The essentials
This policy explains how PetPaw handles information when you use the iOS app, its online Q&A features and these support pages. For privacy questions or requests, contact the PetPaw support team at .
Private records and published questions are different. Your pet journal is stored on your device and can sync through private iCloud storage. Content you choose to publish in Q&A is sent to PetPaw’s online services and can be visible to other users.
Information we handle
| Information | Purpose and handling |
|---|---|
| Account | PetPaw requires Sign in with Apple. When you tap the sign-in button, the app sends the app-specific Apple identifier, identity token, and authorization code returned by Apple to PetPaw’s account service. The service returns an account ID and session credentials. The app does not request your Apple name or email. |
| Pet journal | Pet names, species, breeds, birthdays, sex, chip numbers, and notes support pet profiles. Care records, scheduled routines and check-ins, vaccinations, examinations, symptoms, weight, meals, activity, training, appointments, supplies, spending, and memories support your journal. |
| Selected media | Selected photos, images of reports or receipts, short training videos, and saved voice notes are attached to private records. Q&A supports text and one optional photo per post. When you publish a post containing a photo, the app uploads that photo to the online image service before publishing the question. |
| Q&A | Published text, a photo URL, author and content identifiers, publication times, and author display information such as a user label, avatar, and signature support the Q&A and My Q&A lists. My Q&A filters your published posts; it does not make them private. |
| Q&A blocking & reports | When you block or unblock an author, the app sends the author’s account ID and your chosen action to PetPaw’s online service. When you submit a report, it sends the reported author’s account ID, the reason you select, and any details you enter. Both requests include your account ID, session credentials, and the technical request information described below. This information supports blocking preferences and handling safety concerns. The app does not publish your report as a Q&A post. |
| Technical data | An app-generated device identifier (a random UUID), app version information, platform, language, and account credentials are sent with online service requests. This identifier is created by PetPaw; it is not Apple’s advertising identifier. Live connections also exchange connection timing, message identifiers, acknowledgements, and keep-alive messages. Hosting and network providers process connection information to deliver these requests. |
| Feedback & support | If you email support, we receive your sender email address, message, and any attachments or device details you include. We use this information to respond to your support request, bug report, feature suggestion, or privacy request. |
Where information goes
On your device and in iCloud
Private journal records and their saved attachments are stored in the app’s local storage, separated by the app-specific Apple identifier. PetPaw automatically attempts to synchronize the journal with Apple’s private CloudKit database when iCloud is available, including after sign-in, record changes, and returning to the app. These private records are not sent to the Q&A publishing service unless you separately choose content to publish there. If synchronization cannot finish, local records remain available and Settings shows the sync status.
Sign in with Apple and the device’s iCloud account are separate identities. The app stores an account-binding reference and sync state to keep records associated with the expected iCloud account. Sync pauses if that account changes or a conflict needs your attention.
PetPaw saves your app-specific Apple identifier, account ID, and session credentials in device preferences to restore your sign-in after reopening the app. The app-generated device identifier is kept in the device Keychain and reused; reinstalling the app does not necessarily reset it. Form drafts, including unpublished Q&A text and selected photos, reminder preferences, and recovery snapshots are also stored locally. Drafts and account credentials are separate from the journal’s iCloud backup. Saving a Q&A draft does not publish it; tapping Publish can upload its selected photo before the post is submitted.
After the service confirms a block, the app saves the author’s account ID and display name in an account-specific list on your device to hide that author’s questions. This local list is separate from the private journal’s iCloud backup. The Blocked authors screen shows the entries saved on this device; it does not retrieve a complete server-side block list or synchronize that local list across devices.
Online services
Account authentication, account deletion requests, Q&A lists, published content, image uploads, blocking and unblocking requests, reports, and live update connections use PetPaw’s online services. Private journal entries are not automatically published to Q&A. Some decorative artwork and Q&A media are loaded from online image hosts. These downloads contact the image host but do not upload your private journal.
Notifications
Care, routine, appointment, and low-stock reminders are scheduled on your device. Reminder content can include pet names, care item names, care tasks, and due times. Notifications may show this information on your Lock Screen, in Notification Center, or in banners, depending on your iOS settings.
Web connections
Opening linked web content contacts the server hosting that page. The host receives normal connection information and may use access logs, cookies, or browser storage. These privacy and support pages contain no analytics scripts or tracking cookies. Review the privacy information of any other site you choose to visit.
