Custody Hero
Custody Hero Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy explains how Custody Hero handles your information. In plain terms: Custody Hero is a private record-keeping and evidence tool built to be in your corner while you organize and document your child-custody matter. We store the information you put into the app and the communications you choose to import, we use it to provide the service to you, and we do not sell your personal information. We are not a law firm and we do not provide legal advice.
1. Introduction and Plain-Language Summary
This Privacy Policy describes how Custody Hero ("Custody Hero", "we", "us", or "our") collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects information when you use our iPhone app, our companion macOS desktop importer, our website at custodyhero.app, and any future web client (together, the "Service").
Last updated and effective: June 15, 2026.
We built Custody Hero for one purpose: to help a single parent keep an organized, durable record of their own custody situation. We know the information involved is sensitive, and we treat it that way. Here is the short version of how this works:
- You create an account and the case records you want to keep: your children's first names, a custody schedule, a makeup-time ledger of days you are owed, shared expenses, and notes.
- You can import your own communication history (WhatsApp, iMessage/SMS, and email) to build a record. These imports often contain information about other people, such as your co-parent and children.
- We store your information so you can use it, organize it, and get help from the in-app AI assistant. Imported records are kept unchanged to preserve their value as a record.
- We use a small number of trusted service providers to run the Service. We do not sell your personal information.
- You can export your record, or delete individual items or your whole account, which deletes your data, at any time.
- Custody Hero is not a law firm and does not give legal advice.
The rest of this policy explains each of these points in detail. If anything here is unclear, you can reach us at privacy@custodyhero.app.
2. Who We Are and What This Policy Covers
Custody Hero is a private record-keeping and evidence-organizing tool for a parent who is documenting their own child-custody matter. We position ourselves as a tool that is in your corner. We are not a law firm, we are not your attorney, and nothing in the Service is legal advice. You should consult a qualified attorney for advice about your specific situation.
This Privacy Policy applies to all parts of the Service, including:
- The Custody Hero iPhone app.
- The companion macOS desktop importer, which you use to bring iMessage/SMS conversations from a backup of your own iPhone into your record.
- Our website at custodyhero.app.
- Any future web client we make available for accessing your record from a browser.
By using the Service, you agree to the practices described in this policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Service.
3. Information You Provide to Us
Most of the information in Custody Hero is information you choose to give us. This includes:
Account information. To create an account, you provide an email address and a password. We verify your email with a 6-digit code that we send to you. We never store your password in plaintext; we store only a salted scrypt hash of it, which cannot be reversed back into your password. Your signed-in sessions use opaque bearer tokens rather than your password.
Case and family records. Inside the app, you create the records you want to keep about your custody matter. These can include:
- Your children's first names.
- A recurring custody schedule.
- A "days-owed" makeup-time ledger that tracks time you are owed.
- Shared expenses and reimbursements.
- Free-text notes you write.
Files and documents. You can upload receipts, photos, and PDFs to your record as supporting material. These files are stored in private cloud storage.
Support communications. If you contact us for help, we receive whatever you send us, such as your email address and the contents of your message.
4. Information from Your Imports
A core feature of Custody Hero is the ability to import your own communication history so you can keep a record of it. You control what you import. The import sources are:
- WhatsApp. You can import WhatsApp chat exports (.txt or .zip). If an export contains voice notes, we transcribe those voice notes into text so they become part of your written record.
- iMessage and SMS. Using the companion macOS desktop importer, you connect to a backup of your own iPhone and upload the conversations you select. The importer reads the backup on your computer and uploads only the conversations you choose. We import the text of messages and transcripts of voice notes. We do not upload photos or videos from these conversations.
- Email. You can connect your own mailbox and import messages to and from the email addresses you specify (typically your co-parent). See the next section for how email connections work.
Imported records are stored immutably, meaning they are kept unchanged after import. We do this so your record stays consistent and reliable over time and retains its value as documentation. You can still delete imported records when you want to.
Data about other people.
This is important, so we want to be clear. The communications you import will almost always contain personal information about people other than you, such as your co-parent, your children, and others who appear in those conversations. By choosing to import this content, you are bringing their information into the Service.
- You are responsible for the content you import, and you confirm that you have the right to access it and to import it. For example, the iMessage/SMS importer is designed to read a backup of your own iPhone, and the email feature is designed to connect to your own mailbox.
- We process this content on your behalf and at your direction, in order to provide the Service to you. We act as a processor of that imported content for you; you decide what to import, how to organize it, and when to delete it.
