Privacy Policy

Last updated: 2026-07-02

Who we are

Alpheus is an iOS running app made by Stoked Bear LLC, an independent studio based in Greenville, SC. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, and protect information when you use the Alpheus app and related services. Contact: support@stokedbear.com.

What we collect

• Account info from Sign in with Apple (Apple ID identifier and, if you choose to share it, your email address).
• Health data via Apple HealthKit (workouts, distance, pace, heart rate, route, elevation) — only with your explicit permission.
• Location during active runs for GPS route tracking. Collected only while a run is in progress, including while your screen is locked mid-run (iOS shows the location indicator the whole time). Never collected outside an active run.
• Photos and chat content you choose to post inside your private Circles.
• Run history and training plan progress generated by your use of the app.
• Push notification tokens and your time zone, used only to send optional morning run reminders at the right local time. You can turn reminders off in Settings at any time.
• Safety and moderation data: your block list (who you've blocked inside Circles), any content reports you submit (including a short snapshot of the reported content so our team can review it), and records created when automated moderation removes content you posted — these records store the violation categories and a one-way fingerprint of the content (text or photo), never the content itself, and may result in a temporary pause on your ability to send messages. Photos you post to a Circle are automatically scanned for safety before other members see them; photos flagged as violating the Community Guidelines are removed. If a photo is identified as child sexual abuse material, we are required by U.S. federal law (18 U.S.C. § 2258A) to report it to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), preserve related records (account identifier and a digital fingerprint of the file), and the associated account will be disabled. Reports and moderation records are retained for safety and legal compliance even if you delete your account; your block list and any sending restriction are deleted with your account.
• Diagnostic data (anonymous crash logs and performance events) via Firebase Crashlytics and Firebase Performance.

How we use it

• To operate the app's core features (training plans, runs, Circles).
• To sync your data across your devices (iPhone and Apple Watch).
• To moderate content inside Circles for safety (see "Third parties" below).
• To diagnose crashes and improve performance.

We do not sell your personal information. We do not use your personal information for advertising. We do not share your personal information with data brokers.

Third parties we use

• Apple (Sign in with Apple, HealthKit, iCloud) — for authentication and health data storage on your device.
• Firebase (Google LLC) — for authentication, Firestore database, Cloud Storage for photos, Cloud Functions, Crashlytics, and Performance Monitoring. Firebase processes data on our behalf under Google's data processing terms.
• OpenAI (OpenAI, L.L.C.) — for automated moderation of Circle chat text and photos to detect prohibited content per the Community Guidelines. Only the content being moderated is sent; we do not send personal account identifiers.

Data retention

Your account data is retained for as long as your account is active. When you delete your account, we begin a 30-day grace period during which the deletion can be cancelled by signing back in. After 30 days, your account and associated data are permanently deleted from our systems, except for limited records we are required to keep by law (for example, payment records or moderation records related to legal compliance).

Your rights

You can:

• Export your data at any time from Settings → Privacy → Export My Data.
• Delete your account at any time from Settings → Privacy → Delete Account.
• Revoke individual permissions (HealthKit, location, notifications, photos) at any time from the iOS Settings app.
• Ask us a question about your data by emailing support@stokedbear.com.

If you are a California resident, you have the rights described under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), including the right to know, delete, and not be discriminated against for exercising those rights. If you are an EU/UK resident, you have the rights described under the GDPR, including access, rectification, erasure, restriction, portability, and objection.

Children

Alpheus is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please email support@stokedbear.com and we will delete it.

Security

Data in transit is protected with HTTPS/TLS. Data at rest is stored on Google Cloud (Firebase) with their standard encryption at rest. Authentication uses Sign in with Apple; we do not store passwords. No system is perfectly secure; we work to apply reasonable safeguards but cannot guarantee absolute security.

Changes

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be announced in the app and the "Last updated" date above will reflect the most recent revision.

Contact

Privacy questions or requests: support@stokedbear.com. We respond within 48 hours.

Mailing: Stoked Bear LLC, Greenville, SC, USA.