Sober Coach is a recovery support app designed to help people in recovery and their families stay connected and grounded. Because we handle sensitive personal health information, we take privacy seriously. This policy explains what data we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have.
By creating an account, you agree to the practices described here.
Data we collect
We collect the following categories of information when you use Sober Coach:
- Account information — your name, email address, and password (stored as a secure hash). If you sign in with Google or Apple, we receive a name and email from those providers.
- Recovery profile — your sobriety date, substances involved, treatment history you choose to share, step work progress, meeting attendance, and sponsor relationship. You control what you provide.
- Check-in data — mood ratings, craving levels, stress levels, exercise, gratitude notes, and freeform journal entries submitted through daily check-ins.
- Chat messages — your full conversation history with Coach, including messages, timestamps, and any structured data the AI extracts from those conversations (mood signals, risk flags, topics discussed).
- Supporter relationships — names, email addresses, and phone numbers of supporters you choose to add, along with the sharing permissions you grant them.
- Payment information — billing details are handled entirely by Stripe. We store only a Stripe customer ID — we never see or store full card numbers.
- Device and usage data — app version, device type, and basic usage patterns (e.g., when you open the app) for product improvement. We do not sell this data.
How we use your data
Your data is used for three purposes and nothing else:
- AI coaching — your conversation history, check-in data, recovery profile, and sobriety milestones are used to give Coach context, so it can respond to you as a person rather than a stranger. This context is assembled fresh for each conversation and is never used to train AI models.
- Family digest emails — when you explicitly grant a supporter access, we use your check-in data and conversation summaries to generate warm narrative updates sent to that supporter by email. You control exactly what is shared, with whom, and can revoke access at any time.
- Service operation — authentication, billing, push notifications, and customer support.
We do not use your data to train AI models. We do not sell your data. We do not show you ads.
Sensitive health data
Recovery data — sobriety dates, substance history, mental health disclosures, crisis-related messages — is sensitive health information. We treat it accordingly:
- All data is encrypted in transit (TLS) and at rest.
- Access is restricted to the minimum necessary for the service to function. No human Sober Coach employee reads your chat messages unless you explicitly request support and consent to review.
- Family updates are narrative summaries you approve — raw check-in values and crisis-related messages are never forwarded verbatim to supporters.
- If Coach detects a crisis signal in a conversation, it surfaces emergency resources (988, SAMHSA) and encourages you to contact a human. It does not automatically notify your supporters or anyone else without your consent.
Third-party services
Sober Coach uses the following sub-processors. Each receives only the data necessary to perform its function:
Database and authentication. All user data — accounts, check-ins, conversations — is stored in Supabase's managed Postgres infrastructure.
Powers the AI coach. Conversation messages are sent to Anthropic's API to generate responses. Anthropic's API terms prohibit using API inputs to train models.
Email delivery. Used to send family digest emails and transactional emails (password resets, account notices).
Payment processing. Handles all subscription billing. We store only your Stripe customer ID — card numbers never touch our servers.
Cloud infrastructure hosting the Sober Coach backend. Application logs may pass through Railway's systems in the ordinary course of operation.
Optional single sign-on. If you use Sign in with Apple or Google, those providers share only your name and email with us.
We do not share your data with any other third parties. We do not sell your data to anyone, ever.
Your rights
You are in control of your data. At any time, you can:
- Delete your account — go to Profile → Settings → Delete Account. This permanently removes your account, all check-in history, all conversation history, and your recovery profile within 30 days. Supporter relationships associated with your account are also removed.
- Revoke supporter access — go to Profile → Supporters and remove any supporter at any time. They will immediately stop receiving digest emails and lose access to your recovery updates.
- Export your data — contact us at admin@sobercoach.app to request a copy of your data in a portable format.
- Correct your information — update your profile, sobriety date, and contact information directly in the app at any time.
- Opt out of non-essential communications — unsubscribe from any email that isn't directly related to your account security.
If you are in California or the EU, you may have additional rights under CCPA or GDPR. Contact us at admin@sobercoach.app to exercise those rights.
Data retention
We retain your data for as long as your account is active. When you delete your account, your personal data is deleted within 30 days. Anonymized, aggregated usage statistics (not linked to any individual) may be retained indefinitely for product improvement.
Stripe retains billing records for the period required by law.
Children's privacy
Sober Coach is intended for adults aged 18 and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If you believe a minor has created an account, contact us at admin@sobercoach.app and we will delete the account promptly.
Changes to this policy
If we make material changes to this policy, we will notify you by email and post the updated policy here with a new effective date. Continued use of Sober Coach after notification constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
Questions or requests
If you have any questions about this privacy policy, want to exercise your rights, or need to report a concern, reach out directly. We respond personally.
admin@sobercoach.app