Emmaus — Privacy Policy

Last updated: July 8, 2026
Effective date: July 8, 2026

Emmaus App, LLC (“Emmaus,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) built the Emmaus app (the “App”) to be a private, grace-centered companion for your walk with God. Because you may share some of the most personal things in your life with the App — your prayers, your struggles, your family, your spiritual state — we take your privacy seriously, and we want this policy to be clear and honest about what we collect, why, who processes it, and the control you have over it.

This Privacy Policy explains how we handle information in connection with the App. It is incorporated into our End-User License Agreement & Terms of Use. Emmaus is based in the United States, and the App is intended for a U.S. audience; if you use it from elsewhere, you consent to processing in the United States.

1. Information We Collect

We collect the following categories of information, all provided by you or generated through your use of the App.

1.1 Account and authentication information.

• Email address and authentication credentials when you sign up with email/password, an email sign-in link, or Sign in with Apple. If you use Sign in with Apple and choose Apple's private email-relay option, we receive a relay address rather than your personal email.
• A user account identifier (a random ID assigned by our system) used to associate your data with your account.

1.2 Profile information. Information you provide to personalize the App, such as your first name or display name, time zone, preferred Bible translation, faith stage, and voice preference.

1.3 Content you create (“User Content”). The heart of the App. This includes:

• Journal and examen entries and reflections;
• Prayer requests and prayer-list items;
• Goals, your “Future Self” vision, and related plans;
• Chat messages you exchange with the AI Companion;
• AI long-term memory — durable facts the App extracts and stores so the Companion can remember your story over time (for example: people you mention, prayer requests, goals, recurring struggles, wins and answered prayers, preferences, and spiritual rhythms). Some of these facts are flagged as sensitive and given extra care.
• Notes, memory verses, habit logs, weekly reviews, and similar content.

1.4 Voice audio (transient, for voice features). If you use conversational voice, we capture audio recordings of what you say through your device microphone and send them for transcription so the Companion can understand and respond, and we generate spoken audio replies. Microphone access is requested only when you use voice, and you can always type instead. Voice audio is processed transiently to produce a transcript; see Section 3 (retention).

1.5 Sensitive information. Because of what the App is for, the content you share may include religious and spiritual beliefs and information about your mental or emotional state. Apple and various laws treat these as sensitive categories. We collect this only to provide the App's core features to you and never for advertising, profiling for third parties, or tracking.

1.6 Subscription and purchase information. When you subscribe, we receive subscription status and purchase history (for example, whether your subscription is active, the product, trial status, and renewal/expiration) from Apple through our subscription-management provider RevenueCat, associated with an app-user identifier. Apple processes your payment; we do not receive or store your full payment-card details.

1.7 Content reports. If you use the “Report a concern” control on an AI message, we collect the reported message and your report so we can review it (see Section 6).

1.8 Limited technical and diagnostic information. To keep the service running and secure, our infrastructure processes basic technical data such as device/app version, IP address (for security and connectivity), and error/diagnostic logs. We use this for reliability, security, and abuse prevention, not to build advertising profiles.

1.9 What we do NOT collect in Version 1.

• We do not collect Apple Health (HealthKit) data, wearable/fitness data, or biometric health data.
• We do not collect your precise location, contacts, photos, or camera content. (If you use Face ID / Touch ID to lock the App, that biometric check is performed by iOS on your device; we never receive your biometric data.)
• We do not use advertising identifiers or App Tracking Transparency tracking.

2. How We Use Your Information (Purposes)

We use your information only for the following purposes:

• To provide the App's core features — create and secure your account; store and display your journals, prayers, goals, and reflections; generate personalized devotionals, morning briefs, examens, and weekly reviews.
• To power the AI Companion and voice — send your messages and relevant content to our AI providers to generate responses, maintain the Companion's long-term memory so it can walk with you over time, transcribe your speech, and produce spoken replies (see Section 4).
• To personalize your experience — tailor content to what you've shared and what matters to you.
• To manage your subscription — verify entitlement to premium features and support restore-purchases across your devices.
• To keep you safe — operate the App's safety systems, including crisis detection and content moderation, and to review reports you submit (see Section 6).
• To send notifications you've chosen — deliver reminders and briefs you have enabled; you control these and can turn them off at any time.
• To maintain, secure, and improve the App — reliability, troubleshooting, fraud and abuse prevention, and product improvement using non-identifying or aggregated information where feasible.
• To comply with law — meet legal obligations and enforce our Terms.

We do not use your information to sell to third parties, to serve you ads, or to track you across other companies' apps or websites.

3. Data Retention

We keep your information for as long as your account is active and as needed to provide the App. Specifically:

• Account and User Content are retained until you delete the specific item, delete your account, or ask us to erase them.
• AI long-term memories persist so the Companion can remember your story, until you edit, archive, delete them, or use “Forget everything,” or delete your account.
• Voice audio is processed transiently to generate a transcript and is not retained as a permanent recording after transcription; the resulting transcript is stored as part of your chat content (which you can delete).
• Safety event logs (a minimal record that a crisis-classified interaction occurred, kept for duty-of-care and quality review) are retained on a limited basis and minimize personal content.
• Backups: residual copies may persist in encrypted backups for a limited period after deletion and are purged in the ordinary course.
• We may retain limited information longer where required to comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, or enforce our agreements.

