Overview
This Data Retention Policy explains how long we retain your data and when it is automatically deleted. We are committed to protecting your privacy and only retaining data as necessary to provide our services.
Active Account Data
While your account is active, we retain the following data:
- All journal entries and their content
- Personal reflections on Bible verses
- Account information (email, display name, profile data)
- Settings and preferences
- Usage analytics and app interaction data
- All other data you create while using the app
This data is retained until you delete it or delete your account. You have full control over your data and can delete individual entries or your entire account at any time.
Deleted Journal Entries
When you delete a journal entry:
- The entry is immediately removed from your active journal
- It is moved to a deleted items folder (soft delete)
- It is retained for 5 days in case you want to restore it
- After 5 days, it is permanently deleted and cannot be recovered
This 5-day retention period allows you to recover accidentally deleted entries while ensuring that permanently deleted content is removed in a timely manner.
Account Deletion
When you delete your account:
- All your data is immediately and permanently deleted
- This includes all journal entries, reflections, and account information
- Deleted items are not retained after account deletion
- This action cannot be undone
- We do not retain any data after account deletion
Important: We strongly recommend downloading your data before deleting your account. Once your account is deleted, you will not be able to recover any of your journal entries or data.
Automatic Cleanup
We automatically clean up deleted data:
- Deleted journal entries older than 5 days are automatically permanently deleted
- This cleanup runs automatically on a regular schedule
- No manual intervention is required
Device Identification Data
We maintain anonymous device identification for security and subscription management:
- Mobile Apps: Device identifiers are generated as UUID v4 and stored locally in AsyncStorage. Only SHA-256 hashed versions are sent to our servers.
- Web App: Device identifiers are generated as UUID v4 and stored locally in localStorage. Only SHA-256 hashed versions (via Web Crypto API) are sent to our servers.
- Retention: Device identification data is retained while your account is active to enforce subscription limits and prevent abuse.
- Deletion: Device identification data is permanently deleted when you delete your account.
We never receive or store the original device identifier—only the hashed version for security purposes.
Data We Don't Retain
We do not retain:
- Data from deleted accounts
- Journal entries deleted more than 5 days ago
- Any data after you request permanent deletion
- Backup copies of deleted data
- Original (unhashed) device identifiers
Legal and Compliance
We retain data in compliance with:
- GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)
- CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act)
- Other applicable data protection laws
We only retain data as long as necessary to provide our services or as required by law.
Your Rights
You have the right to:
- Request deletion of your data at any time
- Download a copy of your data before deletion
- Restore deleted entries within the 5-day window
- Request information about what data we retain
To exercise these rights, visit our Data Management page.
Contact Us
If you have questions about our data retention policy, please contact us at support@biblementalhealthjournal.com or visit our Data Management page.