PRIVACY POLICY

Fern — Guided Meditation App Last updated: May 25, 2026

1. Introduction

Fern ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, store, and share information when you use the Fern mobile application (the "Application") and related services (collectively, the "Service").

By using the Service, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Service.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

  • Account information: Email address and authentication credentials used to create and manage your account.

  • Journal entries: Free-form text you enter in the journaling feature.

  • Mood ratings: Self-rated mood scores (1-10) you submit alongside journal entries.

  • Meditation preferences: Meditation style, voice, and binaural audio settings you select.

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

  • Device information: Device type, operating system version, and app version.

  • Usage data: Features accessed, session duration, and interaction patterns.

  • IP address: Collected for security and general geographic analytics.

  • Crash and performance data: Technical diagnostics to maintain app stability.

2.3 Information We Do Not Collect

  • We do not collect precise geolocation data.

  • We do not access your contacts, photos, camera, or microphone.

  • We do not track you across other apps or websites for advertising purposes.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

  • Provide the Service: Process your journal entries and mood ratings to generate personalised meditation audio sessions.

  • Improve the Service: Analyse usage patterns and trends to enhance features and user experience.

  • Track emotional trends: Display your mood history and insights within the Application.

  • Communicate with you: Send service-related notifications, respond to support requests, and provide important updates.

  • Maintain security: Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and unauthorised access.

4. Third-Party Data Processing

To generate personalised meditations, your journal entries and mood ratings are transmitted to third-party services for natural language processing and audio generation.

When your data is transmitted to these services:

  • It is pseudonymised — your name, email address, and other directly identifying information are not included.

  • Third-party processors are contractually bound not to retain, reuse, or share your data beyond their processing role.

  • Data is transmitted using industry-standard encryption (TLS/HTTPS).

We use the following categories of third-party services:

PurposeProvider CategoryAI text processingLarge language model API providersAudio generationText-to-speech API providersAuthenticationFirebase Authentication (Google)AnalyticsAnonymised usage analyticsPaymentsApple App Store (StoreKit)

5. Derived Data

Fern may create derived, pseudonymised data from your input, such as aggregated emotional trend indicators, sentiment analysis, and mood pattern models. This derived data:

  • Does not include your raw journal entries, identifiable personal data, or audio files.

  • May be used to improve the Service, conduct research, or generate aggregated insights.

  • May be sold or licensed to third parties in aggregated, non-identifiable form.

We will never sell your raw journal entries, identifiable personal data, or generated audio files.

6. Data Storage and Security

  • Your data is stored on our servers using industry-standard encryption and access controls.

  • Generated meditation audio files are stored securely and accessible only to your account.

  • We retain your data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Service.

  • Upon account deletion, your personal data is deleted or pseudonymised in accordance with applicable law (see Section 9).

While we implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your data, no method of electronic storage or transmission is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Cookies and Tracking

The Fern mobile application does not use browser cookies. We may use standard mobile analytics tools to collect anonymised usage data. You can opt out of analytics collection through your device settings.

We request App Tracking Transparency (ATT) permission in accordance with Apple's guidelines. You may decline this request without affecting your use of the Service.

8. Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

  • Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.

  • Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.

  • Deletion: Request deletion of your personal data and account.

  • Data portability: Request an export of your data in a structured, machine-readable format.

  • Withdraw consent: Withdraw consent for data processing at any time (this does not affect the lawfulness of prior processing).

  • Restriction: Request that we restrict processing of your data in certain circumstances.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at support@fernmeditation.com or use the "Delete Account" feature in the Application's Profile section.

For EU/EEA Residents (GDPR)

If you are a resident of the European Union or European Economic Area, we process your personal data on the following legal bases:

  • Contract performance: Processing necessary to provide the Service you have requested.

  • Legitimate interests: Analytics and service improvement, where these do not override your rights.

  • Consent: Where you have given explicit consent (e.g., ATT tracking permission).

We do not engage in fully automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects without human oversight.

You have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

9. Data Retention and Deletion

  • Active accounts: We retain your data for as long as your account remains active.

  • Deleted accounts: Upon account deletion, we delete or pseudonymise your personal data within 30 days. Some data may be retained longer where required by law or for legitimate business purposes (e.g., fraud prevention).

  • Archived meditations: Archived records are excluded from active features (such as mood tracking) but are retained in your account until you delete your account.

10. Children's Privacy

The Service is not intended for children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 16. If you are under 16, you may only use the Service with the verifiable consent of a parent or legal guardian.

If we become aware that we have collected personal data from a child under 16 without appropriate consent, we will take steps to delete that information promptly. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us at support@fernmeditation.com.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top of this document reflects the current version. We will notify you of material changes through the Application or by email. Continued use of the Service after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:

Email: support@fernmeditation.com Web: fernmeditation.com/support