Privacy Policy

Who is responsible

Joys & Woes is developed and published by Vladislav Morgun (“the developer”). This policy covers the iPhone, iPad and native Mac apps. For privacy questions, email [email protected].

What the developer collects

The app does not require a developer account and does not include advertising, tracking or third-party analytics SDKs. It does not send journal entries or attachments to a developer-operated server. The developer cannot read your private iCloud journal.

On this basis, the developer does not collect data through the app as Apple defines collection for App Privacy disclosures. If you contact support by email, the developer receives your email address and the information you choose to send, and uses it to respond to your request. Avoid sending private journal content unless needed.

Data on your device

Local data can include joy and woe text, optional lessons, tags, dates, attached photos, videos and audio, generated memory history, and settings needed for the app to work.

The journal is stored locally first. Appearance, reminder times, App Lock, storage choice and other device preferences are configured locally on each device.

Optional iCloud synchronization

In local-only mode, journal changes do not synchronize. When you choose iCloud storage, entries and attachments also synchronize through the private CloudKit database belonging to your Apple Account. Use the same Apple Account and enable iCloud storage on each device you want to connect. Transfer depends on network access and iCloud availability and may take time.

Changing to local-only mode does not delete existing iCloud data. Entries deleted only locally may return when iCloud is enabled again. With iCloud active, entry deletions can synchronize across connected devices. iCloud synchronization is not a separate historical backup.

Apple provides iCloud, device backups, downloads, speech-recognition and other system services under its own terms and Privacy Policy. The developer does not operate these services or receive access to your private CloudKit records.

Permissions and system authentication

Permissions are requested when a related optional feature needs them:

• Photos and camera — iPhone/iPad: to select media or capture a new photo or video for an entry. The system photo picker shares the items you choose. The Mac app imports attachments through file selection or drag and drop and does not request camera or Photos-library access.
• Microphone: to dictate text or record an audio attachment. Dictation audio is not retained as an attachment; an audio recording is stored when you choose to attach it.
• Speech recognition: to turn speech or an audio attachment into text using on-device recognition where supported. The app does not send this audio to a developer server; unsupported local recognition does not fall back to a developer-hosted service.
• Notifications: to schedule local reminders. Reminder notifications do not include journal-entry text.
• System authentication: optional App Lock uses Face ID, Touch ID or the device passcode on supported iPhone/iPad hardware, and Touch ID or the Mac password on Mac. Apple handles authentication. The app does not receive your biometric data or password.

App Lock protects the app interface. It does not encrypt or protect exported files in other applications.

Encrypted local files on Mac

Mac version 0.1.5 and later also offers Local file, separately from Standard mode. It stores entries, drafts, journal settings and attachments inside a password-encrypted .joys file at a location you select. The app does not upload or synchronize this file. If you put it in a cloud-synced folder, that service may transfer it.

The file password is independent of your Apple Account and the device’s App Lock. File names, paths and the recent-file list are not encrypted by this feature. You can clear recent-file history. The developer cannot recover a forgotten file password.

The JSON, Markdown and media exports described below are unencrypted; a .joys journal or encrypted copy is a separate file. Exporting saved entries from Local file as Markdown requires re-entering the file password and produces unencrypted text and metadata, without drafts or attachments. Changes and password changes affect the current file only; separate copies and backups may retain earlier content and passwords. Keep and manage backups yourself.

Exports and imports

Exports happen only when you request them and select a destination through the system sharing or file-saving interface. Depending on the platform and format, an export can contain journal text, metadata and attachments. Markdown contains text without the media files; JSON and media exports are also available. On iPhone, iPad and Mac, a backup ZIP can include journal entries and available attachments; journal JSON or backup ZIP files can be previewed and imported into the journal.

Exports are not encrypted by the app. The app does not automatically upload them. Copies saved to another app, cloud service or device are governed by that destination’s security and privacy practices. Imported content becomes part of the local journal and can synchronize if you use iCloud mode.

Retention and deletion

Journal content remains on the device and, if synchronized, in private iCloud storage until deleted. Deleting an entry or burning a woe permanently removes it and its attachments from the app. There is no in-app trash or undo. With iCloud active, deletions can synchronize to other connected devices. Exports and system backups may retain separate copies under their own retention rules.

To delete synchronized journal content, delete it inside the app while iCloud storage is active and allow connected devices to finish synchronizing. Turning iCloud off does not erase the cloud copy. Apple may also provide controls for app data in iCloud settings.

Deleting the app on iPhone or iPad removes local app data; offloading the app retains it. Removing the Mac application may leave its data in your user Library. Uninstalling does not necessarily remove iCloud content, system backups or exported copies. Synchronized entries can return after reinstallation or re-enabling iCloud. Delete exported files separately wherever you saved them.

The developer cannot retrieve or delete your private journal on your behalf. Support correspondence is separate from your journal; contact the developer if you want a support message removed.

Your choices

You can choose local-only or iCloud storage, revoke optional permissions in system settings, change App Lock and reminders, export your data, and delete entries or burn woes. Features that need a denied permission will be unavailable; you can still write entries manually.

Children’s privacy

Joys & Woes is a general-audience personal journal and is not specifically directed to children. The developer does not knowingly collect children’s personal data through the app.

Changes and contact

This policy will be updated if features or data practices change. The current version and its effective date appear on this page. A future developer account, analytics service or materially different data flow would require updated privacy information before release.

For privacy questions, contact Vladislav Morgun at [email protected].