Privacy Policy
Stillwell exists to notice when someone who lives alone goes quiet. To do that, it needs to know when there was a sign of life, but not what you were doing. This policy explains, in plain words, what we collect, why, who can see it, how long we keep it and how you can have it deleted.
The short version
- We store the time of everyday signs of life (phone use, steps, charging, check-ins), never their content. No step counts, no app names, no messages, no location.
- The people in your circle can see when you were last active and whether your phone is working, so they can help you.
- If you go quiet, we send your name and the time of your last sign of life to the people you chose: by notification in the app, by WhatsApp message to those who connected WhatsApp, and on the paid plan by text message and automated phone call.
- No ads, no analytics or tracking SDKs, and we never sell your data.
- Raw signals are deleted after 30 days. You can ask us to delete everything at any time.
1. Who we are
Stillwell is made by Ahmet Faruk Akgün, an individual developer trading as Afakgun Studio, based in Ankara, Türkiye ("we", "us"). We are the data controller for the personal data described here, under the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Türkiye's Personal Data Protection Law No. 6698 (KVKK).
- Email: privacy@afakgunstudio.com
- Postal address: Yeniçağ Mah., İkili Sk. No: 3 Daire: 1, 06170 Yenimahalle/Ankara, Türkiye
Turkish speakers can also read our KVKK Aydınlatma Metni.
2. Who this policy covers
- The person being looked after
- Someone who installs Stillwell on their own phone so that their people are told if they go quiet. In the app this is "I live alone" or similar; below we simply say "you".
- Watchers
- Family members or friends who install Stillwell, join a circle with an invite code and receive alerts in the app. They can also choose to receive alerts on WhatsApp.
- Phone contacts
- People who don't use the app but whose name and phone number were added to a circle. They can choose to receive alerts on WhatsApp (on any plan); on the paid plan they can also receive text messages and automated calls.
3. What we collect and why
We only collect what Stillwell needs to work. Everything below is linked to your Stillwell account, which is how we know which circle it belongs to.
3.1 Your account
| Data | Why |
|---|---|
| A random account ID. Stillwell signs you in anonymously: there is no sign-up form and no password. | To keep your circle, devices and settings together. |
| Email address (optional, only if you choose "Protect your account") | To send you a 6-digit sign-in code so you can restore your account on a new phone. We don't send marketing email. |
| The name you enter (it can be a nickname), your language and time zone | To show your name to your circle, write messages in the right language and apply your daily rhythm in your local time. |
| Your daily rhythm (when your day starts, the morning check time, when your day ends, how long a silence is too long) and any pause dates | These are the rules that decide when Stillwell should check on you. Quiet nights and paused periods never raise an alert. |
| Your plan (free or paid) | To know which alert channels are available. |
3.2 Signs of life (only on the phone of the person being looked after)
Stillwell records the type of sign and the time it happened. Nothing else about the activity leaves your phone.
| Sign | What exactly is recorded |
|---|---|
| Check-in | The time you tapped "I'm OK". |
| App opened | The time you opened Stillwell. |
| Phone use (Android only, needs "Usage access") | The time of the most recent moment you unlocked or used your screen. Android provides this through its usage statistics; Stillwell reads only the event type and time and ignores everything else. We never see or store which apps you used, what you looked at, or your messages, photos or browsing. |
| Movement (needs "Physical activity" on Android or "Motion & Fitness" on iPhone) | Android: the time we noticed that your phone's step counter had moved. iPhone: the end time of each 15-minute period in which you took any steps. We don't store how many steps you took, distances or any other fitness or health data. |
| Charging | The time we noticed the charger had been plugged in or unplugged. |
| Heartbeat | A note that the phone checked in, even if there was no sign of a person. This tells your circle the phone itself is working. |
You can turn off any of these permissions at any time in your phone's settings. Stillwell will then rely on the remaining signs, and the app will tell you and your circle that protection is reduced.
3.3 Your phone
For every phone linked to an account (including watchers' phones) we keep:
- a device ID and a secret device key (we only store a one-way fingerprint of the key);
- platform (Android or iOS), phone model, operating system version and Stillwell version;
- battery level and whether it is charging;
- which permissions are turned on (usage access, physical activity, battery optimisation, notifications);
- a push notification token, so we can send notifications to that phone;
- the time of the last report and of the last sign of life.
Why: to receive reports, to send notifications, and so that you and your circle can see whether the phone is still working (for example "battery 12%, last checked in at 21:05") and whether a missing permission is weakening protection.
