Overview

HabitMeter ("the App") is developed by Kevin Merz ("we", "us", or "our"). This Privacy Policy explains how we handle information when you use our iOS application.

Which version this describes: keeping a copy in your own iCloud arrives with HabitMeter 1.9. Up to and including version 1.8, everything described below as being in your iCloud is kept on your device only, and nothing else in this policy differs. The section Your Own iCloud says which version each part applies from.

The short version: HabitMeter keeps your habit data on your device and in your own iCloud, so it is on every device you sign in to and it survives a new phone. There is no account with us, we run no servers that hold your habits or your entries, we cannot read what is in your iCloud, and we do not collect, sell or analyse personal data. Your body weight is the one thing that is copied nowhere at all: it stays on the device you entered it on. Six things go beyond that device, each only because you did something that needs them: optional Apple Health access, a habit setup you send someone as a link, one habit's live progress if you choose to share it, the name of a habit you are creating so a unit and a goal can be proposed for it, the name of an activity we cannot recognise on the device for Premium energy estimates, and your weekly totals if you ask for a weekly review.

Data Collection

We collect nothing about you as a person. There is no account, no profile, no advertising and no analytics. Specifically:

• We do not collect personal information
• We do not collect usage analytics
• We do not track your behavior
• We do not access your data beyond what you explicitly provide to the app
• We run no servers that store your entries, your history or your statistics
• We have no account system, so there is nothing for us to hold your data under
• We cannot read what HabitMeter stores in your iCloud
• We do not collect location data, and we build no profile of you or of your device

Two technical values do reach our server, on every request the app makes to it (the three requests, and what each is for, are described under Energy Estimates):

• Your IP address, hashed. It is turned into a one-way hash and used to count requests, so that a single address cannot flood the endpoint. The record holds a counter and nothing else, no name and no habit data. It expires after 48 hours at the latest and is then deleted automatically by the database, which is set to remove expired records on its own.
• A device attestation token. It comes from Apple's DeviceCheck and is checked by Firebase App Check. All it says is that the request comes from a genuine installation of this app rather than from a script. It is short-lived, we do not store it, and it does not tell us who you are or which device you have.

Where Your Data Is Stored

All habit tracking, data storage, and statistics happen on your device using Apple's SwiftData framework. Every calculation, every chart and every statistic is worked out there. We operate no servers that receive, store or process any of it. The exceptions are described under Sharing a Habit, Sharing Live Progress and Energy Estimates, and each one only ever happens because you started it.

So that your history is not lost with a phone, HabitMeter also keeps a copy in your own iCloud, described under Your Own iCloud.

Your Own iCloud

From version 1.9. On version 1.8 and earlier, none of this happens: your habits, entries and settings stay on the device they were entered on, and a new phone starts empty.

HabitMeter stores your data in your own iCloud private database, using Apple's CloudKit in a container Apple operates for this app. Your app settings travel the same way, through Apple's iCloud key-value storage for this app. Your body weight does not: see What is never kept there. Both stores are your storage, under your Apple Account, and both count towards your own iCloud storage. There is no account with us, no login and no profile. We have no access to any of it and cannot read, export or delete anything in it. Apple acts as the processor, and Apple's privacy policy applies to that storage.

What is kept there: your habits (name, icon, colour, unit, goal, rhythm, group, whether they are archived), your entries with their values, second and third values such as the weight you lifted and the repetitions in each set, dates and times, your reminder settings, and your app settings: chart style, sounds, the display name you type for live sharing, hints you have dismissed, which people you have blocked, whether onboarding is done, whether you have already been asked to rate the app, and the one week the weekly review was free to look at.

What is never kept there: your body weight and your Premium status. Your weight is health data, so it stays on the device you entered it on and is deliberately kept out of iCloud, and out of the copy that comes back on a new phone. Purchases belong to your Apple Account, HabitMeter asks StoreKit about them on the device, and nothing about a purchase is written to iCloud, to us or to anyone else.

Turning it off: you can switch HabitMeter off in the system settings under iCloud, or sign out of iCloud entirely. HabitMeter then keeps everything on your device and works exactly as before, with one difference: nothing is copied any more, so nothing comes back on a new phone. Deleting all your data in the app removes it from your device and from your iCloud, on every device you are signed in to.

Apple Health Integration

HabitMeter offers optional integration with Apple Health. This feature is entirely opt-in and requires your explicit permission.

Never sent to us: anything a habit reads from Apple Health. Those values stay on your device and in your own iCloud, whatever else you switch on.

Health data we may read (with your permission): Steps, Walking + Running Distance, Active Calories Burned, Exercise Minutes, Flights Climbed, Stand Minutes, Heart Rate, Dietary Water Intake, Mindful Minutes, and Body Weight.

