Privacy Policy

Last updated: November 7, 2026

Who we are

Porchlight is an iPhone app made by an independent developer (“we”, “us”). This policy explains what happens to information when you use the Porchlight app and this website. If you have questions, contact us at porchlight.app.help@gmail.com.

Information we do not collect

We do not collect, store, sell, or share any personal information through the app. Porchlight does not include analytics tools, advertising frameworks, or third-party tracking code, and it does not send your journal to us.

Where your journal is stored

• On your iPhone. Your entries, weather, notes, people, activities, places, tags, and photos are saved in the app on your device.
• In your private iCloud. If you are signed in to iCloud, Porchlight uses Apple's CloudKit to sync your journal to your own private iCloud database so it can appear on your other devices. This data is stored by Apple under your Apple Account and is governed by Apple's Privacy Policy. We do not have access to it.

Photos and camera

With your permission, Porchlight shows the day's photos from your library so you can choose a few for your entry, or lets you take a new photo. Only the photos you choose are saved, as smaller copies inside your journal. Location information is removed from these saved copies. If you allow limited access, Porchlight only sees the photos you select.

Places

Porchlight does not track your location and does not ask for access to your current location. When a photo you choose contains location information, Porchlight may use it to suggest a place name. To do this, and when you search for a place, the app uses Apple's map services, which receive the coordinates or search text needed to return a result. These requests are handled by Apple and are not sent to us.

Health data

If you allow it, Porchlight reads your step count and sleep from Apple Health and shows them next to your day. Porchlight only reads this data; it never writes to Apple Health. Health data is not sent to us or to any third party, is not used for advertising or marketing, and is never sold. You can turn off access at any time in the Settings app under Health → Data Access & Devices.

Reminders

Daily reminders and the weekly recap are local notifications created on your iPhone. They may include the names of people in your journal; you can turn this off in Porchlight's settings.

Face ID

If you lock the app, Face ID (or your passcode) is handled entirely by iOS. Porchlight never receives your biometric data.

Exports and backups

When you export your journal, Porchlight creates a file that you choose where to save or share. If you turn on monthly backups, Porchlight saves a backup file to the Porchlight folder in your iCloud Drive. Backups and exports are not encrypted by Porchlight, so please keep them somewhere safe. Anything you share or send is up to you.

Share extension

When you share photos, text, or a link to Porchlight from another app, that content is saved to your journal on your device in the same way as any other entry.

Purchases

Subscriptions and purchases are processed by Apple through the App Store. We do not receive your name, payment details, or Apple Account information. The app only checks with Apple whether you have an active purchase.

Contacting support

If you email us, we will receive your email address and whatever you include in your message. We use it only to reply to you and do not share it with anyone. You can ask us to delete our correspondence with you at any time.

Deleting your data

You can delete entries in the app at any time. Deleting the app removes data stored on your device. To remove data stored in iCloud, open the Settings app, tap your name, then iCloud → Manage Account Storage (or Manage Storage) → Porchlight. Backup files in iCloud Drive can be deleted in the Files app.

Children

Porchlight is not directed to children under 13. Because the app does not collect personal information, we do not knowingly collect information from children.

This website

This website is hosted on GitHub Pages. It does not use cookies, analytics, or tracking. GitHub may process technical information such as IP addresses to deliver and secure the site, as described in GitHub's Privacy Statement.

Changes to this policy

If we change this policy, we will update this page and the date above. If a change affects how your information is handled, we will also mention it in the app's release notes.

Contact

Questions about privacy? Email porchlight.app.help@gmail.com.