Privacy Policy
Last updated: 10 November 2026
The short version: Stepwood has no accounts and never asks for your name. It reads your steps from Apple Health to grow your forest. Your Health data is never shared with advertisers. You can turn off usage sharing and delete your data at any time, inside the app.
This policy explains what the Stepwood app for iPhone ("Stepwood", "we") collects, why, and what you can do about it. Questions are welcome at support@stepwood.app.
What Stepwood collects
Health and fitness data
With your permission, Stepwood reads your step count, active energy and walking distance from Apple Health. It only reads this data. It never writes to Apple Health.
This data is used to grow your forest and to show your steps on the app, the Lock Screen widget and your weekly summary. If "Share usage data" is on, your daily totals (steps, goal, energy and distance for each day) are also sent to our server, so we can fix problems and improve the app.
Your Health data is never used for advertising, and it is never shared with advertisers, ad networks or data brokers.
An anonymous ID
Stepwood has no sign-up. Your phone is given a random ID, shown in the app as a short support code. It is not linked to your name, email address or Apple ID. It lets us keep your usage data together and lets you tell us which forest is yours if you write to us.
Usage and device data
If "Share usage data" is on, Stepwood sends:
- Your forest progress (trees grown, visitors met, your daily goal)
- Key moments in the app, such as finishing onboarding, pouring water, or watching a video
- Your app version, iOS version and iPhone model
Purchases
If you subscribe to Stepwood Plus, the payment is handled by Apple. We never see your card details. We receive your subscription status (for example, active or expired) so the app can unlock Plus.
Advertising data, for free players only
Free players are offered a short video when they water their forest, at most once a day. These videos come from Google AdMob. To show and measure them, Google may receive your approximate location (worked out from your IP address) and how you interact with the ad.
Stepwood does not track you. It never asks for Apple's "Allow tracking?" permission, so the ads cannot use your device's advertising identifier or follow you across other apps and websites. Stepwood Plus members see no ads.
What Stepwood does not collect
- Your name, email address or phone number (unless you email us)
- Your precise location
- Your contacts, photos or microphone. If you save a forest card to Photos, Stepwood only adds that picture; it never reads your library.
Why we use it
| Data | Used for |
|---|---|
| Steps, energy, distance | Growing your forest; understanding how the app is used |
| Anonymous ID | Keeping your data together; support |
| Usage and device data | Fixing problems; improving the app |
| Subscription status | Unlocking Stepwood Plus |
| Advertising data (free players) | Showing and measuring ads |
Who it is shared with
We do not sell your data. We use a small number of services to run Stepwood, and they only process data on our behalf or as described here:
- Supabase hosts our server and database.
- RevenueCat and Apple manage subscriptions.
- Google AdMob shows ads to free players. Google's use of data is described in Google's privacy policy.
- Ecologi plants the real trees. We do not send Ecologi any information about you.
We may also share data if the law requires it.
Your choices
- Turn off usage sharing. In the app, open You, then switch off "Share usage data". Nothing more is sent to our server.
- Delete your data. In the app, open You, then tap "Delete my data". This removes everything our server holds for your anonymous ID. You can also email us your support code and we will do it for you.
- Stop Health access. In the Health app, open Sharing, then Apps, then Stepwood.
Your forest itself is saved on your phone. Deleting the app removes it from your phone.
How long we keep it
We keep usage data for as long as it is useful for running and improving Stepwood, or until you delete it. Deleted data is removed from our live database straight away and from backups within 30 days.
Where it is stored
Our service providers may store and process data in countries other than your own, including the United States. Wherever it is stored, we protect it as described in this policy.
Your rights
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to see, correct, export or delete the data we hold about you, and to object to how it is used. Because Stepwood does not know who you are, we need your support code (shown in the app under You) to find your data. Email support@stepwood.app and we will help.
Children
Stepwood is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect data from them. If you believe a child has used Stepwood, email us and we will delete the data.
Changes to this policy
If this policy changes in a way that matters, we will update the date above and say so in the app.
Contact
Stepwood
support@stepwood.app