Privacy Policy

Last updated: April 6, 2026

Introduction

Ascend ("we", "our", or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your information when you use our stairstepper workout tracking application.

Information We Collect

We collect the following types of information:

• Workout Data: Steps climbed, floors climbed, duration, heart rate, calories burned, and other fitness metrics you log.
• Health Data: With your permission, we access HealthKit data including heart rate and workout information. This data is used solely to enhance your workout tracking experience and is never sold or shared with advertisers.
• Account Information: Email address and display name when you create an account via Google or Apple Sign-In.
• Photos and Videos: Media you optionally attach to your workouts, stored securely in the cloud.
• Account Identifiers: A unique account ID assigned when you sign up. This ID is associated with crash reports and app usage diagnostics so we can investigate issues tied to a specific account if you contact support.
• Feedback Submissions: When you submit in-app feedback, we collect the text you write along with your email address, device model, operating system version, and app version to help us reproduce and respond to issues.
• Crash & Diagnostic Data: We collect crash logs and non-fatal error reports through Firebase Crashlytics so we can find and fix bugs. These reports include device model, OS version, app version, and a stack trace of where the crash or error occurred. They are linked to your account identifier.
• Product Usage Analytics: In production builds we collect first-party analytics through Firebase Analytics — for example, which screens are visited and which features are used — to understand how the app is performing and where to improve it. This data is linked to your account identifier and is not shared with advertisers, ad networks, or data brokers, and is not used for cross-app or cross-site tracking. Ascend does not use the iOS advertising identifier (IDFA) and does not show the App Tracking Transparency prompt because we do not track you across other apps or websites.

How We Use Your Information

Your information is used to:

• Track and display your workout progress
• Calculate personal records and statistics
• Sync your data across devices via iCloud and Firebase
• Provide leaderboard functionality (optional, opt-in)
• Improve the app experience
• Send important service updates

Apple HealthKit

Ascend integrates with Apple HealthKit to read workout and health data that you choose to share with the app. In accordance with Apple's requirements:

• HealthKit data is never used for advertising or marketing
• HealthKit data is never sold to data brokers or third parties
• HealthKit data is not shared with third parties except as needed to provide core app functionality
• You can revoke HealthKit access at any time in Settings > Health > Data Access

Data Storage & Security

• Your workout data is stored locally on your device and synced to secure cloud servers (Firebase/Google Cloud).
• Photos and videos are encrypted in transit and at rest.
• We use industry-standard security measures to protect your data.
• We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

Third-Party Services

Ascend integrates with the following third-party services:

• Apple HealthKit: To read health and workout data (with your explicit permission).
• Strava: To optionally sync workouts to your Strava account.
• Hevy: To optionally import workout data.
• Firebase (Google): For secure cloud storage, authentication, and analytics.

These services have their own privacy policies that govern their use of your data.

Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access your personal data
• Export your workout data
• Delete your account and all associated data
• Opt out of optional features like leaderboards
• Revoke HealthKit permissions at any time

Data Retention

We retain your data for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account, your data will be permanently removed from our servers within 30 days.

Children's Privacy

Ascend is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn that we have collected data from a child under 13, we will delete it promptly.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date above.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at pavayt@gmail.com.

Built by Tyler Pavay · ascendstepper.com