Kindred privacy policy

The short version

• Kindred has no server of its own. Your data lives on your devices and in iCloud.
• No analytics, no ads, no tracking. Nothing is sold or shared with advertisers or data brokers.
• I can't see your lists, calendar, photos, links, or messages.

Where your data lives

Your lists, chores, saved links, shared calendar events, and locket photos are stored on your iPhone and sync through Apple's iCloud, in your private iCloud database.

When you invite your partner, Kindred uses iCloud sharing so you both see the same data. Only the people you invite can see it. Shared data is stored in the iCloud account of the person who created the household. Apple's iCloud terms and privacy policy cover that storage.

Quick pushes

When you send your partner a quick push, Kindred saves a small record in the app's public iCloud database so iCloud can deliver it as a notification. The record holds your household ID, your partner's member ID, your name as you entered it in Kindred, and the message text. Nothing else.

iCloud delivers the notification within moments. Kindred deletes each push record from iCloud about a day after you send it.

Calendar

If you turn on calendar sharing, Kindred reads your calendars on your iPhone using Apple's calendar permission. For each calendar you choose Details, Busy only, or Hidden. Work (Exchange) calendars start as Busy only.

For the next 30 days, Kindred shares each event's title (or just "Busy"), its start and end time, and whether it's all day. It doesn't share locations, notes, or attendees. Hidden calendars never leave your phone.

Saved links

When you save a link, your iPhone fetches the page title and preview image straight from that website, the same way Messages builds a link preview. On iPhones that support Apple Intelligence, Apple's on-device model sorts the link (restaurant, recipe, travel, or other). That sorting happens on your phone. The link, title, and image then sync to your partner through iCloud.

Photos

Kindred only gets the photos you pick or take for the locket. They're resized on your phone and stored in your shared iCloud data so your partner can see them.

Apple Watch, widgets, and Messages

The Apple Watch app talks only to your own iPhone. Widgets show data that's already on your phone.

In Messages, Kindred can put a card in the conversation, like your grocery list or a saved link. You decide whether to send it, and it travels through Apple's Messages like any other message. Tapping a button on a card updates that card in the thread.

What I receive

Nothing, by default. If you turn on sharing crash data with app developers in iOS Settings, Apple may pass me anonymous crash reports. I also see anything you choose to send me, like an email or an App Store review.

Deleting your data

Delete something in Kindred and it's removed from both phones. To remove everything, delete Kindred's data in your iCloud storage settings (Settings, then your name, then iCloud, then Manage Storage), then delete the app.

Children

Kindred isn't made for children under 13.

Changes

If this policy changes, I'll update this page and the date at the top.