Privacy Policy

Last updated October 7, 2026

Hudson is built to keep your relationship details private. The short version: what you put in Hudson stays on your iPhone and your own iCloud. We see only anonymous counts of how the app is used, plus the text of your notes if you choose to share it with us.

What changed (October 2026): Hudson now sends anonymous usage counts (no names, no content) to help us improve the app. It also adds three optional features that send text off your phone, only when you use them: Apple's Private Cloud Compute for Pen Pal, using your own Anthropic or OpenAI key, and "Help improve Hudson" note sharing. The wishlist share button also reads the product page you share. Each is explained below.

What we collect

Hudson has no account system, no login, and no server holding your data. We never receive your dates, wishlist, sizes, little things or anything else you save.

We do receive two things:

Anonymous usage counts. Things like "the app was opened", "a screen was viewed" or "a wishlist item was saved", with the kind of thing (for example "reminder") but never what it says. They're tied only to a random ID created when you install Hudson, not to your name, Apple ID, email or contacts. We use them to see which features people use. They're sent to PostHog, our analytics provider, in the United States.
Your notes, only if you turn on "Help improve Hudson". This is off unless you choose it. When it's on, after you review a Pen Pal note, Hudson sends the text of what you said and the cards Hudson suggested and you kept, with that same random ID. Never audio. We use it only to make Pen Pal understand people better. You can turn it off anytime in Settings → Pen Pal, and email us to delete what you've shared.

We don't sell or rent any of it, and we don't use it for advertising.

Where your data lives

Everything you enter (dates and reminders, sizes, wishlist items and photos, "little things", streaks and points) is stored locally on your iPhone.

If you use iCloud, Hudson can sync that data across your own Apple devices through Apple's iCloud (CloudKit). That sync happens entirely within your personal iCloud account, under Apple's privacy terms. Hudson has no server in the middle and no access to what syncs. Some data, like voice drafts and cached photos, stays only on the device you created it on.

Voice and Pen Pal

Pen Pal ("Tell me about them") listens with Apple's on-device speech recognition. Your voice is turned into text on your iPhone; the audio is never stored or sent anywhere.

Turning that text into cards happens in one of three places:

On your iPhone, with Apple's on-device model. Nothing leaves your phone.
Apple's Private Cloud Compute, when your iPhone hands a request to Apple's servers built for Apple Intelligence. Apple designed these so your text isn't stored or accessible to Apple, and Hudson never sees it.
Your own AI provider, only if you add your own Anthropic or OpenAI API key in Settings. Then the text of what you say, the date, and a short list of what you've already saved in Hudson go straight from your iPhone to that provider, under your account with them and their privacy terms. Hudson never sees it. Your key is stored in your iPhone's Keychain and never sent to us. Turn it off anytime in Settings.

Pen Pal requires an iPhone with Apple Intelligence (iOS 26 or later), unless you use your own key. Without either, the rest of the app works normally.

Sharing products to your wishlist

When you share a product page to Hudson from Safari or another app, Hudson reads that page (its title, photo, price and description) and downloads the photo, so it can add the item to your wishlist. This request goes from your iPhone to the store's website, like opening the page yourself. Hudson doesn't send what you share to us.

Permissions

Hudson asks for a few system permissions, only when you use the related feature:

Camera — to snap a photo of a gift idea.
Photo library — to save or pick gift photos.
Microphone — so Pen Pal can listen when you tell Hudson about your partner.
Speech recognition — to transcribe that dictation on-device.

You can change or revoke any of these anytime in iOS Settings.

No ads, no tracking

Hudson has no advertising and doesn't track you across other apps or websites. The only third-party service built into the app is PostHog, for the anonymous usage counts and opt-in notes described above. Apple (Private Cloud Compute) and the AI provider you choose with your own key receive text only as described in "Voice and Pen Pal".

This website (gethudson.app) uses Cloudflare Web Analytics, a cookieless, privacy-first page-view counter. It doesn't track you across sites, doesn't use cookies or fingerprinting, and has nothing to do with the app itself.

Deleting your data

You're always in control. Delete individual items inside the app, or use the in-app option to erase everything — which removes your data from the device and from your iCloud. Deleting the app also removes its on-device data. To delete notes you shared through "Help improve Hudson", email us and we'll remove them.

Children

Hudson isn't directed to children under 13 and we don't knowingly collect information from them.

Changes to this policy

If we update this policy, we'll change the date above and post the new version here.

Contact

Questions? Email hello @ gethudson.app.

Hudson is made by Apparent Solutions, LLC (North Carolina, USA). This policy is provided for transparency and isn't legal advice.