Haven ("the app", "we", "our", "us") is a personal safety application developed by Ben Bates. This privacy policy explains what information Haven collects, how it is used, where it is stored, and what rights you have over your data.
Haven is designed with privacy at its core. It is a safety tool, not a surveillance tool. We collect only what is necessary to deliver alerts to your trusted contacts, and nothing more.
1. Information we collect
When you use Haven, the following information is collected and stored on your device or transmitted as part of the alert process.
1.1 Information you provide during setup
Display name: The name you enter during onboarding, used to identify you to your trusted contacts when an alert is sent.
Phone number: Used to link your Haven account to your identity so trusted contacts can find you. Your phone number and Haven identifier are stored in a shared lookup directory (see Section 3) so that contacts who add you by phone number can attempt to route alerts to your Haven installation.
Email address (optional): If you enter an email address during onboarding, it is stored only on your device. Haven does not currently use it or transmit it.
Trusted contact details: The names, phone numbers, and email addresses of people you add as trusted contacts. These are stored locally on your device and used solely to route alerts.
1.2 Information collected when you send an alert
GPS location: When you send an alert and location permission has been granted, your device's GPS coordinates may be attached to that alert so your trusted contact can see where you are. Haven does not maintain a continuous background location history. If you activate Haven from the lock screen using Siri, Haven may use a location fix already available from your iPhone rather than waiting for a new one. A location is included only when one is available and is not guaranteed to be present in every alert. When included, it is stored as part of the alert record.
Audio recording (optional): If you have opted in to audio recording in Settings, a short audio clip (10 to 30 seconds) is recorded from your device's microphone immediately after an alert is sent. This clip is attached to the alert and delivered to your trusted contact. Audio recording is off by default and requires your explicit consent to enable.
Alert metadata: Each alert includes a unique identifier, your sender ID, the recipient's ID, a timestamp, and an optional message (such as "HELP" or "HELP (Siri)").
1.3 Information collected automatically
Device token: When you open Haven, Apple assigns your device a push notification token. This token is sent to our push notification server (see Section 3) so that alerts can be delivered to your device instantly. The token is a random string generated by Apple. It does not contain your name, phone number, or any personal information.
App preferences: Your chosen settings (alert mode, audio opt-in, audio duration, icon disguise choice, activation phrases, notification and location permission status) are stored locally on your device using Apple's standard on-device storage. These are never transmitted to us or any third party.
2. Information we do not collect
Haven does not collect, store, or transmit any of the following:
- Browsing history or web activity
- Contacts from your phone's address book (beyond what you manually enter into Haven)
- Photos, messages, or files on your device
- Advertising identifiers or tracking data
- Usage analytics or behavioural data
- Financial or payment information
Haven does not contain advertisements. We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with advertisers, data brokers, or any third party for commercial purposes.
3. Where your data is stored
Haven uses three systems to store and transmit data. Each serves a specific purpose in the alert delivery process.
3.1 Your device (on-device storage)
Your display name, phone number, any optional email address you entered, trusted contact details, app preferences, and activation settings are stored locally on your device using Apple's UserDefaults system. This data does not leave your device except as described below.
3.2 Apple CloudKit (alert storage and delivery)
Alert records (including your sender ID, recipient ID, GPS coordinates, audio clips, timestamps, and messages) are stored in Apple's CloudKit service using the public database of Haven's iCloud container. CloudKit is operated by Apple Inc. and is subject to Apple's privacy policy (apple.com/privacy). Haven uses CloudKit's public database so that alert recipients do not need to be signed in to iCloud to receive alerts. Your phone-to-sender-ID mapping is also stored in CloudKit to enable contact linking by phone number.
This is Haven's own shared database inside Apple's CloudKit service. It is not your personal iCloud account, and these records do not use your iCloud storage. Haven can access records in this database in order to operate and support the app.
Apple's CloudKit infrastructure is hosted in data centres that comply with international data protection standards.
3.3 Haven push notification server (alert delivery)
To deliver instant push notifications, Haven operates a lightweight server hosted on Fly.io (fly.io) in Dallas, USA. This server stores the following for each registered device:
- Your Haven sender ID (a randomly generated identifier, not your name or phone number)
- Your device's push notification token (assigned by Apple)
- Your display name, so that a notification can say who the alert is from
- Basic device information: the platform, the notification environment, and when the registration was last updated
When an alert is triggered, the sending device contacts this server with the recipient's sender ID and the alert details. The server looks up the corresponding device token and sends a push notification via Apple's Push Notification service (APNs). Those alert details, including the sender's name, the message, and any coordinates, pass through the server to APNs and are not stored on it. The server does not store alert content, GPS locations, audio recordings, or message text.
