Privacy Policy
Last updated: November 8, 2026. This is the policy for the iah app (If Anything Happens) and the website ifanythinghappens.app.
The short version
You record a message for the people you love. We keep it safe. We send it to the people you chose only if you stop answering our check-ins and your safety person does not tell us you are fine. We do not sell your information, we do not use your message to train AI models, and we do not show you advertising. iah is not end-to-end private: to be able to send your message when the time comes, our systems can open it. That is explained below in plain words.
Who we are
iah is run by AlwaysThere LLC, 5900 Balcones Dr Ste 100, Austin, TX 78731, USA. We decide how your information is used, so we are the "controller" of it. You can reach us at [email protected].
What we collect
| What | Why we need it | Who can see it |
|---|---|---|
| Your first name and email address | To create your account, sign you in with an emailed code, and reach you | You and us |
| Your message: videos, photos, voice recordings, notes, and your answers to the ten questions | It is the whole point of the service | You, and your people once it is released. Our systems can open it to release it (see below). |
| Names, email addresses and phone numbers of the people you add, and of your safety person | To tell them about your message and to send it | You and us. Your safety person never sees your message. |
| Check-in history: when you said you were here, and when we last reached you | To decide when a release should start | You and us |
| A one-way fingerprint (hash) of your printed spare key, if you make one | To recognise the key without storing it | Us |
| Payment details, when you buy on our website | You pay on our website through our payment processor. We receive a receipt and a payment reference, never your full card number. | The processor and us |
| Basic technical data, such as IP address, device type and app version | To keep the service secure and fix problems | Us and our hosting providers |
We only read your phone's contacts when you tap "Choose from my contacts". We see only the one contact you pick, not your address book.
We do not collect your precise location. We do not use advertising or tracking software in the app.
How we use your information
- To run your account, store your message, and send you check-in reminders.
- To contact your safety person and your people, and to deliver your message, as described below.
- To take payment, prevent fraud, keep the service secure, and meet legal obligations.
- To answer you when you write to us.
We do not sell your information. We do not use your message, your contacts or your answers to train AI or machine-learning models. We do not routinely watch or listen to your message.
How a release works, and who sees what
- We ask you to check in on the schedule you set. A check-in is one tap on the heart in the app.
- If you do not answer, we email you a reminder, and a second one a few days later.
- If you still do not answer, we email your safety person. They can tell us you are fine with one tap, which stops the process. They cannot see your message.
- If you chose to send your message even when your safety person does not answer, a silent safety person does not stop a release after about a week. If you did not choose that, your message stays locked until they answer. If you have no safety person with an email address and you chose to send your message anyway, we move on after about a week.
- Before anything is sent there is a final waiting period of about seven days, and we email you again. Any check-in from you during this time cancels the release.
- When the period ends, each person you chose receives an email with a private link. The first page they see warns them that the message may be hard to read, and asks them to tick a box and type their own first name before it opens. They can return to the same link later.
In total, a release begins roughly three weeks after a missed check-in. We cannot tell whether someone who stopped answering has died, is ill, has lost their phone or has simply stopped checking. That is why these steps exist, and why we ask you to choose your safety person with care. A message can be released while you are alive if you and your safety person are both unreachable.
Is my message private?
It is protected, but it is not end-to-end private. Your message travels to us over an encrypted connection and is encrypted while it is stored by our storage provider. To be able to deliver it when you cannot act, our systems must be able to open it. That means a person or system with the right access at iah or at our storage provider could technically open it, and we could be required to by a valid legal order. We limit access to as few people as possible and do not use it for anything other than running the service. If you need a message that even we could never open, iah is not the right tool for it.
If you print a spare key, we store only a one-way fingerprint of it, never the key itself. It is not used to release your message, and it should not be given to the people who will receive it.
Who we share information with
We use these kinds of companies to run iah. They handle your information only for us, under contract:
- Database, file storage and sign-in: Supabase (servers in the United States).
- Website, security and DNS: Cloudflare.
- Email delivery: Resend.
- Payments on our website: our payment processor.
- Support mailbox: Zoho Mail.
We share your message and your contact details only with the people you named, at the time of a release. We may also disclose information if the law requires it, to protect someone from serious harm, or if the business is sold, in which case the same promises here must continue to apply.
We may add text messages and push notifications in future. If we do, we will update this policy first.
Where your information is stored
Your information is stored and processed in the United States. If you use iah from outside the United States, you understand that your information goes there.
How long we keep it
- While your account is active: your message and details are kept for your 5-year term.
- If you delete your message or your account in the app (Menu, then Delete my account): we delete it from our live systems straight away. Copies in backups are overwritten on a rolling basis. Deleting also cancels any future release.
- After a release: your people can return to their private link so they can open the message again. If they ask us to delete it, we will.
- Records we must keep, such as payment receipts, are kept for as long as the law requires.
Your choices and rights
You can see, change or delete your message, your people and your safety person in the app at any time, and delete your whole account from the menu. You can also write to [email protected] to ask for a copy of your information, to correct it, or to delete it.
If you live in California, the EU, the UK or another place with privacy laws, you may have extra rights, such as to object to or limit our use of your information, and to complain to your local regulator. We do not sell or share personal information for advertising. We will not treat you differently for using these rights.
The people you add
When you add someone, you give us their name and contact details. Please only add people who would expect to hear from you. We use their details only to tell them about your message, to ask your safety person to confirm you are well, and to deliver your message. If someone asks us to stop contacting them, we will, and we will tell you.
Children
iah is for people aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect information from children. If you believe a child has an account, write to us and we will delete it.
Keeping your information secure
We use encryption in transit and at rest, access controls, and separate environments for development and live data. No system is perfectly secure, and we cannot promise it will never be breached. If a breach affects your information, we will tell you as the law requires.
Changes to this policy
If we change this policy in a way that matters to you, we will tell you in the app or by email before it takes effect, and the date at the top will change.
Contact
iah, c/o AlwaysThere LLC, 5900 Balcones Dr Ste 100, Austin, TX 78731, USA. Email [email protected].