3.4 Your circle
- For each watcher: the name they entered, their language, their place in the alert order, whether they manage the circle, and their phone number if they chose to add it.
- For each phone contact: the name and mobile number entered by the person being looked after, and their language.
- The circle's invite code.
3.5 WhatsApp (only for people who connect it)
Anyone in a circle, a watcher or a phone contact, can choose to receive alerts on WhatsApp. The person being looked after, or the person who manages the circle, shares a personal WhatsApp link with them. Tapping it opens WhatsApp with a ready-made message, "STILLWELL" followed by an 8-character code, addressed to Stillwell's WhatsApp Business number. Sending that message is their opt-in, and Stillwell replies with a welcome message. Replying STOP (or DUR, AYRIL, İPTAL or ÇIK) disconnects WhatsApp for that number immediately.
For a person who connects WhatsApp we keep:
- their WhatsApp ID: the phone number WhatsApp reports for them, in international format;
- the time they connected (their opt-in);
- their personal join code;
- records of the WhatsApp messages we send them and of the buttons they press, as described in 3.6.
We don't store the text of other messages they send us. Incoming messages are only checked for a join code, a stop word or a button press; anything else gets an automatic reply explaining how the number works.
Why: to send them alerts on WhatsApp, which they asked for.
3.6 Alerts and messages
- Alert timeline: when an alert opened and why (morning check or long silence), each step taken, who was contacted on which channel, whether it was delivered, and who tapped "I'm handling it" (in the app, or with the "I'm on it" button in a WhatsApp alert) or "They're fine — close". This is shown to the circle so everyone can see what happened.
- Message records: for every notification, WhatsApp message, text message or call: the recipient (push token, WhatsApp ID or phone number), the message type and language, the details that go into the message (name, time zone, time of last sign of life, last phone check-in, battery level), and delivery status reported by the provider (for WhatsApp: sent, delivered, read or failed).
3.7 Subscriptions (when available)
Paid plans are bought through the App Store or Google Play. We receive the subscription status, product, purchase and renewal dates and an anonymous purchaser ID through our subscription provider (RevenueCat). We never see your card or bank details.
3.8 Support and technical logs
- If you email us, we keep the conversation to help you.
- Our hosting provider automatically logs technical information about requests to our servers (such as IP address, time and the type of device or software) for security and to keep the service running. These logs are kept for a short time.
4. What we don't collect
- Your location, at any time.
- Your phone's contacts or address book (you type in only the people you choose).
- Your messages, calls, photos, files, browsing, or the names or content of other apps.
- The text of messages people send to Stillwell's WhatsApp number, beyond checking them for a join code, a stop word or a button press.
- Microphone or camera input.
- Step counts, heart rate, medical conditions or any other health records.
- Advertising identifiers. Stillwell contains no advertising and no analytics or tracking SDKs, and we don't track you across other companies' apps or websites.
5. How alerts use your data
Our server, not your phone, decides whether there has been a silence, because a phone that is switched off or out of battery can't raise the alarm itself. Every minute it compares your latest sign of life with your daily rhythm. If a silence is detected:
- it sends a silent notification to wake your phone and collect any recent signs;
- if there is still nothing, it asks you "Are you okay?" with a notification;
- if you don't respond, it alerts your people one by one, in the order you set: by notification in the app, by WhatsApp message if they connected WhatsApp, and on the paid plan by text message and then by automated phone call. For someone who connected WhatsApp, the WhatsApp message replaces the text message.
Alerts contain your name, the time of your last sign of life and, when known, when your phone last checked in and its battery level. A WhatsApp alert has an "I'm on it" button that works like "I'm handling it" in the app. People who got the alert on WhatsApp also get short follow-ups there, for example when the alert is closed or someone else is handling it. Notifications, WhatsApp messages and text messages may appear on the recipient's lock screen.
This is automated processing, but it has no legal effect on you and you stay in control: you can check in, pause Stillwell while you're travelling or in hospital, change your rhythm or remove people at any time, and any sign of life immediately closes an alert.
6. Who can see your data
- Watchers in your circle can see your name, your status (okay, needs attention, alert, paused), the time of your last sign of life, the alert timeline, and for each of your phones: platform, model, last check-in time, battery level, charging state and which permissions are on.
- Everyone in a circle (the person being looked after and the watchers) can see the names of the circle's members. Phone numbers in a circle can be seen only by the person being looked after, the person who manages the circle and the member the number belongs to. Other watchers see names only.