4. AI Processing and Sub-Processors (Important Disclosure)

To provide AI features, we share the content you submit with trusted service providers (“sub-processors”) that process it on our behalf and under contract, only to deliver the service to you. We select providers that offer the same or equal protection required by applicable law and by Apple's guidelines.

AI processing is user-initiated. Your content is sent to Anthropic or OpenAI only when you actively use an AI feature — sending a message to the Companion, using voice, or generating a devotional, brief, or review. This processing is disclosed here and in the App’s Help & Safety screen. If you prefer not to share content with AI providers, simply don’t use the AI features — Scripture reading, prayer lists, journaling, and memory verses work without them.

No training on your data. We do not permit Anthropic or OpenAI to use your content to train or improve their AI models. Your content is sent only to generate responses for you, under commercial terms that restrict such use.

We may engage other sub-processors as the App evolves; if we make a material change to how AI processing works, we will update this policy and, where appropriate, ask for renewed consent.

5. How We Share Information

We share information only as described here:

• With sub-processors who process data on our behalf to run the App, as listed in Section 4.
• For legal reasons, if required by law, subpoena, or valid legal process, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of Emmaus, our users, or the public.
• In a business transfer, such as a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, in which case we will require the recipient to honor this policy or notify you and provide choices where required.
• With your direction, when you choose to share content out of the App (for example, using your device's native share sheet to send something to a person you choose).

We do not sell your personal information, we do not “share” it for cross-context behavioral advertising, and we do not disclose it to data brokers or ad networks. In Version 1 there is no user-to-user sharing inside the App — your content stays private to your account.

6. Safety, Moderation, and Crisis Handling

To keep the App safe, we operate automated safety systems, including a crisis-detection tripwire and content moderation that run on messages to and from the AI Companion. If the system detects signals of self-harm, suicide, abuse, or danger, the Companion responds with a compassionate message and real crisis resources (for example, the U.S. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, Crisis Text Line at 741741, and 911 for emergencies). Every AI message includes a “Report a concern” control; reports are reviewed and we aim to respond within 24 hours. We keep minimal safety-event records for quality and duty-of-care purposes as described in Section 3. The App is not a crisis service — in an emergency, contact 988 or 911 (or your local emergency number).

7. Security

We protect your information with administrative, technical, and physical safeguards appropriate to its sensitivity, including:

• Encryption in transit (HTTPS/TLS) and encryption at rest for stored data;
• Row-Level Security (RLS) in our database, so your records are accessible only to your authenticated account;
• Server-side handling of all AI provider keys — the App never calls AI providers directly from your device, and provider API keys are never stored on your device;
• Least-privilege access controls and authentication for our systems.

No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security, but we work to protect your information and to promptly address issues we become aware of.

8. Your Choices and Controls

You are in control of your data. From within the App you can:

• Delete your account and all associated personal data — in Settings > Account > Delete Account. This permanently removes your profile, journals, examens, prayer requests, goals, AI memories, reflections, and related data, subject to the retention and backup practices in Section 3. If you used Sign in with Apple, deletion also revokes the associated Apple tokens. Deleting your account does not cancel your Apple subscription — cancel it separately in your Apple Account settings (Settings > [your name] > Subscriptions, or https://apps.apple.com/account/subscriptions).
• Export your data — request and download a copy of your data from within the App.
• Manage the AI's memories — view what the Companion remembers (grouped by category), edit or delete individual memories, archive them, or use “Forget everything” to erase all AI memory. You can also pause memory so the Companion keeps working but stops learning new facts.
• Disable or decline AI features — you can decline AI processing and use the App's non-AI features, and you can turn conversational voice off and type instead.
• Control notifications — enable or disable each type of reminder and set times; nothing is gated on notifications, and you can turn them all off.
• Control the microphone — grant or deny microphone access in iOS Settings; declining does not lock you out, because typed input is always available.

Depending on where you live, you may have additional rights under laws such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA/CPRA) or the EU/UK GDPR — including rights to access, correct, delete, and port your data, and to object to or restrict certain processing. Because most of these controls are built directly into the App, you can exercise them yourself at any time; you may also contact us at support@getemmaus.app and we will respond as required by law. We will not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights. Where processing is based on your choice to use AI features, you can stop at any time and delete what the App remembers about you in Settings.

9. Children's Privacy

The App is rated 17+ and is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe a child under 13 has provided us personal information, contact us at support@getemmaus.app and we will delete it. Users between 13 and the age of majority should use the App only with the involvement of a parent or guardian where required by local law.

10. International Users and Data Transfers

Emmaus operates in the United States, and your information is processed and stored in the United States and in the regions used by our sub-processors. If you access the App from outside the United States, you understand that your information will be transferred to and processed in the United States, where data-protection laws may differ from those in your country. Where required, we rely on appropriate safeguards for such transfers.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the “Last updated” date above and, where appropriate, provide notice in the App. If a change materially expands how we use or share your information — including changes to AI processing — we will seek your consent where required. Your continued use of the App after an update takes effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions, requests, or concerns about this Privacy Policy or your data, contact us at:

Emmaus App, LLC
Email: support@getemmaus.app
126 Hammocks Court, Green Acres, Florida 33413