Privacy Policy
Last updated · May 23, 2026
Ref is built around personal conversations between two people. Privacy isn't a footnote. It's the whole reason this works. Here's exactly what we collect, why, and what we do with it, in plain language.
1. Who we are
Ref (“Ref,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) provides the Ref mobile application and related services (collectively, the “Service”). You can reach us any time at admin@studiolyons.net.
2. Information we collect
Account information
When you sign in with Apple, we receive a unique Apple user identifier, your name (if you choose to share it), and an email address (which may be Apple's private relay address). We do not receive your Apple ID password.
Case content
Cases consist of a title, an optional note, a date, and a severity rating, along with the content of each participant's private voice session. Text transcripts and summaries of those sessions are stored on our servers so the AI mediator can use them to inform the shared mediation and generate the final reflection.
Voice sessions
Voice sessions (both the per-participant private session and the shared mediation) stream audio in real time to OpenAI's Realtime API over a WebRTC connection to generate the mediator's responses. We do not record or store the raw audio of your session. A text transcript may be retained on-device and on our servers to produce the post-session reflection.
Reflection reports
After a session, a written reflection is generated and stored against the case so both participants can return to it later. You can delete a case and its reflection at any time.
Technical data
We collect basic technical information needed to operate the Service, such as authentication tokens, device type, app version, and error logs. We do not use third-party advertising trackers and do not sell your data.
3. How we use your information
- To authenticate you and keep your account secure.
- To create, share, and join cases with the partner you invite.
- To provide your responses to the AI mediator as context for the session.
- To generate and store your post-session reflection.
- To debug, maintain, and improve the Service.
- To comply with legal obligations.
4. Sharing of information
We share data only with the following recipients:
- The other participant in your case. Both participants share the same case details, severity, and resulting reflection report. Each participant's private voice session is only provided to the AI mediator. It is never shared with the other participant in raw audio or transcript form.
- OpenAI, our AI processor, which receives session audio in real time and the text context required to generate mediator responses and reflections. OpenAI's use of that data is governed by its API terms.
- Infrastructure providers that host our backend and database (e.g., cloud hosting and managed database providers) strictly to operate the Service on our behalf.
- Apple for Sign in with Apple authentication.
- Law enforcement or regulators when required by valid legal process.
We do not sell or rent your personal information to anyone.
5. Data retention and deletion
We retain account and case data for as long as your account is active. You can delete individual cases from inside the app, and you can delete your entire account at any time via Settings → Delete Account. Deleting your account removes your profile and personal information from our systems.
Because cases are shared between two participants, any reflection report generated from a completed session belongs to the shared case. After you delete your account, those shared reflection reports remain available to your former partner in their account, with your personal identifiers removed where reasonable. If you'd like to remove those reflections too, delete each case individually in the app before deleting your account. Deleting a case removes the associated reflection for both participants. If you need a reflection scrubbed for a specific reason, email admin@studiolyons.net.
6. Security
Authentication tokens are stored in your device Keychain. Data in transit is encrypted using TLS. We use industry-standard practices to protect data at rest. No system is perfectly secure, but we work to minimize the data we hold and the surface area through which it can be accessed.
7. Children
Ref is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us information, contact us and we will delete it.
8. Your rights
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to access, correct, export, or delete your personal information, and to object to or restrict certain processing. To exercise these rights, contact us at admin@studiolyons.net.
9. International users
Ref is operated from the United States. By using the Service, you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States and to processing in any country where our service providers operate.
10. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will update the “Last updated” date above and, where appropriate, notify you inside the app.
11. Contact
Questions or requests about this policy? Email admin@studiolyons.net. We read every one.