The short version
We built Selva to collect as little data as possible. We don't ask for your email address, phone number, name, or any personal information to use the app. No sign-up. No account. You download it and start - that's it.
The vast majority of your data - every habit, every impulse log, every note - lives only on your phone. We never see it.
The data that reaches our servers is limited to: (1) a small amount needed for the optional Circle feature (sharing progress with friends), (2) basic anonymous usage statistics, and (3) advertising measurement data shared with Meta to understand which of our ads brought you to the app. On iOS you'll be asked once whether you want this last category tracked - you can say no, and most of the data will still work, just less precisely.
1. Who we are
Selva is operated by OSUAPP Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales. We are the data controller responsible for your personal data when you use the Selva app.
For the purposes of UK data protection law (the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018), OSUAPP Ltd is the controller of any personal data processed in connection with Selva.
2. What data we collect
We try to collect as little data as possible. Here's exactly what happens with each type:
Data that stays on your device only
The following information is created and stored entirely on your phone. We have no access to it, cannot see it, and cannot recover it if your device is lost or wiped:
- The names and emojis of the habits and impulses you track
- Every log entry (when you felt an urge, whether you resisted, optional spending amounts and notes)
- Your daily habit completions and skipped days
- Your streaks, statistics, and historical data
- Your app settings and preferences
- Your in-app purchase status (Pro subscription)
Data we collect on our servers (Circle feature only)
If you use Selva without the Circle feature, no habit or impulse data ever leaves your phone. Circle only activates when you choose to connect with your first friend. Once activated, the following data is sent to our server in the United Kingdom:
- An anonymous device identifier (a random string we generate; this is not linked to your Apple ID, email, or name)
- An optional display name you choose for yourself within Circle (e.g. "Sarah" or just an emoji)
- A 6-character share code we generate for you (e.g. "8F2K9X")
- A snapshot of all your habits and impulses - including their names, emojis, completion status, streaks, and resistance rates. This data is uploaded to our server so that the sharing system can work. Your per-friend sharing preferences then control which items each friend can actually see. We do not receive specific log times, notes, spending data, or detailed history.
- The IDs of friends you've connected with (so we know who can see your data)
- Reactions sent and received (e.g. a fire emoji)
- Your last-active timestamp (so friends can see if you're online)
Important: If you never use Circle, none of your habit or impulse data ever touches our servers. It stays entirely on your device.
Anonymous usage statistics
To understand whether Selva is working and growing, we collect a small amount of anonymous usage data once per day:
- Your anonymous device identifier (the same one as above; not linkable to your identity)
- The date
- How many impulses you logged that day (a number, not the content)
- How many habits you completed that day (a number, not which ones)
- How many times you opened the app
- Whether you have a Pro subscription
- How many days since you installed the app
This information helps us calculate aggregate statistics like "how many people use the app each day" and "what's the average resistance rate." We never see your individual habits or impulses through this data.
Subscription data
If you subscribe to Selva Pro, payment is processed by Apple (App Store) or Google (Play Store). We never see your payment information. We use a service called RevenueCat to receive notification that you've subscribed and to validate your subscription status. RevenueCat receives your anonymous device ID and your Apple/Google subscription information.
Advertising and analytics data (Meta)
To measure whether our advertising on Facebook and Instagram is working, we use Meta's software development kit (SDK) inside the app, together with their Conversions API. This is the part of our data collection that involves sharing data with a third party for advertising purposes.
The Meta SDK collects:
- Your device's advertising identifier (IDFA on iOS, GAID on Android) - only if you grant permission via the App Tracking Transparency prompt on iOS, or have advertising ID enabled on Android
- App events: when you open the app, when you complete onboarding, when you start a free trial, when you subscribe
- Basic device information: device model, operating system version, language, country
- A timestamp for each event
This data is sent to Meta Platforms Ireland Limited (the European operator of Meta) so that they can tell us whether you clicked one of our ads before installing the app. We never see your Meta account, your Facebook friends, your Instagram activity, or anything you do outside Selva.
