Overview
SafeGuard ("we", "our", or "the app") is committed to protecting your privacy. SafeGuard is a personal safety app that monitors user activity and notifies designated guardians when prolonged inactivity is detected. This policy explains what data we collect, why we collect it, where it is stored, and how we protect it.
We follow a minimal data principle: we only collect data that is strictly necessary to operate the SafeGuard service. We do not collect behavioral analytics, do not sell your data, and do not use your data for advertising.
How SafeGuard Works
SafeGuard monitors your activity using step count (via Apple HealthKit), location movement, and phone usage signals. If no activity is detected for your configured threshold period, the app sends you a confirmation notification. If you do not respond within the confirmation window, your designated guardians receive a push notification to check on you. All activity detection is processed locally on your device — only the minimum necessary data is sent to our servers.
Data We Collect
The following data is collected and stored on our servers to operate the service:
- Account information: Your display name and email address, used to identify your account and enable guardian relationships.
- Device token (FCM Token): Your Firebase Cloud Messaging token, used exclusively to deliver push notifications to you and your guardians.
- Heartbeat timestamps: Periodic timestamps indicating your app was recently active. Used to detect inactivity. No sensor data is included.
- Guardian relationships: The user IDs and display names of users you have added as guardians or are guarding.
- Alert records: Records of safety alerts triggered, retained for up to 90 days to coordinate notifications between users.
- Guarding schedule settings: Your configured active hours and inactivity threshold, stored to enable server-side timeout detection.
- Last known location (optional): If you enable the "Share last known location" option in Settings, your device's last known GPS coordinates may be included in alert notifications sent to your guardians. This data is transmitted only at the time of an alert and is not continuously stored on our servers.
Background Location Usage
SafeGuard requests the "Always Allow" location permission to enable continuous background activity detection. This is a core feature of the app and works as follows:
- Purpose: When your device moves more than 10 meters, iOS wakes SafeGuard briefly to record an activity signal. This allows the app to accurately detect whether you are active without requiring you to open the app.
- What is recorded: Only whether movement occurred (yes/no). Precise GPS coordinates are not continuously stored on our servers.
- What is NOT done: We do not track your route, log your location history, or share your location with anyone except when you explicitly enable "Share last known location" during a safety alert.
- How to control it: You can change location permissions at any time in iOS Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services → SafeGuard. If you select "While Using" instead of "Always", background activity detection will be limited and may result in false alerts.
Data Processed Locally Only (Never Uploaded)
- Step count data: Accessed via Apple HealthKit. Read locally on your device only, never sent to our servers.
- Location movement signal: Used to detect movement as an activity signal. The movement indicator (moved / not moved) is processed on-device. GPS coordinates are only uploaded if you explicitly enable the "Share last known location" feature.
- Motion and accelerometer data: Used to detect device pick-up, processed entirely on-device.
Where Your Data Is Stored
All server-side data is stored on Google Firebase infrastructure, with primary data centers located in the United States. This means your data may be transferred to and processed in the United States, regardless of your country of residence.
Google Firebase is compliant with major international data protection standards. For more information, see Google Firebase Privacy and Security.
Specifically, your data is stored in the following Firebase services:
- Firebase Authentication — login credentials (Apple ID / Google Account)
- Cloud Firestore — account info, heartbeat data, guardian relationships, alert records
- Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) — device tokens for push notification delivery
How We Use Your Data
- To detect inactivity and trigger safety alerts to your guardians when appropriate
- To deliver push notifications to you and your designated guardians
- To maintain guardian relationships and alert history
- To authenticate your account securely via Firebase Authentication
We do not use your data for advertising, behavioral analytics, or any purpose beyond operating the SafeGuard service.
Data Sharing
We do not sell, rent, or share your personal data with third parties, except:
- Your guardians: Your display name is visible to users you have an active guardian relationship with. If location sharing is enabled, your last known location may be included in alert notifications sent to your guardians.
- Google Firebase: As our infrastructure provider, Google processes data on our behalf under a data processing agreement.
- Legal requirements: We may disclose data if required by law or to protect the safety of our users.
Data Retention
- Account data is retained until you delete your account
- Alert records are retained for up to 90 days
- Heartbeat data is overwritten on each update and not archived
- Guardian relationship data is deleted when either party removes the relationship
- Device tokens are updated automatically and old tokens are removed periodically
Your Rights (GDPR & International)
Depending on your country of residence, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:
- Right of access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
- Right to rectification: Request correction of inaccurate data
- Right to erasure: Request deletion of your account and all associated data
- Right to data portability: Request your data in a portable format
- Right to object: Object to processing of your data in certain circumstances
- Right to withdraw consent: Withdraw consent for location or health data access at any time via iOS Settings → Privacy
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at stephen20150302@gmail.com. We will respond within 30 days.
Children's Privacy
SafeGuard is not intended for use by children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.
Security
We implement industry-standard security measures including encrypted data transmission (HTTPS/TLS), Firebase Security Rules to restrict data access, and authentication-based access controls. However, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this privacy policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes via the app. Continued use of the app after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
Contact Us
For privacy-related questions, data requests, or to delete your account, please contact us at:
stephen20150302@gmail.com
Last updated: March 2026