PRIVACY & LEGAL
Gut Journal Privacy Policy
Gut Journal (肠易记, “the app”) is developed and provided by 吴兆东 (Zhaodong Wu), an individual developer (“we” or “us”). This policy explains what personal information the app handles, how it is handled, and your rights. If this English version differs from the Chinese version, the Chinese version prevails.
In short: the app requires no account, and your records stay on your own phone. We have no server that receives your records, and we cannot see any of them.
1. We do not collect your personal information
The app has no sign-up or sign-in, and version 1.0.0 does not connect to any server of ours. What you enter is stored only on your device and is never sent to us. The app contains no ads, no third-party analytics or crash-reporting tools, and does not track you across apps.
2. Information processed on your device
To provide journaling and reviews, the app stores the following on your device. Health information is sensitive personal information. At first launch we ask you to confirm that you are 18 or older and to separately agree to store health records on the device.
| Information | Purpose | Where it is stored |
|---|---|---|
| Bowel, meal, mood, discomfort, medication and practice records and notes (health information) | Journaling, editing, and generating your own reviews, trends and PDF reports | This device only |
| Avatar (if you choose one) | Shown on the Me tab; resized and re-encoded to strip metadata such as photo location | This device only |
| Device ID (8 random digits) | Distinguishes the on-device profile; not a server account and not used to identify you | This device only |
| Preferences such as language and reminder times | Saving your settings | This device only |
This data is kept in directories protected by iOS file protection and excluded from iCloud and computer backups. Records therefore do not move automatically to a new phone or a restored backup. To keep them, first export them from Me → Privacy & consent → Export my original records. The app does not use HealthKit, Apple Watch health data or online AI analysis.
3. System permissions you may grant
- Location (while using the app): used only by Nearby toilets to find nearby places and calculate walking routes. The app does not record a continuous location history and never sends your location to us. You can decline and search for a place manually instead.
- Notifications: requested only when you turn on medication or practice-plan reminders, which iOS delivers locally.
- Photos: when setting an avatar, you pick one image through the system photo picker; the app cannot access your other photos.
You can change these permissions at any time in iPhone Settings. Turning a permission off does not delete saved records.
4. Services provided by Apple
Apple handles the following independently under its own privacy policy. We cannot obtain the personal information involved:
- Apple Maps (MapKit): search terms and the search area for Nearby toilets, and the start and end points of routes, are sent to Apple’s map service. In mainland China, some Apple Maps data services are provided by Apple’s partners. See Apple Maps & Privacy.
- App Store purchases (StoreKit): membership purchases, renewals, restores and refunds are handled by Apple. We never receive your Apple ID or payment card details. The app reads Apple-signed subscription status on the device only to unlock membership features. See App Store & Privacy.
- Aggregate data from Apple: if you choose in iPhone Settings to share analytics with app developers, Apple may give us crash reports and aggregate statistics, such as install and sales totals, that do not identify you. We use them only to fix problems and understand overall usage.
5. Content you choose to share
- Exports and PDFs: exported JSON/CSV files and PDF reports contain health information. Before saving or sharing one, make sure the recipient is a person or service you trust. Once shared, a file is in the recipient’s care, and deleting records in the app cannot recall those copies.
- Contact emails: when you email us, we receive your address, message and attachments, and use them only to answer your question or handle a privacy request. Mail is received through Microsoft Outlook and is kept for up to 12 months after your issue is resolved, then deleted. Please do not email complete health records, ID documents, passwords or payment card details.
- External links: source links in Food reference open third-party websites in Safari. Those sites’ privacy practices are their own responsibility.
6. Retention and deletion
Records stay on your device until you delete them.
- Deleting a single record: deleting a record from its detail screen removes it from the on-device database.
- Clearing all records: Me → Privacy & consent → Delete all on-device records removes all records, practices, drafts, app-generated exports and reports, and related reminders. The device ID is regenerated and the avatar is reset to the default. This cannot be undone.
- Deleting the app: when you delete the app from your iPhone, iOS also removes the records, avatar and settings the app stored on the device.
None of these cancels an Apple subscription or deletes files you have already saved or shared elsewhere. See Data management and deletion.
7. Your rights
Because we hold none of your records, you can exercise most rights directly in the app:
- Access and correction: view and edit any record at any time.
- Copy (portability): export JSON or CSV files for free.
- Deletion: delete a single record, clear all records, or delete the app.
- Withdrawing consent: stop using the app and clear your records or delete the app. Withdrawal does not affect processing already carried out on the device.
If you have questions, comments or complaints about this policy or your personal information, contact us at the address below. We will reply within 15 business days.
8. Security
The app stores data with iOS file protection, excludes health data directories from automatic backup, strips avatar metadata, and includes no crash-reporting or analytics tools. No measure can guarantee absolute security; please protect your iPhone with a passcode and keep exported files safe.
9. Minors
The app is intended for adults aged 18 or older. We do not knowingly process personal information of minors.
10. About health information
The app is a personal journaling and daily-life aid. Reviews and trends only describe what you recorded; correlation is not causation, and the app cannot diagnose or replace professional medical advice. If you have severe or persistent discomfort, seek medical care promptly.
11. Changes to this policy
If this policy changes materially, we will update its version and effective date on this page, notify you in the app where appropriate, and keep previous versions on this website. If a change involves new processing of personal information, we will ask for your consent again where the law requires.
12. Contact us
Operator: 吴兆东 (Zhaodong Wu), individual developer Email: louiswu93@outlook.com