Yours to keep

Privacy, in plain language.

Chickadee is a place for personal context about the people in your life. This policy explains what the app stores, what you choose to share, and how to contact us.

September 18, 2026

Who is responsible

Chickadee is operated by Michael Collins. For privacy questions, email hello@getchickadee.app. This policy covers the Chickadee app, this website, and messages you send to support.

What you put into Chickadee

You choose the information you save: names, contact details, selected photos, relationship context, private notes, interaction history, and next-contact dates. Most fields are optional. This information is stored in the app’s local database. Chickadee does not require its own account and does not automatically upload your device’s address book.

The app keeps local safety copies of its database. These stay inside the app and are not a substitute for a portable backup saved somewhere else. They do not protect against losing your device or deleting the app.

Optional iCloud sync

If you enable sync, your saved people, photos, notes, and interaction history are uploaded to your private iCloud database using your Apple account. Changes and deletions can then appear on your other devices. Apple operates iCloud and processes that data under its own terms and privacy practices.

Turning sync off does not delete existing iCloud data. Chickadee restricts local database restoration after cloud use to avoid replacing information on other devices. See Apple’s privacy information and iCloud terms.

Photos, reminders, app lock, and dictation

Photos: when you choose a picture with the system photo picker, Chickadee stores a resized copy for the person’s profile. It does not need unrestricted access to your photo library.

Reminders: notification permission is optional. Reminders are scheduled on your device; their text deliberately omits people’s names and private notes. Your device settings determine whether notifications appear on a lock screen or paired watch.

App lock: optional authentication uses Apple’s device authentication system. Chickadee receives the authentication result, not your Face ID or Touch ID biometric data or device passcode. App lock does not protect exported files or portable backups.

Dictation: the microphone on your keyboard is provided by Apple or your keyboard provider. Chickadee stores the resulting text, not a separate voice recording. Your keyboard provider’s settings and privacy practices apply.

Exports, backups, archiving, and deletion

You can export active and archived people, notes, and interaction history as readable Markdown, optionally with photos in a ZIP file. These exports cannot be imported into Chickadee. Separately, you can create a portable JSON backup containing people, notes, history, and photos, then open it to recover selected missing people without replacing existing profiles. Recovered people can sync through iCloud when enabled. Neither exports nor portable backups are encrypted by Chickadee. Anyone who can open the files can read them, so choose the destination carefully.

Archiving keeps the person’s information and removes them from Reach Out. Permanently deleting an archived person removes their profile and associated history from the active database; deletion can sync to your other devices. Earlier local safety copies, portable backups, device backups, cloud retention, and files you exported may still contain older information. Deleting someone does not erase them from previously saved backup files.

Removing the app removes its local app data, but does not necessarily remove iCloud data, device backups, or exports. Apple provides controls for iCloud storage and backups. Contact us if you need help locating the appropriate controls; we cannot retrieve or erase your private notes from a developer-operated account.

Support messages and diagnostics

If you email us, we receive your email address, message, and any attachments you choose to send. We use them to answer your question and troubleshoot the app. Avoid sending private contact notes, exports, or unnecessary personal information. Support correspondence is kept as needed to resolve the request and meet applicable obligations; you may ask us to delete it.

The app does not include third-party advertising or analytics SDKs. Apple may provide crash or diagnostic information according to your Apple settings and its developer services. Please remove personal information from any diagnostic material you send directly to us.

This website

This website is hosted by Webflow. Hosting providers process technical information such as IP addresses and browser or request details to deliver and secure web pages. See Webflow’s privacy policy. We have not added advertising trackers or an email signup form to these pages. Email links open your own email app; they do not subscribe you to a mailing list.

Your choices

You control what you enter, whether to enable iCloud and reminders, and where to save exports. Be thoughtful about sensitive information concerning other people. Privacy rights vary by location; contact us about access, correction, or deletion of information we hold, such as support correspondence. Information stored only on your device or in your private iCloud database is managed through the app and Apple’s controls.

Policy updates

We may update this policy when the app or our practices change. The published policy will show its effective or last-updated date. Material changes will be described clearly.