Nothing to collect.

Circles is local-first. Your data lives on your phone, and nowhere else.

Last updated: April 18, 2026

The short version

We don't collect, store, transmit, sell, share, or analyze any personal information. Everything you enter in Circles stays on your device. We have no servers, no accounts, and no way to see your data — because none of it ever leaves your phone.

Who we are

Circles is made by Village Practices LLC. When this policy says "we," it means Village Practices LLC. When it says "Circles," it means the iOS app of that name.

What data Circles collects

None.

The information you enter in Circles — names, phone numbers, notes, circles, reminders, and so on — is stored locally on your device using Apple's SwiftData framework. It is never transmitted to us or to any third party.

What data Circles stores on your device

Circles stores only the information you choose to enter, including:

People you add (names, contact information, notes, photos)
Circles you create and their cadence settings
Reminders and nudges you configure
Your preferences (notification time, default views, etc.)

This data is stored in Circles' app container on your device, protected by iOS data protection, and is accessible only to Circles and to you.

iCloud backup

If you have iCloud Backup enabled on your iPhone, iOS may back up Circles' data as part of your device backup. This is a standard iOS feature that applies to most apps. The backup is encrypted by Apple and governed by Apple's privacy practices — not ours. We have no access to iCloud backups.

Permissions Circles may request

With your explicit permission, Circles can access:

Contacts — to let you import people you already know, so you don't have to type them in by hand. Nothing is sent anywhere; contact data is only read onto your device.
Notifications — to send you the daily nudge at the time you've chosen. Notifications are scheduled locally by iOS.

You can revoke any of these permissions at any time in your iPhone's Settings app.

Third-party services

Circles uses no third-party analytics, advertising networks, crash reporting services, or tracking SDKs. There are no third parties with access to your data, because there is no transmission of data to begin with.

Children's privacy

Circles is not directed at children under 13. Because Circles collects no data from anyone, it also collects no data from children.

Your rights

Because we hold no data about you, we have nothing to give you, delete, correct, or transfer. You are welcome to delete Circles from your device at any time, which will remove its local data (subject to any iCloud Backup behavior described above).

Changes to this policy

If we ever change how Circles handles data — for example, if a future version adds optional cloud sync — we will update this policy and clearly communicate the change inside the app before any new behavior takes effect. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page always reflects the current version.

Contact

Questions about this policy or about Circles? You can reach us at emily@villagepractices.com.