- Phone contacts receive only the alerts and related messages described above.
- Anyone with your invite code can join your circle as a watcher. Share it only with people you trust; you can remove anyone at any time.
- Our service providers (section 7), only to the extent needed to provide their service to us.
- Authorities, only if we are legally required to, and we will push back on requests that are not lawful.
We do not sell personal data, rent it, or share it with advertisers or data brokers. If Stillwell is ever transferred to another owner, this policy will continue to apply to your data and we will tell you in advance.
7. Service providers
We use the following companies to run Stillwell. They process data on our behalf and under contracts that require them to protect it.
| Provider | What for | Data | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supabase Inc. | Database, sign-in, server functions | Everything described in section 3 | EU (AWS, Frankfurt, Germany) |
| Google LLC (Firebase Cloud Messaging) | Delivering notifications to Android and iPhone | Push token, notification content | USA and other countries |
| Apple Inc. (Apple Push Notification service) | Delivering notifications to iPhone | Push token, notification content | USA and other countries |
| Twilio Inc. | Text messages and automated voice calls (paid plan only) | Recipient phone number, message or call text, delivery status | USA |
| Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd. (WhatsApp Business Platform, Cloud API) | WhatsApp messages to people who connected WhatsApp (any plan) | WhatsApp ID (phone number), message content, button presses, delivery and read status | EU (Ireland), USA and other countries |
| Resend | Sending sign-in code emails | Email address, the code | EU (Ireland) |
| RevenueCat Inc. | Managing subscriptions (when available) | Anonymous purchaser ID, subscription status and history | USA |
| Apple App Store, Google Play | App distribution and payments | Handled under Apple's and Google's own privacy policies | Global |
Meta also processes WhatsApp message data under its own terms for WhatsApp Business. WhatsApp messages are end-to-end encrypted between WhatsApp users, but on our side Meta's Cloud API processes them in order to deliver them.
8. International transfers
Our database is hosted in the European Union (Frankfurt). We work from Türkiye, and some providers (Google, Apple, Meta, Twilio, RevenueCat) process data in the United States or other countries. Where data leaves the EU or Türkiye, we rely on the safeguards the law requires: the EU Standard Contractual Clauses and, where applicable, the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework for transfers from the EU, and the standard contracts set by Türkiye's Personal Data Protection Authority for transfers from Türkiye (KVKK article 9). You can ask us for more information about these safeguards.
9. How long we keep data
| Data | Kept for |
|---|---|
| Individual signs of life (type and time) | 30 days, then deleted automatically |
| Message records (recipient, content details, delivery status), including WhatsApp messages | 90 days after the message was handled, then deleted automatically |
| WhatsApp ID, opt-in time and join code of a person who connected WhatsApp | As long as they are a member of the circle; deleted when they are removed or the account is deleted. Replying STOP ends the opt-in immediately |
| Account, circle, members, phone details, latest sign of life, alert timelines | As long as the account or circle exists; deleted when you delete your account |
| Push token of a phone you unlink | Deleted immediately when the phone is unlinked |
| Technical server logs | A short time (typically days), as set by our hosting provider |
| Support emails | Up to 2 years after the conversation ends |
| Purchase records | As long as tax and accounting law requires |
Deleted data may remain in encrypted backups for a limited time until they are overwritten. Text message and call records are also kept by Twilio under its own retention rules; when you delete your account we ask Twilio to delete the records linked to your circle. WhatsApp messages that were already delivered stay in the recipient's WhatsApp, and Meta keeps delivery data under its own terms; we can't have those copies deleted.
10. Legal bases (GDPR and KVKK)
- Providing the service you asked for (GDPR art. 6(1)(b); KVKK art. 5(2)(c)): account, signs of life, phone details, circle, alerts and messages.
- Protecting someone's life or physical safety (GDPR art. 6(1)(d); KVKK art. 5(2)(b)): as an additional basis for alerting your people when you may not be able to respond yourself.
- Our legitimate interests (GDPR art. 6(1)(f); KVKK art. 5(2)(f)): keeping the service secure and reliable, preventing abuse, handling support requests, and processing the names and phone numbers of the people added to a circle so they can be reached.
- The person's own opt-in (GDPR art. 6(1)(a); KVKK art. 5(1)): we send WhatsApp messages only to people who sent the join message themselves, together with the bases above. They can withdraw at any time by replying STOP.
- Legal obligations (GDPR art. 6(1)(c); KVKK art. 5(2)(ç)): for example keeping purchase records and answering lawful requests.
