Information we process
- Story ideas and choices — what you type to make a story (such as a character name, theme, art style and length). To create the story, the idea is sent through our servers to AI providers. It passes through in memory only: we do not store it, log it, or keep the story or pictures that come back. Before an idea leaves the device, the character names you chose are swapped for made-up names and put back on your device afterwards. A name typed elsewhere in a free-text idea can still be sent, so please do not type surnames, addresses, schools or other private details.
- Your account — the app starts with an anonymous account that lives only on the device. If you choose Sign in with Apple, we receive the identifier Apple provides and, if you share them, your name and email, so you can keep your stories and purchases across devices. We also keep the token Apple gives us for that sign-in so that we can remove the connection when you delete your account.
- Allowance and purchases — how many stories you have used and the purchases you have made, verified with Apple, so we can give you the right number of stories.
- Usage and reliability — simple, anonymous counts such as which screen was used or whether a story succeeded (a short list of fixed names and numbers, never text you wrote). We use our own servers for this. We do not use Google, Meta or any other third-party analytics, advertising or tracking service, and the app does not use your advertising identifier.
- Device check — the app can ask Apple to confirm that a request comes from a genuine copy of the app (Apple App Attest). This uses a random key created on your device and does not identify you or your device.
- Free stories, once per device — to stop the free stories being reset by deleting and reinstalling the app, we use Apple's DeviceCheck. Apple keeps a single yes/no flag for your device, which only Apple can read as belonging to a device; we never receive an identifier for it and do not store one. We only keep, on your account, a note that the flag was used.
- Your stories — saved on your device and, if you use iCloud, in your own iCloud (CloudKit) under your Apple ID. They are not stored on a Firmin Labs server.
AI providers (sub-processors)
To make a story we share the story idea with:
- Anthropic — writes the story text for younger ages (and on devices that cannot write it themselves).
- OpenAI — draws the illustrations. So that characters look the same from page to page, we first draw a plain picture of the characters (made from the story idea) and send it to this provider again as a reference for the cover and the later pictures; if that picture cannot be made, the story's cover picture is used as the reference instead.
On newer iPhones, stories for older ages are written entirely on the device by Apple's on-device model and are not sent anywhere. The providers handle requests under their own policies and may keep them for a short time for safety monitoring. A parent is asked to agree before the first story is made.
Where our data is kept
Account, allowance and purchase records are kept with our database provider, Supabase, in Canada (Montréal).
Children's privacy
Once Upon AI is designed for children and parents to use together. We do not show ads, do not build advertising profiles, do not use third-party analytics or tracking, and do not knowingly collect personal information from children. Everything a child writes is treated as described above: used to make the story, and not stored by us.
Your choices and rights
You can use the app without signing in. In Settings → Delete Account you can delete your account and the data we hold; we also remove the Sign in with Apple connection (if it still shows in your Apple Account settings, you can remove it there). Stories saved on your device or in your iCloud are not removed by this — delete them in the app. Depending on where you live, you may have rights under GDPR (EU/UK), COPPA (US) or the CCPA/CPRA (California), including access, correction and deletion. We honor these requests — email us.
Data retention
Account and purchase records are kept until you delete your account. Usage counts are deleted after 13 months. Story ideas are not kept by us at all; providers keep them under their own policies.