Privacy Policy
Last updated: October 2026
This policy explains what How To Name Your Baby ("the App", "we", "us") collects, why, who else sees it, and how to delete it. The App is made by Joshua White.
The short version
- You don't need an email, password or real name to use the App.
- Your name, last name, due date and other children's names stay on your phone.
- We store your likes, dislikes, matches and settings so matching with your partner works. Your partner's app can read your likes and dislikes.
- The App shows ads from Google. If you allow tracking when iOS asks, those ads are personalized using your device's advertising identifier.
- We use Google tools to count how the App is used and to catch crashes.
- We don't sell your data. You can delete your account in the App at any time.
What stays on your phone
These are saved only on your device and are never sent to us:
- Your first name and last name (used to preview a full name)
- Your due date
- Your other children's names (used for sibling-name suggestions)
- The nickname you give your partner
Read-aloud pronunciations are made on your device by iOS.
What we store on our servers
Our servers run on Google Firebase. We store:
- Account identifiers. A random user ID the App creates the first time you open it, a random device ID the App generates (not your phone's serial number or advertising identifier), and a push-notification token if you allow notifications.
- Your swipes. Which names you liked or disliked, when, and which ones you favorited.
- Your partner connection and matches. The link between your account and your partner's, the names you both liked, and any notes, rankings and favorites you add to matches.
- Secret names. Names (and meanings) you or your partner add to the other's deck.
- Invites. When you invite your partner, a short code tied to your user ID. It expires after 24 hours.
- Your settings and choices. Your chosen country, the names you've blocked, your notification settings, your progress through the welcome screens, and your answer to "how did you hear about us?".
- Purchases. Whether you have Premium, and the transaction ID Apple gives us so we can verify and restore it. Apple handles the payment; we never see your card details.
- Recovery code. If you create one, we keep only a scrambled (hashed) version, never the code itself.
- Sign in with Apple (optional). If you use it, we receive your Apple user ID and the email Apple shares with us. Apple may let you hide your email by giving us a relay address instead. Apple may offer to share your name; we don't store it. We also keep a token from Apple so we can cancel the App's access to your Apple ID when you delete your account.
What your partner can see
Once you connect, your partner's app can read your likes and dislikes, because that is how matches are found. Matches, match notes and secret names are shared between the two of you.
Your partner's app can also read your account record on our servers. That record holds your settings and choices listed above, whether you have Premium and your Apple transaction ID, your push-notification token and device ID, and your Apple user ID if you use Sign in with Apple. The App doesn't show these to your partner, but a technically skilled partner could see them.
Usage statistics and crash reports
We use Google Analytics for Firebase to understand how the App is used: which screens you open, swipes (like or dislike, and the name's gender), steps of the welcome screens, and purchase events with their price. Google also records sessions and an approximate location worked out from your IP address. These statistics are tied to a random app-install ID, not your account. If you allow tracking, Google Analytics can also read your device's advertising identifier.
We use Firebase Crashlytics to get crash reports: what went wrong, your device model and iOS version, and a short log of what the App was doing. Crash reports include your user ID so we can investigate problems with your account, and Google keeps them for about 90 days.
Ads
The free version shows banner ads from Google AdMob. While you set up the App, iOS asks whether the App may track you.
- If you allow tracking, Google uses your device's advertising identifier, along with information about how you use the App, to show ads based on your interests and to measure them.
- If you don't, ads are not personalized. Google still collects some data to deliver ads, limit how often you see them, measure them and prevent fraud: an app-specific device identifier, your approximate location (from your IP address), the ads you see and tap, and performance and crash data.
Learn more in How Google uses information from apps that use its services.
Other services
- Firebase Cloud Messaging delivers notifications. It receives your push token and basic device details (model, language, time zone, iOS and app version).
- Firebase App Check uses Apple's App Attest or DeviceCheck to confirm requests come from the real App.
- Our server functions are run by Google, which logs each request, including your IP address.
- Apple processes in-app purchases and Sign in with Apple.
Who we share data with
We share data only with the companies that run the App for us, and only as described above:
These companies handle data for us under agreements that require them to protect it at least as well as this policy does.
We don't sell your data for money. But if you allow tracking, Google uses your advertising identifier for personalized ads, and some laws, such as California's, call that "sharing" or "selling". You can stop it at any time (see Your choices). We may also disclose data if the law requires it.
Where your data is stored
On Google's servers, which may be in the United States or other countries. Data travels between the App and our servers encrypted.
Your choices
- Tracking: turn it off any time in iOS Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking.
- Notifications: turn them off in the App's settings or in iOS Settings > Notifications.
- Ads: Premium removes ads.
- Swipe history: Settings > Redo Onboarding clears it.
- Your data: email us to ask for a copy of your data or to correct it.
Deleting your account
Go to Settings > Delete Account in the App. When you confirm:
- Your account is closed and you are signed out straight away. If you used Sign in with Apple, we cancel the App's access to your Apple ID.
- Your partner is disconnected.
- Within 30 days, everything we hold about you is permanently deleted: your account, swipes, invites, settings, purchase records, and the matches and secret names you shared with your partner (they are deleted for your partner too).
- A deleted account cannot be recovered.
A few things are kept for a limited time and expire on their own instead of being deleted with your account: crash reports (about 90 days), usage data, which is not tied to your account (detailed records tied to your app install are kept for up to 14 months after you last use the App; totals that identify no one may be kept longer), and our servers' technical logs, which can contain your user ID and device ID (Google's log retention, about 30 days). Data AdMob collects is kept under Google's own policy.
If you can't open the App, email us at the address below and we will delete your account for you.
How long we keep data
We keep your data while your account exists. If you stop using the App without deleting your account, your data stays until you delete it.
Children
The App is for adults choosing a baby name. It is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect data from them. If you think a child has used the App, email us and we will delete the account.
Changes to this policy
If we change what we collect, we will update this page and the date at the top.
Contact
Questions or requests: support@oldjard.com