Privacy Policy
The Stories We Tell · Last updated 28 September 2026
The Stories We Tell is a private journaling app built around reflection on your past, present, and future. This policy explains, plainly, what happens to what you write.
The short version: There are no accounts. What you write stays on your own device. The only time your writing leaves your device is when you ask for a summary, and it is not stored after that summary is produced. We do not use analytics, advertising, or tracking of any kind.
What you write, and where it lives
Your journal entries are saved automatically in your device's local storage as you type. They stay on that device. They are not uploaded to us, we cannot read them, and they are not synchronized between your devices or backed up to any server we operate.
You can erase them at any time using the button in the app that clears saved responses. Deleting the app, or clearing your browser's site data, also removes them permanently. Because this data lives only on your device, we cannot recover it for you once it is gone.
When you request a summary
If you choose to generate a summary, the text of your entries is sent over an encrypted connection to our server, which passes it to Ollama's language model service to produce the summary that comes back to you.
This transmission happens only when you press the button to generate a summary. It does not happen in the background or while you are writing.
We do not save your entries or the resulting summary on our servers. The text is held in memory only long enough to complete that one request. Ollama processes the request under its own privacy terms; we do not control its infrastructure and encourage you to review its policy if this matters to you.
If the summary service is unavailable, the app produces a summary on your device instead, and nothing is transmitted at all.
What we do not do
- We do not require or offer accounts, logins, or profiles.
- We do not use analytics, advertising, tracking pixels, or third-party cookies.
- We do not sell, rent, or share your writing with anyone.
- We do not build a profile of you or attempt to identify you.
Third parties that necessarily see something
Using any app over the internet means some services observe a connection. For completeness:
- Netlify hosts the app and our summary endpoint, and keeps standard server logs that include IP addresses.
- Ollama receives your entry text when, and only when, you request a summary.
- Google Fonts serves a typeface to your device. This request reveals your IP address to Google but carries none of your writing.
Exporting your writing
The export feature builds a PDF on your device, using a library that ships inside the app rather than one fetched from the internet, and hands the file to you directly. Nothing is sent anywhere as part of that process, and it works with no connection at all. Once you save or share that file, it is yours to look after.
Children
This app is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect information from them.
This app is not treatment
The Stories We Tell is a reflective journaling tool. It is not therapy, not a medical device, and not a substitute for care from a qualified professional. Summaries it produces describe patterns in your own writing; they are not diagnoses or clinical advice.
If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please reach out to someone who can help. In the United States you can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at any time. Outside the United States, your local emergency services or crisis line can offer immediate support.
Changes to this policy
If this policy changes, the revised version will be posted on this page with an updated date above.
Contact
Questions about privacy can be sent to cgouldman@gmail.com.