Privacy Policy
Last Updated: July 13, 2026
Paul Hill Studio LLC operates Pulse. This Privacy Policy explains what data we collect, how we use it, and your rights.
1. Information We Collect
Account information: name and email via Sign in with Apple.
Health and fitness data: workout type, distance, duration, pace, and source app via Apple HealthKit, used solely to verify Pact completion. See Section 3 for details.
Location data: precise location (GPS), collected only while you are actively recording a run. See Section 4 for details.
Payment information: processed by Stripe. We do not store your card details.
Usage data: device info, push notification token, app usage patterns, and crash logs.
2. How We Use Your Information
We use your data to operate the Service, verify workouts, process payments, send notifications, improve the app, and comply with legal obligations. We do not use your data for advertising and we do not sell it to third parties.
3. Health & Fitness Data (Apple HealthKit)
With your explicit permission, Pulse reads workout data from Apple HealthKit — specifically running and walking workouts, including distance and workout records. We access this data for one purpose only: to verify that you completed the run associated with a Pact.
We do not sell your HealthKit data. We do not use it for advertising or marketing. We do not share it with third parties beyond what is strictly necessary to operate the Service (for example, our backend infrastructure provider, which processes data on our behalf under contract and is prohibited from using it for any other purpose). We never share HealthKit data with data brokers or advertisers, and we never use it for any purpose unrelated to verifying your Pacts.
How it is stored: workout data read from HealthKit is transmitted over encrypted connections (TLS) and stored in our secured backend solely as the verification record for the relevant Pact. We retain only the workout details needed to confirm completion (such as distance, duration, and timestamp); we do not maintain a broader copy of your Health profile.
You control this access. You can grant or revoke Pulse's HealthKit permissions at any time in the iOS Settings app under Privacy & Security → Health. Revoking access will prevent Pulse from verifying future Pacts.
4. Location Data
When you record a run in Pulse, we collect your device's precise location (GPS) — but only while a run is actively being recorded. We do not collect your location at any other time.
We use this location to trace your running route and to calculate the distance and pace of your run, which we use to verify your progress toward a Pact.
The GPS route of a recorded run is saved to Apple Health as the workout route, and the run's distance is applied to your active Pact(s).
So that a run is tracked accurately even when your phone is in your pocket, location tracking continues in the background while your screen is locked during an active run. Tracking stops as soon as the run ends.
We do not sell your location data, and we never use it for advertising or marketing.
You control this access. Pulse requests location permission before your first run, and you can grant or revoke it at any time in the iOS Settings app under Privacy & Security → Location Services. Denying or revoking location access prevents Pulse from recording runs.
5. Third-Party Services
We use Stripe for payments, Firebase/Google for our backend, and Apple for authentication and HealthKit. Each has its own privacy policy.
6. Information Visible to Other Users
Pulse is a social accountability app. Certain information is visible to other Pulse users so that Pacts and leaderboards can function:
Your profile — the name and photo you set — is visible to people you follow and people who follow you, and to anyone you share a Pact with.
Pact and running activity — including your run distances, whether you completed a Pact, and how quickly you completed it — appears on a leaderboard visible to other Pulse users you are connected with. This lets you and your friends compare progress and hold each other accountable.
Only the activity data needed to display Pacts and leaderboards is shared in this way. Your payment details, email address, and precise GPS route are never shown to other users.
7. Data Retention
We retain your data while your account is active. After deletion, personal data is removed within 30 days, subject to legal retention requirements. Financial records are retained for 7 years per US tax law.
8. Your Rights
You may access, update, or delete your data through the app. California residents have additional rights under CCPA including the right to know, delete, and opt out of sale (we do not sell data). Contact us at hey@paulhill.nyc to exercise your rights.
9. Children's Privacy
Pulse is not directed to users under 13 and we do not knowingly collect data from children under 13.
10. Security
Data in transit is encrypted via TLS. Payment data is handled by Stripe at PCI DSS Level 1 compliance. We will notify users of any material data breach without unreasonable delay.
11. Changes
We may update this Policy. Material changes will be notified through the app. Continued use constitutes acceptance.
12. Contact
Paul Hill Studio LLC
161 Water St, New York, NY 10038
hey@paulhill.nyc