Fernway ("we," "our," or "us") built Sproutly as a hydration-tracking app. This Privacy Policy explains what information Sproutly collects, how it's used, and — most importantly — where it lives: on your device, and in your own iCloud account if you keep iCloud sync on.
Sproutly is developed and operated by Craig Caldwell, an independent app developer based in the United Kingdom, trading as "Fernway." "Fernway" is a trading name only and is not a registered company. In this Privacy Policy, "Fernway," "we," "our," and "us" refer to Craig Caldwell operating as Fernway. For the purposes of the UK GDPR and, where applicable, the EU GDPR, Craig Caldwell (trading as Fernway) is the data controller for any personal data processed through Sproutly.
By using Sproutly, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the app.
Sproutly stores the following locally on your iPhone, using Apple's on-device SwiftData storage, shared only between the Sproutly app and its Home Screen widget (never transmitted to us or anyone else; the optional copy in your own iCloud is described under "iCloud sync" below):
None of this is an "account" — there's no sign-up, no username, and no password. If you delete Sproutly from your device, the copy on that device is deleted with it (see "iCloud sync" below for any copy in your iCloud).
If you grant permission, Sproutly reads and writes to Apple Health:
This data is governed by Apple's HealthKit privacy protections. Sproutly never sends your Health data to us, never sells it, never shares it with any third party, and never uses it for advertising or analytics of any kind — consistent with Apple's requirements for apps that use HealthKit. You can review or revoke Sproutly's Health access at any time in iOS Settings → Privacy & Security → Health.
Sproutly can keep your devices in step using iCloud. This is on by default, and you can turn it off at any time in Sproutly's Settings → iCloud & Apple Health (the setting is per device). When it is on, Sproutly stores the data listed above — your hydration log, custom drinks, reminder schedules, profile details, and daily goal history — in your own private iCloud database (Apple's CloudKit), under your Apple Account.
Apple holds this copy on your behalf. It is not on any server of ours, and we cannot see, read, or access it. Apple's own privacy and security protections for iCloud apply to it (see the Apple Privacy Policy). Some figures stored in iCloud, such as your daily total and goal, can be calculated using Apple Health data (for example water logged by other apps, or workouts), but the Health samples themselves are not copied to iCloud. If you turn iCloud sync off, this device stops syncing and keeps its own data; copies already in iCloud stay there (see Section 5).
Reminders (both "Smart Reminders" and "Custom Reminders") are scheduled entirely on your device using iOS's built-in local notification system. Sproutly does not use push notifications and has no notification server — nothing about your reminder schedule is ever sent anywhere.
Sproutly Pro purchases are processed entirely by Apple through StoreKit. We never see or store your payment details — no card number, no billing address. Apple shares only your subscription status (e.g., active or not) with the app, so it knows which features to unlock. See our Terms of Service for more on subscriptions.
Because everything Sproutly stores lives on your own device (and in your own iCloud, if sync is on), "use" is limited to running the app for you: calculating your hydration goal, showing your progress, syncing with Apple Health if enabled, and scheduling reminders. We do not use any information to build advertising profiles, to make automated decisions about you, or to sell to anyone — we simply don't have the infrastructure to do any of that, by design.
We do not sell, rent, or trade your information — we don't hold a copy of it to begin with (a copy in your iCloud is held by Apple for you, not by us). The only limited circumstance in which anything could be disclosed is if we were required to do so by law, regulation, or valid legal process. If you contact us directly for support, we'll retain that correspondence (see Section 6) only to help resolve your request.
Sproutly does not integrate any third-party analytics, advertising, or crash-reporting SDKs. The only outside services involved are Apple's own:
| Service | Purpose | Privacy Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Apple HealthKit | Optional water and workout sync, entirely on-device and Health-app-governed | Apple Privacy Policy |
| Apple iCloud (CloudKit) | Optional sync of your data between your own devices, in your private iCloud database, which we cannot access | Apple Privacy Policy |
| Apple StoreKit | Processing Sproutly Pro purchases and subscriptions | Apple Privacy Policy |
Your hydration and profile data lives on your device, and in your own iCloud if iCloud sync is on. Deleting the Sproutly app deletes the copy on that device. The copy in iCloud stays there, under your control: you can manage it in iOS Settings → your name → iCloud → Saved to iCloud → Sproutly. Because it is held in your iCloud and not on any server of ours, we cannot access or delete it for you. Turning sync off in Sproutly does not delete it either. Any data you've chosen to sync to Apple Health remains in the Health app under your control, governed by Apple's own retention and deletion tools (Health app → your profile → export or delete data), independent of Sproutly. If you email us for support, we keep that correspondence only as long as needed to help you, then delete it.
Your hydration and profile data is stored on your device, where iOS's on-device encryption and sandboxing protect it the same way they protect any other app's local storage, and, if iCloud sync is on, in your iCloud, where Apple's iCloud security protects it. We take reasonable care with any information you do send us directly (e.g., a support email), but no method of storage or transmission is 100% secure.
Since we don't collect or hold your personal data on any server, there is generally nothing on our end to access, correct, or delete beyond what you already control directly on your device, in your iCloud settings, or in the Health app. If you've contacted us by email, you can ask us to delete that correspondence at any time by writing to fernwayapps@gmail.com.
Fernway is based in the United Kingdom. Because Sproutly doesn't collect personal data on our own servers, our role as a "data controller" under the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 is minimal — limited to any correspondence you send us directly. For that correspondence, you have the rights to access, correct, or request erasure of it, to object to or restrict its processing, and to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's data protection regulator. Contact: Fernway, fernwayapps@gmail.com.
The same limited role applies under the EU GDPR for residents of the European Economic Area — you have the rights to access, correct, or request erasure of any correspondence you've sent us, and to lodge a complaint with your local Data Protection Authority. Contact: Fernway, fernwayapps@gmail.com.
We do not sell or share personal information, and have none to disclose beyond what's described above. If this ever changes, we will update this policy and provide any required "Do Not Sell or Share" mechanism.
For the same reason, our processing as a "data fiduciary" is limited to correspondence you send us. You may access, correct, or request erasure of that correspondence, or raise a grievance, by writing to fernwayapps@gmail.com.
Sproutly is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. Because Sproutly has no accounts and no server-side data collection, this risk is inherently limited — but if you believe a child has contacted us directly with personal information, please write to fernwayapps@gmail.com and we will delete it.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time, for example if we add a new feature that changes what data Sproutly handles. We'll update the "Last Updated" date above, and for significant changes, we'll note it within the app. Continued use of Sproutly after changes are posted means you accept the updated policy.
Questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or Sproutly's data practices: