Privacy Policy - Stay Steady
Last updated: 6 February 2026
Stay Steady (“the App”) is developed by Data Consulting Services. This Privacy Policy explains how we handle your information when you use our app.
Our Privacy Commitment
Stay Steady is designed with privacy as a core principle. Your financial data stays on your device and in your private iCloud (if you choose to enable sync). We do not have access to your transactions, budgets, or savings goals.
Information We Do NOT Collect
- We do not collect personal information
- We do not collect usage analytics
- We do not track your location
- We do not use advertising identifiers
- We do not share data with third parties (except anonymous feedback, with consent)
- We have no user accounts or registration
- We do not store your financial data on our servers
Data That Stays on Your Device
Financial Transactions
All imported transactions (from CSV, PDF, OFX, receipts, or manual entry) are stored locally on your device using Apple’s SwiftData framework with iOS Data Protection encryption. Your transactions are encrypted whenever your device is locked.
Savings Goals & Budgets
Your savings goals, budget limits, and financial preferences are stored locally on your device. This data never leaves your device unless you enable iCloud sync.
Custom Categories
Categories you create and category rules you define are stored locally on your device.
App Settings
Your preferences (theme, notifications, alert thresholds, etc.) are stored locally using Apple’s UserDefaults system. If iCloud sync is enabled, settings sync via iCloud Key-Value Store.
iCloud Sync (Optional)
How It Works
If you enable iCloud sync in Settings:
- Transactions, goals, budgets, and custom categories sync to your private iCloud account
- Data is stored in Apple’s CloudKit private database
- Only you can access this data with your Apple ID
- Sync is disabled by default — you must explicitly enable it
What Syncs
- Financial transactions
- Savings goals
- Budget configurations
- Custom categories and rules
- App settings (via Key-Value Store)
Your Control
- Enable or disable sync anytime in Settings > Data & Sync
- Disabling sync keeps existing local data
- iCloud data can be deleted via Apple’s iCloud settings
Anonymous Feedback (Opt-In)
Category Corrections
When you correct a transaction’s category, you may choose to share anonymous feedback to improve our ML categorization model.
Data collected (only with your explicit consent):
- Merchant name (e.g., “Colruyt”, “Delhaize”)
- Original category (ML prediction)
- Your corrected category
- Anonymous device identifier (randomly generated hash)
- App version and ML model version
Data NOT collected:
- Transaction amounts
- Transaction dates
- Account numbers or balances
- Personal information (name, email, location)
- Any identifying information
How it works:
- Feedback requests are HMAC-SHA256 signed for security
- Sent via HTTPS to our training pipeline
- Aggregated across all consenting users
- Never sold to third parties
Your control:
- Opt-in only — we show a consent dialog first
- Revoke consent anytime in Settings > Privacy
- Previously sent data cannot be traced back to you (it’s anonymous)
Permissions We Request
Camera Access (Optional)
Stay Steady can use the camera to scan receipts. Vision OCR extracts merchant, amount, and date from receipt photos. All processing happens on-device — no images are sent to servers.
Photo Library Access (Optional)
If you prefer, you can select receipt photos from your library instead of taking new photos.
Face ID / Touch ID (Optional)
Stay Steady offers optional biometric app lock. Your biometric data is never accessed by the app — authentication is handled securely by iOS.
Network Access (Optional)
Network access is used for:
- iCloud sync (if enabled)
- Anonymous feedback submission (if consented)
- ML model updates (downloaded from our servers)
The app works fully offline without network access.
Data Security
On-Device Protection
- Database encrypted with iOS Data Protection (FileProtectionType.complete)
- Data encrypted whenever your device is locked
- Optional biometric/PIN lock for app access
- PIN stored as SHA-256 hash in iOS Keychain
iCloud Security
- Uses Apple’s private CloudKit database
- End-to-end encrypted in transit
- Only accessible with your Apple ID
- Apple’s iCloud security practices apply
Feedback Transmission
- HMAC-SHA256 signed requests prevent tampering
- HTTPS encryption for all network requests
- No personal identifiers transmitted
Data Retention and Deletion
Your Control
- Delete individual transactions anytime
- Delete all data in Settings
- Data is permanently deleted when you delete it
- Uninstalling the app removes all local data
iCloud Data
- Managed through Apple’s iCloud settings
- Disabling iCloud sync in app does not delete iCloud data
- Delete iCloud data via Settings > Apple ID > iCloud > Manage Storage
Children’s Privacy
Stay Steady does not knowingly collect any information from children under 13. The app does not require any personal information to function.
Third-Party Services
Apple iCloud (Optional)
If you enable sync, your data is stored in Apple’s CloudKit:
No Other Third Parties
- No analytics SDKs (Google Analytics, Firebase, etc.)
- No advertising networks
- No social media integrations
- No data brokers or resellers
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by:
- Updating the “Last Updated” date at the top
- Posting the new policy on this page
We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically.
Your Rights
Depending on your jurisdiction (including GDPR for EU residents), you may have rights regarding your personal data:
- Access: All your data is accessible within the app
- Deletion: Delete all data directly within the app
- Portability: Export your data as CSV or PDF anytime
- Rectification: Edit any transaction or goal in the app
- Objection: Disable iCloud sync and feedback at any time
Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or Stay Steady:
Email: support@dataconsultingservices.net
Website: https://dataconsultingservices.net/apps/staysteady/
Summary
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Do you collect my data? | No (except anonymous feedback with consent) |
| Where is my data stored? | On your device, optionally iCloud |
| Is my data encrypted? | Yes, with iOS Data Protection |
| Do you sell my data? | No, we don’t have it |
| Can I delete my data? | Yes, anytime in the app |
| Do you use analytics? | No |
| Do you show ads? | No |
| Is iCloud sync required? | No, it’s optional and off by default |
Stay Steady. Stay in control. Your money, your data, your privacy.