Anchored Privacy Policy
Last updated October 19, 2026
Anchored is made by Jesus Freak Studio. This policy explains what information Anchored keeps, where it is kept, who can see it, and how to delete it. We don't sell your information, we don't show ads, and Anchored has no advertising or tracking tools.
Your account
To use Anchored you create an account with your email address and a password. Sign-in is handled by Google Firebase Authentication; Anchored never sees or stores your password.
Your email is used to sign you in, and it is included with any bug report you send so we can reply. It is never shown to other people in Anchored.
What is saved in your account
These are stored in Google Firebase (Google's cloud) so they work on all your devices:
- Profile: your name, age, height, weight, unit choice, denomination, and app colors. Only you can see these.
- Username: shown with your posts and prayer requests, and used by people to connect with you.
- Connections (friends): the people you connect with, and which of them you choose as accountability partners.
- Your messaging public key: a code that lets your friends lock messages so only your device can open them. It can't be used to read anything.
- Calendar events and budget entries, including the "Worked out" and "Studied with Jesus" entries Anchored adds when you finish a workout or the daily devotional. Only you can see these.
- Shopping lists: seen only by the people the list is shared with.
- Accountability check-ins: seen by you and the partners you choose.
- Protection on/off history (Android): when protection is turned on or off. Seen by you and the partners you choose.
What everyone in Anchored can see
Forum posts, replies, and prayer requests are public to everyone signed in to Anchored, along with your username. If you post a prayer request anonymously, other people see "Anonymous," but your account is still recorded so you can delete it and so moderators can act on abuse.
If you report something, the reported words, who wrote them, and that you reported them are saved for our moderators. If someone is banned from posting, the ban and its reason are saved.
What stays only on your device
Notes (including voice recordings), Bible highlights, Bible bookmarks, your workouts (saved workouts, your own exercises, logged sets, and workout history), and your food log (meals, your own foods, and goals) are saved only on the phone or computer where you made them. They are not sent to us or to Firebase, they don't sync between devices, and they are erased if you uninstall the app or clear your browser's site data.
Private messages
You can message people you're friends with (accepted connections). Each message is locked (end-to-end encrypted) on your device before it's sent, so only your friend's device can open it. Not even Jesus Freak Studio or Anchored's moderators can read your messages.
While a message is on its way, the locked message, who sent it, who it's for, and when are briefly stored in Firebase. Your friend's device deletes it from Firebase as soon as it arrives. The readable conversation is saved only on your device and your friend's.
Messages are kept on one device at a time and are not backed up by us. If you lose or reset your phone, your messages are gone unless you saved a backup file (Messages → Save backup), which is kept wherever you choose to save it.
If you report a message, a copy of that one message (and who wrote it) is sent to our moderators. That is the only way anyone else ever sees a message.
Sharing your calendar
You can send calendar events (one event, a day, a month, or a year) to a friend. The events you choose are stored in Firebase only until your friend adds them to their calendar or declines; then the shared copy is deleted. Only you and that friend can see it.
Reminders
The 5 PM accountability reminder is scheduled on your phone. Nothing about it is sent to us. If you answer from the notification, your check-in is saved like any other check-in. You can turn it off in Accountability.
Backup files
In Profile, Settings you can save a backup file with everything kept only on your device (notes and recordings, highlights, workouts, food log, messages and their key, and settings) to move to a new phone. The file is saved wherever you choose (for example Google Drive or your computer). It is not encrypted, so keep it private. We never receive it.
Microphone
Anchored uses the microphone only when you tap Record in a note. The recording stays on your device.
Protection (Android)
Protection uses Android's VPN feature on your phone to block pornography. Only website name lookups (DNS) pass through it: each one is checked against a block list on your phone and then answered by Cloudflare for Families, a free filtering service that blocks adult and malicious sites. Your other internet traffic does not pass through Anchored.
Anchored does not record or send us the websites you visit. Cloudflare handles the lookups it answers under its own privacy policy (cloudflare.com/privacypolicy).
If you lock protection on, that choice is saved on your phone and protection turns itself back on after a restart. Your accountability partners see that you locked it.
Finding churches
The Churches page opens Google Maps with your search. Anchored does not access your location; Google Maps may, under Google's privacy policy.
Who handles your information
Your account data is stored and processed by Google Firebase (Google LLC) on our behalf. Anchored's security rules limit each piece of information to the people described above, and information is encrypted in transit. We don't share your information with anyone else, except if the law requires it.
Children
Anchored is not meant for children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect information from them. If you believe a child under 13 has an account, email us and we will delete it.
Deleting your account and data
You can delete your account at any time in Anchored: More → Profile & Settings → Settings → Delete my account. This permanently deletes your account, profile, connections, calendar, budget, shopping lists you own, your forum posts (with their replies), your prayer requests, check-ins, protection history, bug reports, calendar events you shared or were offered, your messaging key and any locked messages still waiting in Firebase, and the notes, highlights, recordings, workouts, food log, and messages on that device. Copies of messages you sent stay on your friends' devices.
Replies you wrote on other people's forum posts stay in their conversations under your former username, which is not given to anyone else. Reports you filed about others and moderation records may be kept to keep the community safe.
If you can't open the app, email us from the address on your account and ask us to delete it. We will do so within 30 days.
Changes
If we change this policy, we'll update the date above and, for important changes, let you know in the app.
Contact
Questions or requests: Support@JesusFreakStudio.com