Privacy policy

Effective 11 November 2026

This policy explains what the StePhD apps (iOS and Android), the StePhD web app and this website (together, “StePhD”, “we”, “us”) collect, why, and the choices you have. Contact: stephd.app@outlook.com.

In short: without an account, your progress stays on your device and we receive nothing. If you choose to sign in, we store your account details and learning progress only to sync it across your devices. No ads, no tracking, no selling of data. You can delete everything at any time.

1. If you do not sign in

Your answers, scores, streaks and settings are stored only on your device. We do not receive them. They are removed when you delete the app or its data.

2. If you sign in (optional)

You can sign in with Apple or Google to sync your progress. We then collect:

Account details from Apple or Google: a user identifier, your email address and your name (Apple lets you hide your real email; we then receive a relay address).
Learning progress: the questions you answer and whether they were correct, scores, games completed, daily streaks and study time per day.

We use this only to provide the app: to sync your progress between your devices and to show your history and statistics. We do not use it for advertising, we do not track you across other apps or websites, and we do not sell or share it with third parties for their own purposes.

3. Error reports you send

If you report an error in a question or email us, we receive what you send (and your email address if you email us) and use it only to fix content and answer you.

4. Service providers

We use these providers to run StePhD. They process data on our behalf under their own terms and security measures:

Google Firebase (Firebase Authentication and Cloud Firestore): sign-in and storage of synced progress.
Apple (Sign in with Apple) and Google (Google Sign-In): to sign you in.
Google reCAPTCHA Enterprise / Firebase App Check (web app only): to protect the service from abuse and automated copying.
Cloudflare: hosting of this website. Like any web host, it processes technical request data such as IP addresses to deliver pages and protect against attacks.

Your data may be processed in the United States and other countries where these providers operate.

5. What we do not do

No advertising and no advertising identifiers.
No analytics or tracking tools in the apps or on this website.
No sale or sharing of personal data.
No purchases or payment data (nothing is for sale yet; if that changes, payments will go through Apple or Google and this policy will be updated).

6. How long we keep data

We keep your account and synced progress until you delete your account. Emails and error reports are kept as long as needed to answer and fix them.

7. Your choices and rights

Delete: in the app, Profile → Delete account deletes your synced data and your account. You can also ask by email; see how to delete your account.
Access and export: Profile → Export study history, or ask us by email.
Correct or object: email us. Depending on where you live (for example the EU, UK or California) you may have further rights, including to complain to a data protection authority. We will honour applicable rights.

8. Security

Data is encrypted in transit. Synced progress is stored so that only your own signed-in account can read it.

9. Children

StePhD is designed for medical students and is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect data from children under 13; if you believe a child has given us data, contact us and we will delete it.

10. Changes

If we change this policy we will update the date above and, for significant changes, tell you in the app.