- Establishing, exercising or defending legal claims (KVKK art. 5(2)(e)).
We do not process special categories of personal data (such as health data). Stillwell stores only the times of everyday activity, never step counts, medical information or diagnoses. We do not use your data for advertising or profiling.
11. Your choices
- Permissions: turn usage access, physical activity or notifications on or off at any time in your phone's settings.
- Pause: pause Stillwell for up to 30 days at a time; nobody is alerted while it is paused.
- Your circle: add, reorder or remove people at any time. A watcher can ask the person they look after, or us, to be removed.
- Email: linking an email is optional.
- WhatsApp: connecting WhatsApp is optional. Reply STOP (or DUR, AYRIL, İPTAL or ÇIK) to Stillwell's WhatsApp number to disconnect at once.
- Notifications: you can turn them off, but then Stillwell can't ask you whether you're okay, and watchers won't receive alerts in the app.
12. Deleting your account and data
Email privacy@afakgunstudio.com with the subject "Delete my Stillwell account", or follow the steps on our account deletion page. We will delete your account and all data linked to it within 30 days and confirm by email.
- Deleting the account of the person being looked after deletes their circle, its members (including phone contacts and their WhatsApp details), phones, signs of life, alert timelines and message records.
- Deleting a watcher's account removes them from every circle and deletes their phones.
- To help us find an anonymous account, write from the email you linked in the app, or tell us your name as shown in the app and your circle's invite code. We may ask a question to make sure the request really comes from you.
- Some data may be kept longer only where the law requires it (for example purchase records).
Before you uninstall: if you are the person being looked after, uninstalling the app looks exactly like silence to Stillwell and may alert your people. Pause Stillwell or ask us to delete your account first, and let your circle know. Uninstalling the app does not delete data on our servers.
13. Your rights
Depending on where you live, you have the right to:
- find out whether we process your data and get a copy of it;
- have incorrect data corrected;
- have your data deleted;
- restrict or object to certain processing (including processing based on legitimate interests);
- receive data you gave us in a machine-readable format (data portability);
- know which third parties your data was transferred to, in Türkiye or abroad;
- object to a result that is to your detriment and arises solely from automated analysis;
- claim compensation if you suffer damage from unlawful processing;
- complain to a data protection authority: in Türkiye, the Personal Data Protection Authority (KVKK, kvkk.gov.tr); in the EU/EEA, the authority in your country.
To use any of these rights, email privacy@afakgunstudio.com. We will answer free of charge within 30 days. Requests under KVKK can also be sent in writing to our postal address; see the KVKK Aydınlatma Metni (in Turkish).
14. People you add to your circle
When you add someone by name and phone number, you are giving us information about another person. Please ask them first and tell them that they may receive alerts about you from Stillwell by WhatsApp message, text message or automated call. Only add numbers of people who have agreed.
- On the paid plan, Stillwell sends a phone contact one text message when you add them, saying who added them and how to opt out.
- People who connect WhatsApp get a welcome message there when they connect.
If you received a Stillwell message and don't want to receive any more, tell the person who added you, or email us at privacy@afakgunstudio.com and we will remove your number. To stop WhatsApp messages, reply STOP in the Stillwell chat.
15. Security
- All data travels encrypted (HTTPS/TLS).
- Each phone has its own secret key, kept in the phone's secure storage (Android Keystore or iOS Keychain). Our server stores only a one-way fingerprint of it.
- Database access is restricted with row-level security: each person can only read the circles they belong to. Raw signs of life and message records cannot be read by any app user.
- Access to production systems is limited to the developer and protected with strong authentication.
No system is perfectly secure. If a breach affects your data, we will notify you and the authorities as the law requires.
16. Children
Stillwell is meant for adults and is not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect data from children under 16. If you think a child has given us data, contact us and we will delete it.
17. Additional regional information
United States (including California): we do not sell or "share" personal information for cross-context behavioural advertising, and we don't use sensitive personal information to infer characteristics about you. You can ask to know, correct or delete your data as described above, and we will not treat you differently for doing so.
18. Changes to this policy
If we change this policy, we will update the date at the top. If the change is significant, for example a new type of data or a new purpose, we will tell you in the app before it takes effect.
19. Contact us
Questions, requests or complaints: privacy@afakgunstudio.com
Afakgun Studio, Ahmet Faruk Akgün, Yeniçağ Mah., İkili Sk. No: 3 Daire: 1, 06170 Yenimahalle/Ankara, Türkiye