The short version
Dear Details is a local-first iPhone app. Your people, contact methods, notes, interactions, important dates, reminders, and tags are stored in an on-device database. Dear Details has no account system for relationship data, cloud relationship database, analytics server, advertising, tracking, or third-party SDKs.
The app never syncs what you wrote about anybody — your notes, reminders, and history stay on your phone. Directory data may leave the device only when you deliberately connect a contact source or export a backup, or use an Apple system handoff such as making a call, composing an email, opening a link, or viewing an address in Maps.
Where your data lives
The Dear Details database is a protected SQLite store in the app’s Application Support area. The database directory is excluded from iCloud and device backup. That means a device restore or device loss can lose your Dear Details data unless you have exported a backup.
Dear Details makes this boundary visible instead of placing private relationship data in an implicit backup path. The app can remind you to export a backup, but exporting is always your choice.
Permissions are optional and specific
Contacts
Dear Details can sync your address book with accounts and sources you explicitly connect. It reads directory data such as names and contact methods, and can write directory changes back when you approve them. It never syncs what you wrote about anybody — your notes, reminders, and history stay on your phone. You can also use the app without Contacts access and add people manually.
Calendar
Dear Details reads calendar events only when you choose an event to add as a relationship interaction. It does not continuously copy your calendar.
Notifications
Reminders are scheduled as local iOS notifications on your device. Notification text can use a private mode that never shows names, notes, or interaction details.
Backups and exports
When you export, Dear Details creates a .deardetailsbackup file and hands it to the iOS share sheet. The file goes wherever you choose to send or store it. A Dear Details backup file is not encrypted, so treat it as private data and keep it somewhere secure.
Restore validates the file before replacing the local database. If validation fails, the existing data is left in place.
Apple system handoffs
When you tap a phone number, email address, link, or street address, iOS may open Apple’s Phone, Messages, Mail, Safari, or Maps apps. Those handoffs are controlled by iOS and the receiving app. Apple’s apps and services have their own privacy policies; Dear Details does not operate those services.
This website
This website is a small static site. It has no forms, cookies, analytics, advertising, third-party fonts, or third-party tracking scripts. It does not ask you for personal information. Emailing support is an intentional message from you to the support address and is handled by your email provider.
Contact
If you have a privacy question, email support@deardetails.com. This policy may be updated when Dear Details gains or changes a capability. The effective date above will change with the policy.