Health data we may write (with your permission): Steps, Walking + Running Distance, Active Calories Burned, Flights Climbed, Dietary Water Intake, and Mindful Sessions.

Body Weight is read for one purpose only: to estimate how much energy a habit entry cost, using a published table of activity intensities. That calculation happens on your device. Your weight stays on the device you entered it on: it is not copied to iCloud, it is not on your other devices, and it is never sent to us or to anyone else. After a reinstall you enter it again, or Apple Health fills it in if you have granted access. If you switch it on, HabitMeter can save that estimate to Apple Health as Active Calories Burned, marked as an estimate from this app so you can tell it apart from a measurement and delete it. That setting is off unless you turn it on.

All Health data is processed on your device and never sent to our servers or any third party. Values that become habit entries are kept in your own iCloud along with the rest of your habit data; your body weight is not, and stays on the device it was entered on. A habit whose values come from Apple Health cannot be shared at all: live sharing refuses those habits, so no Health figure of yours ever reaches another person. You can revoke Health permissions at any time in your device settings.

Energy Estimates (Premium)

HabitMeter can estimate how much energy a habit entry cost. The calculation itself happens entirely on your device, using a published table of activity intensities and your body weight, which is never sent to us and never leaves the device you entered it on.

To use that table, the app has to know what kind of activity a habit is. It works that out on the device from the habit's name, its icon and its unit, which answers for nearly every habit. For the few it cannot place, the name of that habit alone is sent to our server, which asks Google's Gemini model to sort it into one of seventeen fixed categories and sends the category back.

What is sent: the activity name, lower-cased, the app version and build number, and the device attestation token described under Data Collection. Nothing else. Never your body weight, never your entries or their values, never your other habits, and nothing that identifies you or your device.

One more place a name is sent, for the same kind of help: when you create a habit, its name alone is used to propose a unit, a goal and an icon. It is answered by our server, which asks Google's Gemini model and passes the answer back. The request carries the name, the app version and build number, and the device attestation token described under Data Collection. No entries, no weight, no history and nothing that identifies you or your device. Habit names and their proposed setup are cached so the same name never has to be worked out twice for anybody.

Adjusting your goals, which you have to ask for each time: Premium subscribers can have a week reviewed and their goals adjusted. Tapping that button sends, for each habit you logged in the last seven days, its name, its unit, its current goal and whether that goal is per day or per week, the total of those seven days and on how many days you logged something. That is the whole list about your week. Alongside it go your language setting, so the answer comes back in your language, the app version and build number, and the device attestation token described under Data Collection. It never carries a single entry, never your body weight, and never a habit whose values come from Apple Health. Nothing is stored from these requests, and no goal is changed until you tap to accept the suggestion.

What is stored: the name and the category it was sorted into, so the same activity never has to be classified twice for anybody. There is no user id and no device id in that cache, and nothing in it can be traced back to a person. Names the app recognises on its own are never sent at all.

The energy estimate itself is a Premium feature, and the activity name above is only sent when you open a screen that shows one. The habit-name suggestion is different: it runs for everybody, including during the first run, before any purchase is possible. The weekly adjustment is Premium and only happens when you ask for it.

Sharing a Habit

You can send a habit to someone else. What travels is the setup only: the name, icon, colour, unit, goal and rhythm. Your entries, your history and your statistics are never included, in either direction. The person who receives it starts at zero.

The habit is encoded inside the link itself, so nothing is stored on any server of ours. The link points at a page on habitmeter-app.web.app, which is Firebase Hosting, a Google service. That page opens the app, or offers the App Store if the app is not installed. Links sent before August 2026 point at the same page on merzkevin.de, which still works. Either page records that a link was opened, which is ordinary web server logging, but the habit sits in the part of the address that browsers never send to a server. We therefore cannot see which habit was shared, or by whom.

A link only reaches the people you send it to. If you would rather not share, simply do not use the feature; nothing is shared automatically.

Sharing Live Progress

You can also let chosen people follow one habit's progress as it changes. This is off for every habit until you turn it on, and it works without an account of any kind.

What is shared: the habit's name, icon, colour, unit, goal and rhythm, today's total, whether the goal is met, the current streak, the last 30 days as one total per day, the time of the last update, and the display name you type when you start sharing. The 30 days are what lets somebody you share with see a chart rather than a single number; they are daily totals only, never your individual entries, and never the second or third value, such as the weight on the bar or the repetitions in a set.

What is never shared: your individual entries and their times, any second or third measurement such as the weight you lifted and the repetitions in each set, your history, your statistics, your other habits, and anything at all from Apple Health. A habit whose values are filled in from Apple Health cannot be shared: health data may not be passed on to anybody else, so those habits are refused and left out. Your Apple Account name is not sent either; only the display name you typed.

Live sharing is not part of the change described under Your Own iCloud, which arrived with version 1.9: live sharing has worked this way since it was introduced, on every version that has it. The shared record is stored in your own iCloud using Apple's CloudKit sharing, in a container Apple operates for this app. It does not pass through any server of ours, and we cannot read it. It counts towards your own iCloud storage, and Apple's privacy policy applies to that storage.

Only people you send the invitation link to can join, and you can see who has access at any time. Removing a person, or stopping sharing entirely, takes effect for everyone immediately: the shared record is deleted and their copy stops updating and is marked as no longer shared. If you never use the feature, nothing about your habits is ever visible to anybody else: the copy in your own iCloud is yours alone.

Progress you receive from someone else is stored on your device so it still shows when you are offline. It is read only. You cannot change anything in it, and the person who shared it sees nothing of yours.

In-App Purchases

HabitMeter offers an optional Premium subscription through the App Store. Purchase transactions are processed entirely by Apple. We do not have access to your payment information, Apple ID, or billing details.

Third-Party Services

Purchases are handled by Apple alone. HabitMeter asks StoreKit what you own and Apple answers with a signed receipt on the device, so nothing about a purchase is sent to us or to anyone else, and there is no purchase service in between. Earlier versions used RevenueCat for this; it has been removed.

Google, for the three requests described under Energy Estimates. Those endpoints run as Google Cloud Functions in Frankfurt (europe-west3). The shared cache of activity and habit names, and the counter that limits requests per hashed IP address, are stored in Google Cloud Firestore in the European Union. The device attestation token is checked by Firebase App Check, also a Google service, on every one of those requests. The model that answers is Google's Gemini. Google acts as a processor for all of this. Nothing else in the app touches a Google service: your habits, your entries and your body weight never go there, and there is no advertising or analytics SDK of any kind in the app.

The app does not integrate with any advertising, analytics, or tracking services.

If you download the app from the App Store, Apple may collect certain information as described in their privacy policy. We do not have access to this data.

Children's Privacy

HabitMeter has no accounts, no advertising and no tracking, and it collects no personal information, so it is safe for users of all ages. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13.

Who Is Responsible, and Your Rights

Controller in the sense of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):
Kevin Merz, Merowingerweg 11a, 59494 Soest, Germany
Email: MerzKevin@me.com

Legal bases. The three server requests described under Energy Estimates are processed to deliver a feature you asked for, Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR. The hashed IP counter and the device attestation token are processed to keep the endpoints available and to stop abuse, which is our legitimate interest, Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. Apple Health data is read only after you allow it, Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR, and you can withdraw that at any time in the Settings app.

How long things are kept. The hashed IP counter expires after 48 hours at the latest and is then deleted automatically. The cache of activity and habit names holds no identifier and is kept for as long as the feature exists, because it belongs to nobody. Nothing else reaches us at all: your habits and entries live in your own iCloud under your Apple Account, and you decide how long they stay, by deleting them in the app or by turning iCloud off in the Settings app. Your body weight never leaves the device.

Your rights. You have the right of access (Art. 15), to rectification (Art. 16), to erasure (Art. 17), to restriction of processing (Art. 18), to data portability (Art. 20) and to object (Art. 21). Because we hold no account and nothing that identifies you, there is usually nothing for us to hand over or delete: everything is on your device and in your own iCloud. The app has a built-in export under Settings, which writes everything it holds, including your body weight, into a file you keep. Write to the address above if you want to exercise any of these rights, and we will answer within one month.

Complaints. You can complain to a supervisory authority. The one responsible for us is Landesbeauftragte für Datenschutz und Informationsfreiheit Nordrhein-Westfalen, Kavalleriestr. 2-4, 40213 Düsseldorf, Germany. You may also go to the authority where you live or work.

Transfers outside the EU. The endpoints, the cache and the rate-limit counter run in the European Union (Frankfurt and the EU multi-region). Google may nevertheless process data in the United States as part of operating those services; that is covered by the EU standard contractual clauses and the EU-US Data Privacy Framework. Apple operates iCloud and the App Store on the same basis. There is no other recipient.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date. Your continued use of the App after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at:

Email: MerzKevin@me.com

Acceptance of Terms

By downloading, installing, or using HabitMeter ("the App"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Use. If you do not agree to these terms, do not use the App.

License

Kevin Merz grants you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to use the App for your personal or commercial purposes, subject to these Terms of Use. You may not reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, or otherwise attempt to derive the source code of the App.

