SymwisePrivacy Policy
Last updated: October 13, 2026
This policy explains how Symwise handles information when you use the Symwise iPhone app and related services.
1. Summary
- Chat history and the medical index stay on your device and are not uploaded.
- Account, subscription, extra-question balance, and usage records are stored on our own server, hosted on Alibaba Cloud.
- To generate a reply, the question is sent to DeepSeek. We do not store those messages in our database.
- We do not sell personal data.
2. Information we process
| Data | Where it is kept | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Apple user identifier | Our server | Identify the account and keep you signed in |
| Google account email, if you use Google | Our server | Identify the account and link it when that is available |
| Mobile phone number | Our server | Phone sign-in. Alibaba Cloud sends and checks the code. We do not store the code |
| Session token | Device keychain | Call APIs that require sign-in |
| Subscription status | Our server | Decide whether access continues, and check the purchase with Apple |
| Purchased extra questions | Our server | Extra questions bought separately |
| Free-period question count | Our server | Enforce the 24-hour, 100-question allowance for a new account |
| Temporary-access start time and questions used | Our server | Apply the 1-hour, 10-question, once-a-year limit |
| Usage records (endpoint, model, token counts) | Our server | Enforce allowances and keep the service running |
| Question text | Sent to DeepSeek; not stored by us | Generate the reply |
| Chat history | Your device | Continue a conversation on that device |
| Medical index | Your device | Search on the device. It is not uploaded |
3. Sign-in
You can sign in with Apple, Google, or a phone number checked by text message. We receive the identifier those services provide, and a verified email or phone number when one is available. We do not receive your Apple ID password or Google password.
4. How a reply is produced
Search happens on your iPhone. When a reply is needed, our server sends the conversation and prompt to DeepSeek and returns the result to the app. Read DeepSeek’s own policy for how it handles that content.
5. Why we process this information
To provide the service, confirm the account, manage subscriptions and extra questions, limit abuse, and keep the service available.
6. How long we keep it
Account identifiers, subscription status, extra-question balance, and usage records are kept only while the account exists. When you delete the account in Settings, we delete that data immediately. We keep only a one-way hash of each sign-in identifier (the Apple account identifier or phone number), computed with a secret key. It cannot be turned back into the identifier. If the account used temporary access, the time it was last started is kept with it. These records hold nothing else and are used only so that the same Apple account or phone number does not get another free period or restart temporary access early. If the account uses Sign in with Apple, we ask Apple to revoke that sign-in. Deleting the account does not cancel an App Store subscription; Apple keeps its own purchase records. Chat history on the phone is deleted with the account.
7. Who else receives it
Only the providers needed to run Symwise: Apple (sign-in and payment), Google (only if you choose it), Alibaba Cloud (server, database, and text-message codes), and DeepSeek (generating replies). We do not sell personal information.
8. Where data is processed
Account and usage data sit on our server at Alibaba Cloud. Apple handles sign-in and purchases. Google handles sign-in if you use it. Messages used to generate a reply are sent to DeepSeek. Those providers may process data where their own policies say they do.
9. Security
Traffic is encrypted, and access to the server is controlled. No method of sending or storing data is completely secure.
10. Your choices
- Delete the account in Settings. That removes the account data we store and the chat history on this phone.
- Deleting the account does not cancel an App Store subscription. Cancel that separately in App Store account settings.
- Sign out, or delete the app, to remove local data from the device.
- Contact us to ask for access to the account data we hold.
11. Children
Symwise is not directed to children under 14. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 14.
12. Changes
We may update this policy. A material change is shown by updating the date above.
13. Contact
Privacy questions: symwise@icloud.com