Permissions you control
- Camera: take pet portraits, care photos, and document photos for your private journal, or take a photo to attach to a Q&A post. A photo attached to Q&A is uploaded to PetPaw’s online image service when you tap Publish and is visible to other users with the published post.
- Photos: choose photos and short training videos for private journal records, or select one photo to attach to a Q&A post. PetPaw uses Apple’s system photo picker, which does not require full photo-library access; the app receives only the items you select. Selecting or taking a Q&A photo alone does not upload it. When you tap Publish, the attached photo is uploaded to the online image service before the question is published. Published photos are visible to other users, including photos in posts listed under My Q&A.
- Microphone: record a voice note only when you tap Record voice. Recording stops after two minutes, when the app enters the background, or when audio is interrupted. You choose whether to save the clip.
- Notifications: receive optional local care reminders. Your records and in-app calendar remain available if permission is declined.
Manage requested camera, microphone, and notification permissions in iOS Settings → Apps → PetPaw, or open System permissions in PetPaw’s Settings. A Photos permission switch may not appear when you only use the system photo picker. Menu wording may vary by iOS version.
Document text recognition runs on the device using Apple Vision. Voice notes are not transcribed or sent to an AI chat service. Manually recorded activity and activity timers do not require location or motion tracking.
Retention and deletion
Archiving a pet keeps its records. Many deleted records and removed photos are retained in Recently deleted so you can restore them; they remain part of the journal and can be included in iCloud sync and backups until permanently removed. Loading a cloud version or restoring a backup also keeps a local recovery snapshot. A separate exported backup may therefore still contain an earlier copy.
Signing out removes the saved account session, stops live connections, and clears pending app notifications. You can choose to keep or clear local journal data. Signing out does not delete the cloud journal or online account. Some installation-level preferences and the device Keychain identifier can remain after sign-out or account deletion.
Deleting the app alone does not necessarily delete iCloud records, your online account, published Q&A content, or files exported elsewhere.
To start account deletion, open the app’s navigation drawer → Settings → Delete all records & account data. This first sends a deletion request to the account service, then removes the linked iCloud journal and clears the account’s local journal, drafts, and recovery files after those steps succeed. Network or iCloud errors can prevent completion. Keep an export first if you need a copy, and check that the operation finishes successfully. If it fails, contact support.
You can delete your own published questions from My Q&A. For uploaded images, questions still visible after deletion, or questions about server-side retention, contact us. This policy does not promise immediate removal from every server backup or copies held by other users.
The account-specific local blocked-author list is kept after sign-out so it can be restored when you sign back into the same account on the same device. A successful unblock removes that entry from the local list; successful completion of account deletion clears the account’s local list. Unblocking does not withdraw a report already submitted. For access to or deletion of reports and server-side blocking records, contact support. The app does not provide a report-withdrawal control or specify a fixed server-side retention period for these records.
Support correspondence is retained as needed to handle your request and any applicable legal obligations. You may request deletion by email. Revoking PetPaw’s Sign in with Apple access in Apple settings is separate from deleting PetPaw data and does not itself erase records.
Your choices and requests
You can edit records, archive pet profiles, review Recently deleted, export a backup or PDF, manage notification permissions and reminder categories, and choose whether to publish Q&A content. Declining camera, photo, microphone, or notification access does not prevent you from using text-based journal records.
In the main Q&A list, open the More options (⋯) menu on another author’s question to choose Block or Report. Reports let you choose a reason and add details; details are required when you choose Other. To reverse a block, open Blocked authors in Q&A and choose Unblock. Changes are applied only after the service confirms the request.
Depending on your location, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or obtain a copy of personal information, object to certain processing, or complain to your local data protection authority. Email us with the action you want to request. We may need information sufficient to verify account ownership; never send passwords, Apple verification codes, or session tokens.
Apple and hosting providers may process information outside your country. Their processing locations and protections depend on the services used. No storage or transmission method can guarantee absolute security. Protect your device and any exported files. PetPaw does not claim that all app data is end-to-end encrypted.
Children’s privacy
PetPaw is not directed to children under 13, or below the minimum age for consent in their jurisdiction. If you believe a child has provided personal information through our online features, please contact us so we can review the request and take appropriate action.
Updates and contact
We will update this page when PetPaw’s data practices change and revise the date above. Material changes requiring notice or consent will be explained as applicable.
Privacy and data requests: .