Privacy Policy

Approach is designed with your privacy in mind. This policy explains exactly what data we collect, why we collect it, and how we protect it.

The short version:Sign-in is required via Google. Your audio never leaves your device. We don't sell your information to anyone.

Approach requires sign-in via Google. When you sign in, we receive the following information from your Google account through Firebase Authentication:

• Your name
• Your email address
• Your Google profile photo URL

This information is used solely to identify your account and is not shared with other users. On leaderboards, you appear only as a randomly assigned animal nickname (like “Swift Falcon” or “Bold Tiger”) — your real name and email are never displayed publicly within the app.

Your audio never leaves your device. When you record a field session for coaching feedback:

• Audio is recorded and stored locally on your device only
• The audio is transcribed on-device using the Whisper model (runs entirely locally — no audio is uploaded)
• Only the text transcript (not the audio) is sent to our AI for analysis
• You can delete recordings at any time from within the app

We never upload, store, or have access to your actual voice recordings. The raw audio files remain entirely under your control.

When you use AI coaching features or conversation simulations, we send your text messages and transcripts to AI providers for analysis. This includes:

• Messages you type in conversation simulations
• Transcripts from field sessions (text only, not audio)
• Lesson responses and quiz answers

We use OpenRouter to route requests to AI models from Google (Gemini) and Anthropic (Claude). These providers process your messages to generate coaching responses but do not use your data to train their models.

The app includes a local Leads CRM feature that lets you manually log information about people you meet in the field (e.g., names, notes, status). This data is:

• Stored only on your device
• Never uploaded to our servers
• Never shared with anyone
• Deleted when you delete the app

If you log information about other people, you are responsible for ensuring you have an appropriate basis for doing so under applicable privacy laws.

We collect anonymous usage data to improve the app experience. This includes:

• Which lessons you complete
• Session duration and frequency
• Feature usage patterns
• Onboarding completion
• Purchase events (not payment details)

We use Firebase Analytics and PostHog for this purpose. This data is associated with your account but is not sold or shared with third parties for advertising.

If you participate in leaderboards, we sync your progress data to Firebase:

• Your XP and level
• Streak information
• Season rankings

This data is displayed publicly within the app under your animal nickname only — never your real name or email.

In-app purchases and subscriptions are managed through RevenueCat and Superwall. These services:

• Process subscription status (active/expired)
• Do not share your payment details with us
• Handle all transactions through Apple App Store or Google Play

We never see or store your credit card information, billing address, or other payment details.

Approach sends only local push notifications. These are scheduled entirely on your device for reminders like:

• Daily streak reminders
• Challenge notifications
• Lesson reminders you configure

We do not use server-based push notifications and cannot send you notifications remotely.

Approach requests the following permissions:

• Microphone: Required for field session recording. Audio is processed locally and never uploaded.
• Google Sign-In: Required for account creation and authentication.

We do not request access to your camera, contacts, location, or photos.

To be crystal clear, Approach:

• Does not sell your data to third parties
• Does not display advertisements
• Does not collect your location
• Does not access your contacts or address book
• Does not access your camera or photos
• Does not upload your audio recordings
• Does not share your real name or email publicly within the app

Approach is intended for users 18 years of age and older. We do not knowingly collect data from anyone under 18. If you believe a minor has provided us with information, please contact us immediately at mars.v.niekerk@gmail.com.

Your data is retained only as long as necessary to provide the service:

• Local data (recordings, app state) remains on your device until you delete it
• Firebase account data (name, email, profile photo) is retained while your account is active
• Analytics data is retained for 26 months
• Leaderboard data is retained while your account is active

To delete your data:

1. In-app: Go to Settings → Delete Account to remove all server-side data
2. Delete the app to remove all local data
3. Email mars.v.niekerk@gmail.com for manual deletion requests

Data deletion requests are processed within 30 days.

We use the following third-party services. Click to view their privacy policies:

• Firebase (Google) — Authentication, analytics, and database
• Google Sign-In — Account authentication
• PostHog — Product analytics
• RevenueCat — Subscription management
• Superwall — Paywall and subscription management
• OpenRouter — AI model routing
• Anthropic — AI coaching (Claude models)
• Google — AI coaching (Gemini models)

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. We'll notify you of significant changes through the app or by updating the “Last updated” date at the top of this page.

Questions, concerns, or requests regarding your privacy? We're here to help.

Email: mars.v.niekerk@gmail.com