- Please only import communications you are entitled to, and use the information you keep responsibly and lawfully. We are not able to verify the rights you have in any particular conversation, so this responsibility rests with you.
5. Email Mailbox Connections
If you choose to import email, you connect your own mailbox to the Service. There are two ways to connect, depending on your provider:
- Microsoft / Outlook accounts connect using OAuth, where you authorize access through Microsoft's sign-in.
- Gmail, iCloud, Yahoo, and other providers connect using IMAP with an app-specific password that you generate with your provider.
How we store your credentials. Whether we hold an OAuth token (for Microsoft/Outlook) or an IMAP app-password (for other providers), those credentials are stored encrypted using AES-256-GCM. They are never stored in plaintext.
How we use your credentials. We use these credentials only to connect to your mailbox and import the messages you have asked us to import, to and from the addresses you specify. We do not use your mailbox access for any other purpose, and we do not read mail outside the scope of what you ask us to import.
Disconnecting. You can disconnect a connected mailbox at any time, which stops further importing from that mailbox. Messages you already imported remain part of your record unless you delete them or delete your account.
6. Information We Collect Automatically
When you use the Service, we collect some information automatically to operate, secure, and improve the app.
Product analytics. The mobile app uses PostHog (hosted in the United States) for product analytics. This helps us understand how the app is used so we can improve it. Through PostHog we collect:
- Touch and interaction events (autocapture) and screen views.
- An identifier tied to your account, so we can understand usage on a per-account basis.
- Session replay, which can record your in-app screen activity. By default, text inputs and images are masked in session replay, so the actual content you type and the images you view are not captured by default.
- Approximate, aggregate information about how features are used.
This product analytics applies to the mobile app. Our website and the macOS desktop importer do not use PostHog session replay.
Device and app information. We collect basic information such as your device type, the app version, and your locale (language and region) settings.
7. How We Use Your Information
We use the information described in this policy for the following purposes:
- To provide and operate the Service, including storing your account, your case and family records, your uploaded files, and your imported communications, and making them available to you.
- To power the in-app AI assistant and the tone rewriter. The assistant can read your own case data and imported messages to answer your questions, and the rewriter can help you reword messages.
- To transcribe imported voice notes into text so they become part of your written record.
- To verify your email, manage your sign-in sessions, and keep your account and data secure.
- To provide customer support and respond to your requests.
- To understand usage and improve the Service, fix problems, and develop new features.
- To process your subscription and confirm your access level.
- To comply with legal obligations and to enforce our terms and protect the rights, safety, and security of our users, the public, and Custody Hero.
8. Legal Bases for Processing (EU/EEA and UK)
If you are in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, data protection law requires us to have a legal basis for using your personal data. Depending on the situation, our legal bases are:
- Performance of a contract. We process your account information, your case and family records, your uploaded files, and your imported communications because doing so is necessary to provide the Service you have signed up for.
- Legitimate interests. We use limited analytics and device information to operate, secure, and improve the Service. We balance these interests against your rights and use privacy-protective defaults, such as masking text and images in session replay.
- Consent. Where we rely on your consent, such as for optional analytics choices made available in the app, you can withdraw it at any time. Withdrawing consent does not affect processing that already took place.
- Legal obligation. We may process information where we are legally required to, for example to keep certain records or respond to lawful requests.
For imported communications, which often contain information about other people, we act as a processor on your behalf, and you are responsible for having a lawful basis to import and keep that content.
9. AI Processing
Custody Hero uses artificial intelligence to provide some features, and we want you to understand how that works.
Assistant and rewriting. The in-app AI assistant and the tone rewriter are powered by Anthropic (Claude). To answer your questions and to help you reword messages, the assistant reads your own case data and the messages you have imported. Anthropic processes this content to return a response and does not use data submitted through its API to train its models.
Transcription. When you import voice notes (from WhatsApp or iMessage/SMS), we use OpenAI (Whisper) to transcribe the audio into text.
Limits of AI. AI output can be incomplete, inaccurate, or otherwise imperfect. Transcriptions may contain errors, and the assistant's answers may be wrong. AI output is not legal advice, and you should not rely on it as a substitute for advice from a qualified attorney. Please review anything important before you rely on it.
11. Storage and Security
Your information is processed and stored in the United States.
We take reasonable measures designed to protect your information, including:
- Encryption in transit using TLS.
