← Back to Learn Free, on-device library

How Private Is Your Menopause App?

By Mehmet Şişoğlu (developer of Pausa), based on the sources below · Updated 27 October 2026

Menopause and period apps hold some of the most personal data there is: symptoms, cycles, medications, mood. It is reasonable to ask where that data goes.

In a US class action, users accused the Flo period-tracking app of sharing their health data with other companies without consent. In 2025, Flo Health, Google and Flurry agreed to settlements totaling $59.5 million (a settlement is not in itself an admission of wrongdoing), and in August 2025 a jury found Meta liable.

Menopause app users share these worries. A 2026 study by Royal Holloway, University of London, with 310 UK users of menopause apps found that many feared their data could be accessed by insurance companies or employers.

Quick answers

Does ‘anonymous’ mean private?

Not always. Data without your name can sometimes be linked back to you, especially when it is combined with other information. The most private data is data that never leaves your device.

How does Pausa handle this?

Pausa has no account and no Pausa server. Your notes are stored on your iPhone and in your iPhone’s own backup, and we never receive them. There are no ads and no analytics or tracking SDKs. If you share a summary with your doctor, you decide when and with whom. You can export all your data as JSON or CSV, or delete everything, in Settings.

Five questions to ask before you choose an app

• Do I need to create an account?
• Is my data stored on my phone or on the company’s servers?
• Is my data shared for advertising or analytics?
• Can I export and delete everything myself?
• Is the privacy policy clear and in plain language?

For personal awareness only. Not a substitute for medical advice.