Privacy Policy
Last updated: January 14, 2026
Your recovery is personal. We built FELLOWS with privacy at its core because we understand the importance of anonymity in recovery. This policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your information.
The short version: Your journal and step work are end-to-end encrypted — not even we can read them. You control what your sponsor sees. We never sell your data. We never use it for advertising.
Information We Collect
Account Information
- Phone number — Used for SMS verification during sign-up (via Twilio)
- Email address — Optional backup for account recovery
- Display name — Your chosen anonymous identifier (e.g., "james-thephoenix")
- Full name — For your sponsor relationship only
- Clean date — Your sobriety date, if you choose to share it
- NA/AA area — Your geographic area for events and meetings
Recovery Data
- Daily check-ins — Mood (emoji), gratitude text, struggles text, Feeling Shaky status
- Step work answers — Your responses to step questions (standard and custom)
- Journal entries — Titles, content, tags, timestamps
- Meeting attendance — Which meetings you've logged attending
- Saved inspirations — Quotes you've favorited
Connection Data
- Sponsor relationships — Who you're connected to as sponsee or sponsor
- Home group connections — Members you've connected with from your home group
- Event RSVPs — Events you're attending, ride preferences
Location Data
- GPS coordinates — Used only to find nearby meetings when you use the Meeting Finder
- Zip code — Optional, used for ride coordination if you opt in
Device Information
- Push notification token — To send Feeling Shaky alerts, reminders, and event notifications
- Device type — iOS or Android, for technical support
How We Use Your Information
| Data | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Phone number | Account verification, SMS invitations to sponsors/sponsees |
| Check-ins | Show your patterns on calendar, share with sponsor (if enabled) |
| Step answers | Track your progress, share with sponsor (per-answer control) |
| Journal entries | Personal reflection only — never shared with anyone |
| Location | Find nearby meetings — processed on device, not stored |
| Push tokens | Send Feeling Shaky alerts, reminders, event notifications |
What We NEVER Do
- Sell your data. Ever. To anyone. For any reason.
- Read your journal. Your journal entries are end-to-end encrypted on your device. The key never leaves your device.
- Read your step work. Step work answers are end-to-end encrypted. Only you can read your recovery writing.
- Share step work without permission. You control visibility on each individual answer.
- Use your data for advertising. We don't run ads. We don't profile you for marketing.
- Share with third parties for marketing. Your data stays in FELLOWS.
- Store your location. GPS is processed on-device to find meetings. We don't track where you go.
Your Privacy Controls
You have full control over what you share:
Per-Answer Privacy (Step Work)
Every step answer has a visibility toggle. Share step 4, keep step 5 private until you're ready — your choice.
Check-in Sharing
You can enable or disable whether your sponsor sees your daily check-ins in Settings.
Journal is Always Private
There is no option to share journal entries. They are yours alone and protected by end-to-end encryption. This is by design.
Display Names
Other users see your display name (like "james-thephoenix"), not your real name. This protects your anonymity.
Home Group Privacy
When connecting with home group members, you choose what contact information to share. You can opt in to:
- Receiving Feeling Shaky alerts from connected members
- Sharing your phone number for ride coordination
- Showing that you're in nearby areas
App Lock
Protect the app with a 4-digit PIN or biometric authentication (Face ID / Touch ID). The app locks automatically when backgrounded.
Delete Your Data
You can delete your account and all associated data at any time from Settings. Deletion is permanent and completed within 30 days.
Data Storage & Security
Your data is stored securely using Supabase:
- End-to-end encryption for sensitive data — Journal entries and step work are encrypted on your device before being sent to our servers. The encryption key is stored only on your device using secure storage and never transmitted to us.
- All data encrypted at rest (AES-256)
- All data encrypted in transit (TLS 1.3)
- Row-level security policies ensure you can only access your own data
- Database hosted on secure cloud infrastructure
- Regular security audits and updates
Important: Because your journal and step work are end-to-end encrypted with a key stored only on your device, if you lose access to your device and haven't backed up your encryption key, this data cannot be recovered — not even by us. This is intentional: it ensures true privacy.
Third-Party Services
| Service | Purpose | Data Shared |
|---|---|---|
| Supabase | Database, authentication | All account and recovery data (encrypted) |
| Twilio | SMS verification, sponsor invites | Phone numbers only |
| Expo | Push notifications | Device tokens, notification content |
| BMLT API | NA meeting data | None (public meeting info only) |
| Meeting Guide API | AA meeting data | None (public meeting info only) |
| Apple/Google Maps | Map display in Meeting Finder | Approximate location (on-device) |
Push Notifications
We send push notifications for:
- Feeling Shaky Alerts — When your sponsee is feeling shaky (immediate)
- Sponsor Invitations — When someone wants to connect with you
- Daily Reminders — Check-in reminders (if enabled)
- Event Reminders — 24 hours and 1 hour before RSVPed events
You can disable notifications in your device settings at any time.
Offline Data
When you're offline, check-ins are saved locally and automatically synced when you reconnect.
Data Retention
- Active accounts: Data retained as long as your account is active
- Deleted accounts: All data permanently deleted within 30 days
- Meeting data: Public meeting information is cached and refreshed regularly
Children's Privacy
FELLOWS is not intended for users under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13.
International Users
FELLOWS is operated from the United States. If you're accessing from outside the US, your data will be transferred to and processed in the US.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this privacy policy from time to time. When we make significant changes, we'll notify you through the app.
Your Rights
Depending on your location, you may have rights including:
- Access to your personal data
- Correction of inaccurate data
- Deletion of your data
- Data portability
- Objection to certain processing
To exercise these rights, contact us at the email below.
Contact Us
Questions about privacy? We're here to help.
Email: privacy@recoveryfellows.com
General support: support@recoveryfellows.com
Anonymity is a tradition. We built FELLOWS to support your recovery while respecting your privacy. If you have concerns about how we handle your data, please reach out. We take this seriously.