Requests to the push notification server require a credential used by the Haven app, and communication between your device and the server is encrypted using HTTPS.
4. How your data is used
All data collected by Haven is used for one purpose: delivering safety alerts to your trusted contacts when you need help.
Specifically:
- Your display name and phone number are used to identify you to your trusted contacts and to enable contact linking.
- GPS location is used to show your trusted contact where you are at the moment of an alert.
- Audio recordings are used to provide your trusted contact with additional context about your situation.
- Device tokens are used to deliver push notifications instantly when an alert is sent to you.
- Alert metadata is used to route alerts to the correct recipient and to distinguish between alert types.
We do not use your data for profiling, advertising, marketing, or any purpose unrelated to the core safety function of the app.
5. Data sharing
Haven shares your data only with the specific people and systems necessary to deliver alerts.
- Your trusted contacts receive your display name, GPS location (if available), audio clip (if opted in), and alert timestamp when you send an alert.
- Apple receives alert data through CloudKit and push notification tokens through APNs, subject to Apple's privacy policy.
- Fly.io hosts the push notification server infrastructure, subject to Fly.io's privacy policy (fly.io/legal/privacy-policy).
Apple and Fly.io provide the infrastructure Haven uses for CloudKit storage and push-notification delivery. Their handling of information is governed by their own terms and privacy policies, linked above.
Haven does not sell personal information or share it with advertisers or data brokers. Haven does not include advertising or third-party analytics software.
6. Data retention
Alert records stored in CloudKit currently have no automatic expiry. They, and any audio clips attached to them, remain in Haven's CloudKit database unless they are deleted manually.
Device registration records on the push notification server, listed in section 3.3 above, are retained for as long as the device remains registered. If Apple reports a device token as invalid or expired, the corresponding record is automatically deleted.
Information stored inside the app on your device, such as preferences, contact details and settings, persists until you delete the app or reset it through Settings. Deleting the app removes what is stored inside that installation's local application container. It does not by itself remove records already stored in Haven's CloudKit database or on the push notification server.
You may contact us to exercise your rights concerning personal information Haven holds about you, including requesting access to it or asking us to stop or restrict certain processing. Requests are handled manually, and we may ask for information to verify your identity and locate the relevant records. We will explain the outcome of your request and any information we are required or permitted to retain.
7. Data security
Haven uses the following measures to protect your data:
- All communication between your device, CloudKit, and the push notification server is encrypted in transit using HTTPS/TLS.
- Requests to the push notification server require a credential used by the Haven app, and communication between your device and the server is encrypted using HTTPS.
- Alert data in CloudKit is protected by Apple's infrastructure security controls.
- On-device data is protected by your device's built-in security (passcode, Face ID, Touch ID) and Apple's data protection framework.
- Audio recordings are stored as encrypted CloudKit assets.
No system is completely secure. While we take reasonable measures to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security. If you become aware of a security concern, please contact us immediately.
8. Children's privacy
Current age position
Haven is currently intended for people aged 18 or over. Haven's current institutional pilots are limited to adult participants. Supporting younger users remains part of Haven's future purpose, but Haven will not recruit or support participants under 18 until an appropriate parental-consent, age-assurance and safeguarding process has been reviewed and introduced.
Haven does not currently ask users to provide their age. If you believe a person under 18 has provided personal information through Haven, contact us using the details below.
9. Institutional use
Haven may be reviewed or piloted with participating institutions. Unless a separate arrangement expressly says otherwise, alerts are sent to the personal trusted contacts selected by the user, not to the institution.
An institution does not receive access to a participant's alert history, usage information or other personal data merely because it is supporting a review or pilot.
10. Your rights
Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:
- Access: You may request a copy of the personal data Haven holds about you.
- Correction: You may update your display name, phone number, and trusted contacts at any time through the app's Settings.
- Deletion and restriction: You may ask Haven to delete personal information or stop or restrict certain processing. Requests are handled manually and may require identity verification. See Section 6.
- Withdrawal of consent: You may disable location permissions, microphone access, or audio recording at any time through your device's Settings or within the Haven app.
To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details in Section 11.
11. Contact us
If you have questions about this privacy policy, want to request data deletion, or have any concerns about how Haven handles your data:
Email: hello@havenalert.com
Developer: Ben Bates
Location: George Town, Cayman Islands
12. Changes to this policy
We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in the app or applicable laws. When we make changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this policy. Continued use of Haven after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.