You can refuse this tracking. On iOS, when you first finish onboarding you'll see a system prompt asking whether Selva can track your activity. If you tap "Ask App Not to Track," your advertising identifier is hidden from Meta and we can no longer connect your subscription back to a specific ad you may have seen. On Android, you can reset or limit your advertising ID in your device settings (Settings → Google → Ads). You can change your iOS choice at any time in Settings → Privacy & Security → Tracking.
Subscription events shared with Meta (via RevenueCat)
When you start a free trial or pay for Selva Pro, RevenueCat (our subscription manager) sends a notification to Meta on our behalf so we can measure the effectiveness of our ads. This notification contains the type of event (e.g. "trial started"), the subscription price, the currency, and a pseudonymous identifier - not your name, email, or payment details. This happens server-to-server, and it does not require your advertising identifier to be shared.
What we never collect
- Your name, email address, phone number, or postal address
- Your date of birth
- Your precise location (we never request GPS or location permissions)
- Your contacts, photos, calendar, or other personal phone data
- Any biometric data, facial recognition, or fingerprints
- Your social media accounts, posts, or activity outside Selva
- The content of your impulses or habits (we share counts and event types with third parties, never the personal text or notes you write)
3. How we use your data
We process the limited data described above for the following purposes:
- To provide the Circle feature. So you can share progress with friends, accept connection requests, and send reactions.
- To validate your subscription. So you can access Pro features after you upgrade.
- To understand how the app is performing. Anonymous statistics tell us if people are finding the app useful and where to improve.
- To measure our advertising. When we run ads on Facebook or Instagram, we use Meta's tools to understand which ads bring people to Selva. Without this, we'd have no way to know if our marketing is working, and we'd have to spend much more to acquire each user (which would likely mean charging more for Pro).
- To prevent abuse. If someone tries to spam connection requests or game the system, the anonymous device identifier helps us stop it.
We never sell your data. We never share the content of your impulses, habits, or notes with any third party. We never train AI models on your data. We never use your data to profile you outside of the advertising measurement described above, and we never make automated decisions that significantly affect you.
4. Legal basis for processing
Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis to process your data. Here's ours for each activity:
- Performance of a contract (Article 6(1)(b)): When you use Circle or subscribe to Pro, we process the data needed to deliver those features to you.
- Legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f)): To collect anonymous usage statistics that help us understand whether the app is working, to prevent abuse, and to measure the effectiveness of our advertising at an aggregate level. We've assessed that these interests don't override your rights because the data is minimal, the identifier-level tracking is consent-gated, and you can opt out at any time.
- Consent (Article 6(1)(a)): For sharing your device's advertising identifier with Meta, we rely on your explicit consent via the App Tracking Transparency prompt (iOS) or your device-level advertising ID settings (Android). You can withdraw this consent at any time in your device settings, and we will stop receiving identifier-level data on subsequent app opens.
5. Sharing your data
We share your data only with the following:
Friends in your Circle
People you've connected with in Circle can see whatever you've explicitly chosen to share with them - typically whether habits are done today, streaks, overall percentages, and resistance rates for selected impulses. You control this on a per-friend basis. Your sharing preferences determine which of your items each friend can see - they cannot see anything you haven't enabled. You can disconnect at any time and your shared data is immediately removed from their view.
Service providers (data processors)
We use the following third-party services to operate Selva:
- IONOS (UK/Germany) - hosts our server and database where Circle and analytics data lives. Acts as a data processor on our behalf.
- RevenueCat (US) - manages subscription validation and forwards subscription events to Meta for advertising measurement. They receive your pseudonymous device ID and your Apple/Google subscription receipt. Their privacy policy.