In-App Purchases

HabitMeter offers a Premium subscription to unlock additional features. All purchases are processed through the App Store and are subject to Apple's terms and conditions. Subscriptions automatically renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Refund requests must be directed to Apple.

Disclaimer of Warranties

THE APP IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:

• IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY
• FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE
• NON-INFRINGEMENT
• ACCURACY, RELIABILITY, OR COMPLETENESS OF TRACKED DATA OR STATISTICS
• COMPATIBILITY WITH ANY SPECIFIC DEVICE OR OPERATING SYSTEM VERSION

WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE APP WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, SECURE, OR FREE OF VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE RESULTS OBTAINED FROM THE USE OF THE APP WILL BE ACCURATE, RELIABLE, OR MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS.

Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, KEVIN MERZ SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:

• Loss, corruption, or damage to habit data, entries, or statistics
• Inaccurate or incomplete tracking of habits or Health data
• Loss of streak data or progress information
• Loss of profits, revenue, or business opportunities
• Business interruption or workflow disruption
• Loss of use or functionality
• Any errors, bugs, or failures in data processing
• Any damage to your device or other software resulting from use of the App
• Any other damages arising from the use or inability to use the App, even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages

THIS LIMITATION APPLIES REGARDLESS OF THE THEORY OF LIABILITY (CONTRACT, TORT, NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE) AND REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THE DAMAGES ARISE FROM USE OR MISUSE OF THE APP, INABILITY TO USE THE APP, OR INTERRUPTION, SUSPENSION, MODIFICATION, OR TERMINATION OF THE APP.

IN NO EVENT SHALL OUR TOTAL LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ALL DAMAGES EXCEED THE AMOUNT YOU PAID FOR THE APP IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM, OR FIVE EUROS (EUR 5.00), WHICHEVER IS GREATER.

What is not excluded. Nothing above limits liability where the law does not allow it to be limited. This applies in particular to intent and gross negligence, to injury to life, body or health, to claims under the German Product Liability Act (Produkthaftungsgesetz), and to the breach of an obligation whose fulfilment makes proper performance of this agreement possible in the first place and on whose observance you may regularly rely (a cardinal obligation). For a slightly negligent breach of such an obligation, liability is limited to the damage typical for this kind of contract and foreseeable at the time it was concluded. Your statutory rights as a consumer remain unaffected.

Assumption of Risk

You acknowledge and agree that habit tracking is a personal activity and that results may vary. You use the App entirely at your own risk. You understand that the App provides tools for tracking habits and that no app can guarantee specific outcomes or behavioral changes.

User Responsibility

You are solely responsible for:

• Maintaining backup copies of your habit data
• Verifying the accuracy and completeness of tracked data before relying on it
• Ensuring the App is suitable for your intended use before relying on it for important tasks
• Complying with all applicable laws and regulations regarding your use of the App
• Any and all consequences resulting from using the App or relying on its output

Intellectual Property & Copyright

The App is the intellectual property of Kevin Merz. All rights not expressly granted are reserved. The App does not claim ownership of any data you create. You are solely responsible for ensuring that your use of the App does not infringe on the intellectual property rights of others. We are not responsible for any copyright infringement or other intellectual property violations resulting from your use of the App.

No Professional Advice

The App is a utility tool and does not provide professional, legal, medical, financial, or any other form of advice. The App should not be used as a substitute for professional services. Always consult appropriate professionals for health, medical, or other important decisions.

Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Kevin Merz, his affiliates, and their respective officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any and all claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees and court costs) arising from or related to:

• Your use or misuse of the App
• Your violation of these Terms of Use
• Your violation of any applicable law or regulation
• Your violation of any third-party rights, including intellectual property rights
• Any content or data you create using the App
• Any claim by a third party related to your use of the App

Termination

We reserve the right to terminate or suspend your access to the App at any time, without prior notice or liability, for any reason, including breach of these Terms. Upon termination, all licenses and rights granted to you will immediately cease.

Severability

If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect. The invalid or unenforceable provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid and enforceable.

Entire Agreement

These Terms of Use, together with the Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Kevin Merz regarding the use of the App and supersede all prior agreements, understandings, and communications.

Modifications

We reserve the right to modify these Terms of Use at any time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date. Continued use of the App after any changes constitutes acceptance of the modified terms. It is your responsibility to review these Terms periodically.

Governing Law & Jurisdiction

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Germany, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any disputes arising from or relating to these Terms or the App shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Germany. If you are a consumer within the European Union, you may also be entitled to bring proceedings in the courts of your country of residence.

Contact

For questions about these Terms of Use, please contact:

Email: MerzKevin@me.com
Website: merzkevin.de