The short version
- No account. There is no sign-up, no email address, no profile and no password.
- Entries stay with you. Diary cards and the rest of your data live in the app on your device, plus your own private iCloud if you choose to sync.
- Analytics are opt-in. They are off unless you agree, and they never include what you wrote.
- No advertising, no tracking, no sale of data. There are no ad or social-media SDKs in the app.
- This website sets no cookies and runs no analytics of its own.
What the app stores, and where
Bifocal: Your DBT Companion stores the information you enter: diary cards (emotions, urges, target behaviours and skills used), Chain Analyses, journal entries, Life Worth Living goals, skill practice records, progress targets and app settings.
That data is written to a database inside the app's own container on your iPhone or iPad. It is not uploaded to a server operated by Bifocal, and the developer has no way to read it.
If you back up your device to iCloud or a computer, the app's data is included in that backup in the same way as any other app's data, under Apple's terms.
iCloud sync
Sync is optional and off until you enable it. When it is on, entries are stored in Apple's CloudKit private database, tied to your Apple Account. A private database is visible only to you; the developer cannot query or read it.
Apple processes that data as part of iCloud, so Apple's iCloud terms and privacy policy apply alongside this one. Turning sync off stops new data being written to iCloud; it does not automatically delete what is already there. See “Retention and deletion” below.
Analytics
Usage analytics are off by default and only start if you accept them. When they are on, the app sends anonymised usage signals through TelemetryDeck, such as the app version, which screens were opened and whether a feature worked. There is no diary content, journal text, goal text, health information, email address or advertising identifier in those signals, and no cross-app tracking.
You can turn analytics off again at any time in the app's settings. The choice is remembered on the device.
Purchases
Bifocal is Free download, optional £3.99 lifetime upgrade. Purchases and restores are handled by Apple through the App Store; the developer receives only the entitlement that says Pro is unlocked, never your name, email address or card details. Apple's own privacy policy governs the transaction. You can check or restore a purchase from the app's settings or from your Apple Account's purchase history.
Exports and sharing
Exporting a diary card builds the PDF on your device and passes it to the iOS share sheet. Where it goes next is your choice: a printer, Files, a message to a therapist. Once a copy has left the app, this policy no longer covers it, and the recipient's or service's terms apply. The same is true of any screenshot you take.
What Bifocal does not do
- Sell, rent or share your data with advertisers or data brokers.
- Include advertising, ad SDKs or social-media tracking SDKs.
- Require an account, email address or phone number.
- Upload your entries to a server operated by the developer.
- Track you across other apps or websites.
- Use your entries to train any model.
This website
bifocalapp.com is a static site served by Cloudflare. It sets no cookies, runs no analytics and has no sign-in. Cloudflare processes standard request information (such as IP address, user agent and the URL requested) to deliver and protect the site, under Cloudflare's privacy policy. Server logs are not combined with anything in the app, because there is nothing to combine.
Links to the App Store, LinkedIn, GitHub and the developer's portfolio leave this site; those services have their own policies. The site loads no third-party fonts, scripts or embeds.
Retention and deletion
Your entries remain on your device until you delete them in the app or delete the app. When you delete an app, iOS asks whether to delete its iCloud data as well; accepting removes the synced copy too. You can also manage or delete the app's iCloud data in Settings → [your name] → iCloud → Manage Account Storage.
Because the developer never receives your entries, there is no server-side copy to request or delete. Deleting the app does not cancel or refund an App Store purchase; purchases are managed by Apple.
Children and other people
Bifocal is not directed at children under 13 and should not be used to record information about another person without their knowledge. A diary card is personal; keep it that way.
Changes to this policy
If the app's data practices change, this page changes with them and the effective date above moves. Material changes are also noted in the App Store release notes.
Contact
Questions about privacy, or a correction to this page: use the support page. The app is made by Henry Lightfoot, who is also the person who answers.