- Passwords stored only as a salted scrypt hash, never in plaintext.
- Email connection credentials (OAuth tokens and IMAP app-passwords) encrypted at rest using AES-256-GCM.
- Private, non-public cloud storage for your uploaded files.
- Opaque bearer tokens for your signed-in sessions, rather than transmitting your password.
No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so while we work hard to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. Please use a strong, unique password and keep it confidential.
12. Data Retention and Deletion
We keep your information for as long as your account is active, so that your record remains available to you.
Imported records are stored immutably while your account is active. This means we keep them unchanged so your record stays consistent and dependable over time. They are not edited after import, although you can delete them.
Deleting your account. You can delete your account, which deletes your data from the Service. After deletion, we may retain limited information where we are required to for legal, accounting, or security reasons, and residual copies may persist briefly in routine backups before they are overwritten or expire. We also retain transaction records associated with your subscription as needed.
You can also delete individual items, such as a connected mailbox, an uploaded file, or imported conversations, without deleting your whole account.
13. Your Rights and Choices
You have meaningful control over your information in Custody Hero. Depending on where you live, you may also have additional rights under applicable law. In general you can:
- Access the information in your record through the app.
- Correct information you have entered, such as your account details and the records you created.
- Export your record so you have your own copy.
- Delete individual items, or delete your account, which deletes your data.
- Disconnect any connected mailbox at any time.
- Opt out of product analytics where that choice is made available in the app, and use your device's tracking settings to limit tracking.
EU/EEA and UK residents. If you are in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, restrict, or object to the processing of your personal data, to data portability, and to withdraw consent where processing is based on consent. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.
California residents. If you are a California resident, you may have rights to know what personal information we collect and how we use and share it, to request access to or deletion of your personal information, to correct inaccurate information, and to not be discriminated against for exercising your rights. As noted above, we do not sell your personal information and we do not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising.
How to exercise your rights. Many of these actions can be done directly in the app. For anything else, or to make a formal request, email us at privacy@custodyhero.app. We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request. Note that requests involving imported content about other people are handled in our role as a processor acting on your behalf, since you control that content.
14. Cookies and Do Not Track
Our website at custodyhero.app uses only the cookies and similar technologies that are necessary to make the site work and keep it secure. We do not use the website to track you across other websites for advertising.
Because there is no common industry standard for how to respond to browser "Do Not Track" signals, we do not currently respond to them. Where the law gives a particular signal legal effect, we will honor it as required.
15. Children's Privacy
The Service is intended for adults (18 and older) who are documenting their own child-custody matter. It is not directed to children, and children may not create an account or use the Service.
We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children under 13. As a normal part of using the Service, a parent may choose to store information about their own child, such as the child's first name or messages that involve the child. That information is provided by the parent, not collected from the child, and the parent controls it.
If you believe a child has created an account or provided information to us directly, please contact us at privacy@custodyhero.app and we will take appropriate steps.
16. Subscriptions and Payments
Access to Custody Hero is offered through an auto-renewable subscription sold through Apple's In-App Purchase (StoreKit). A subscription typically starts with a free trial and then becomes paid. Pricing is offered in tiers based on the number of families or cases covered.
Apple processes your payment. We do not receive your card or other payment details. From Apple we receive transaction identifiers and your subscription status, which we use to confirm and manage your access. We do not use RevenueCat or Stripe.
Your subscription is managed and can be cancelled through your Apple ID and App Store settings, and is also governed by Apple's standard terms for auto-renewing subscriptions. Pricing shown in the app or on the website may change over time.
17. International Users and Data Transfers
Custody Hero operates the Service and stores and processes information in the United States. If you access the Service from outside the United States, you understand that your information will be transferred to, stored in, and processed in the United States, where data protection laws may differ from those in your country.
By using the Service, you consent to this transfer and processing. Where required by law, we take appropriate steps to provide a suitable level of protection for personal data transferred internationally.
18. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time as the Service evolves or as legal requirements change. When we do, we will revise the "Last updated" date at the top and, where appropriate, provide additional notice within the app or by email.
If a change is material, we will make reasonable efforts to bring it to your attention before it takes effect. Your continued use of the Service after an update means you accept the revised policy.
19. Contact Us
If you have questions, concerns, or requests about this Privacy Policy or your information, please contact us:
- Privacy questions and data requests: privacy@custodyhero.app
- General and legal inquiries: support@custodyhero.app
We will do our best to respond promptly and to help you understand how your information is handled.