (including us and authorized processor personnel, under access controls) may be able to access content as needed to run, secure, or troubleshoot the service. Protect your device with a passcode or biometrics and sign out on shared devices.

9. Push notifications

If you allow notifications, alerts may appear on your Lock Screen and in Notification Center. Depending on the type of dearly, a notification may include a preview of message content (for example text). You can disable notifications in iOS Settings at any time. Push delivery uses Apple’s push infrastructure and a device push token we store to address your device.

10. Retention and deletion

  • We keep account and content data while your account is active and as needed to provide the service.

  • You can delete your account in the app (Settings). Account deletion removes your authentication account and associated profile data from our primary systems and breaks active pairings. Shared pair history and media may be removed when the pairing ends or as part of deletion cleanup.

  • Some residual copies may remain for a limited time in backups, logs, or security archives, and then are deleted or overwritten in the ordinary course of operations.

  • Subscription billing records retained by Apple are governed by Apple’s policies; manage or cancel subscriptions in your Apple ID subscription settings before or after deleting your account.

  • If you only disconnect from your person (without deleting your account), your account remains and you may connect with someone again later.

11. Your choices and rights

In-app and device choices

  • Turn off location sharing in Settings; revoke location permission in iOS Settings.

  • Revoke notification, camera, or photo access in iOS Settings.

  • Disconnect from your connected person in Settings.

  • Sign out or delete your account in Settings.

  • Restore or manage purchases through Apple where offered.

Privacy requests

Depending on where you live (including Switzerland under the Federal Act on Data Protection, and where applicable the EU/EEA under the GDPR), you may have rights to request access to, correction of, or deletion of personal data we hold about you, to object to or restrict certain processing, and to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority (in Switzerland, the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner — FDPIC).

To exercise these rights, email dearlyapplication@gmail.com. We may need to verify your request. You can also delete your account directly in the app for the fastest path to removing account data.

12. Children

Dearly is not directed at children under 13 (or the minimum digital consent age in your country, if higher). We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under that age. If you believe a child has provided us personal data, contact us and we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

13. No tracking and no sale of personal data

  • We do not track you across apps or websites owned by other companies for advertising, and we do not use the App Tracking Transparency framework for that purpose.

  • We do not sell personal information as that term is commonly understood under laws such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA/CPRA). We also do not share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising.

14. Changes to this Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The “Last updated” date at the top will change when we do. Continued use of Dearly after an update means you acknowledge the revised Policy.

15. Contact

Questions about privacy or this Policy: dearlyapplication@gmail.com


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