- Meta Platforms Ireland Limited (Ireland, with global processing in the US) - receives the advertising and analytics data described in Section 2, used to measure the effectiveness of our advertising on Facebook and Instagram. Only receives your advertising identifier if you grant permission via the iOS App Tracking Transparency prompt or have advertising ID enabled on Android. Their privacy policy.
- Apple and Google - process App Store / Play Store payments, app distribution, and crash reports. We never see your payment details. They have their own privacy policies.
Legal requirements
We will only disclose your data to authorities if legally required by a valid UK court order or law enforcement request. Given how little data we hold, there's typically very little to disclose.
What we will never do
We will never sell your data. We will never share the content of your impulses, habits, or notes (only event counts and types). We will never use your data to train AI models, ours or anyone else's.
6. Where data is stored
Data on your device is stored locally on your phone using your operating system's secure storage (iOS Keychain / Android Keystore where applicable, otherwise standard local storage).
Data on our servers is stored on infrastructure provided by IONOS, primarily located in the United Kingdom and the European Union. All data in transit is encrypted using HTTPS. Our database connections are encrypted.
RevenueCat (subscription validation) operates servers in the United States. Meta processes advertising and analytics data primarily through Meta Platforms Ireland Limited (Ireland), with global processing in the United States. When subscription or advertising data is transferred outside the UK or EU, this is covered by an appropriate UK GDPR transfer mechanism (typically Standard Contractual Clauses and, where applicable, the UK Extension to the EU-US Data Privacy Framework).
7. How long we keep data
- Data on your device: Kept until you delete it or uninstall the app. We can't access or delete this remotely.
- Circle data on our servers: Kept while you're actively using the feature. If you don't open the app for 365 days, your Circle data and connections are automatically deleted from our servers. You can manually disconnect from any friend or delete your Circle account at any time from within the app.
- Anonymous usage statistics: Aggregate statistics may be kept indefinitely. The daily per-device data is kept for up to 24 months and then deleted.
- Advertising data shared with Meta: Once shared, this is held under Meta's own retention policies (typically 24 months for ad-event data). We do not control Meta's retention. See Meta's privacy policy for details.
- Subscription records: Kept as long as your subscription is active, plus any retention period required by Apple, Google, or UK tax law (typically 6 years for accounting records).
8. Your rights under UK GDPR
You have legal rights over your personal data. Because most of your data lives on your device - not on our servers - many of these rights you can exercise yourself directly within the app.
- Right of access: You can see all your data within the app at any time. For data on our servers (Circle), email us and we'll send you a copy.
- Right to rectification: Edit any of your habits, impulses, or logs directly in the app.
- Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten"): Delete any data within the app, disconnect from friends in Circle, or uninstall the app to remove all device data. Email us to delete server-side Circle data.
- Right to restrict processing: Disable Circle or stop using features at any time.
- Right to data portability: Selva Pro includes a data export feature that lets you download all your data as a CSV or JSON file.
- Right to object: You can object to any processing based on legitimate interests by contacting us.
- Right to withdraw consent (advertising tracking): If you previously allowed advertising tracking via the iOS App Tracking Transparency prompt, you can revoke this at any time in Settings → Privacy & Security → Tracking → Selva. On Android, reset or disable your advertising ID in Settings → Google → Ads. From that point forward, your device's advertising identifier will no longer be shared with Meta.
- Rights related to automated decision-making: We don't make automated decisions that significantly affect you, so this doesn't apply.
Right to complain: If you're unhappy with how we've handled your data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113. We'd appreciate the chance to address concerns first - please email us before going to the ICO.
9. Children's privacy
Selva is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect data from children under 13. The app is rated 12+ on the App Store. If you are a parent or guardian and believe a child has been using Selva and you'd like their data removed, please email us.
For users between 13 and 18, we recommend reviewing this policy with a parent or guardian.
10. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time, for example if we add new features or if data protection law changes. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page tells you when changes were made.
If we make material changes (changes that meaningfully affect your privacy), we'll notify you in the app before they take effect, and where appropriate, ask for your consent.