Privacy Policy

Effective date and last updated: October 4, 2026

Applies to: the HoverMother website (hovermother.com), the web dashboard, MOTHER AI, and (when released) HoverMother's iOS app.

Summary of Data We Collect

A summary of the data our apps and website are designed to collect. The authoritative App Privacy details appear on our App Store listing. Linked items are associated with your parent account; Not Linked items are not tied to your identity.

CategoryData TypePurposeLinked to IdentityRequirement
Contact InfoEmail address and display name (parent)Account creation, sign-in, support, and service noticesLinkedRequired
Family ProfileChild first name or nickname, entered by the parentLabeling child profiles inside the parent accountLinkedRequired
LocationPrecise location of the child's device (only if the parent turns on location sharing)Showing the parent where the child's device is and place arrival/departure alertsLinkedOptional
User ContentQuestions typed or dictated into MOTHER AI and recent conversation turnsGenerating MOTHER AI replies (processed by Google; see Section 4)LinkedOptional
IdentifiersAccount user IDAuthentication and secure session managementLinkedRequired
DiagnosticsCrash logs and performance informationApp stability and technical troubleshootingNot LinkedRequired

🛡️ Data We Do NOT Collect

Screen Time / app usage history (stays on the child's device)Messages, texts, iMessages, or DMsPhone or FaceTime call logsWeb browsing historyPhotos, videos, or camera rollsAudio recordings or live microphone audioContacts or address booksPayment card or bank detailsHealth or biometric dataSocial media passwords

Apple Frameworks, Permissions & Service Providers

When released, HoverMother's iOS app is designed to use the following Apple frameworks and permissions, subject to Apple's approval. Each requires parent authorization and can be turned off at any time. We also describe the service providers that process data for MOTHER AI and voice input:

Family Controls (com.apple.developer.family-controls)

Entitlement HoverMother has requested from Apple for its planned iOS app. If granted, it lets a parent authorize parental controls on a child's device through Apple's Screen Time authorization. Only a parent or guardian can approve it, and it can be revoked in iOS Settings > Screen Time or through Family Sharing.

Screen Time frameworks (ManagedSettings & DeviceActivity)

Used to apply the app limits, downtime schedules, app blocking, and web content filter that the parent chooses. These run on the child's device. Screen Time usage data stays on the device and is shown to the parent through Apple's on-device report. HoverMother's servers do not receive it, and it is never sold or used for advertising.

Location Services (permission, opt-in)

If the parent turns on location sharing for a child profile and the device grants location permission, the child's device location is shared with the parent. Location sharing can be turned off at any time.

Push Notifications (permission)

Delivers alerts and account notices to the parent's device, such as place arrival or departure alerts. Notifications can be turned off in iOS Settings.

MOTHER AI (Google Gemini via Google Cloud Vertex AI)

Powers the MOTHER parenting assistant. The parent's typed questions plus recent conversation turns (and, inside the parent dashboard, a short summary such as a child's first name and alert titles) are sent to Google to generate replies. Google acts as our processor and does not use this data to train its models. We ask for your consent before your first MOTHER conversation.

Browser Voice Input (website, optional)

On the HoverMother website, a parent may tap the microphone button to dictate a question to MOTHER. Speech is converted to text by the parent's own browser or operating system speech service (for example, Google Chrome may process audio on Google servers). HoverMother never receives or stores the audio; only the resulting text is sent, exactly as if it were typed.

1. About This Policy & Our Privacy Principles

HoverMother is operated by App4That Holdings ("HoverMother," "we," "us," or "our"). We believe child safety should never require surveillance or data harvesting. HoverMother is a transparent parental controls tool: children are meant to know that parental controls are in use.

This Privacy Policy explains how we handle information across our website, web dashboard, MOTHER AI, and (when released) our iOS app. Where required by law or by Apple's rules, including COPPA and rules for sharing data with AI providers, we ask for your explicit consent before collecting or sharing the relevant data.

HoverMother is in pre-release development. A closed beta is planned to launch in Tennessee and has not yet started. HoverMother is currently offered only in the United States.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

  • Parent Account Data: Name, email address, and sign-in credentials (or a sign-in provider you choose) when you create a parent account.
  • Family Profiles: A first name or nickname for each child, chosen by the parent. We do not collect a child's email, photos, or contacts.
  • MOTHER AI Questions: Questions you type or dictate into the MOTHER AI parenting chat. To generate answers, your question and the recent turns of that conversation (and, inside the parent dashboard, a short summary such as a child's first name and alert titles) are sent to Google's Gemini models on Google Cloud Vertex AI. See Section 4. Please don't include information you don't want shared, such as your child's full name.
  • Early Access List: If you join our early access list (on our website or inside the MOTHER chat), we store your email address, the page where you signed up, and the date in Google Cloud Firestore, using a one-way hashed document ID. We use it only to notify you when HoverMother opens to more families. It is never sold or shared for marketing, and it is deleted once you are onboarded or at any time on request by emailing privacy@hovermother.com or using the unsubscribe link in any email. The early access list is intended for parents and guardians aged 18 or older.
  • Demo Requests: If you submit our demo request form, we collect your name, email, and selected role solely to respond to your request. This information is never sold and can be deleted on request.
  • Payment Information: HoverMother is currently free, and pricing has not been announced. Any future in-app subscriptions in our iOS app will be processed by Apple through In-App Purchase; we never receive your card or bank details.

2.2 Information Processed Automatically

  • Screen Time Data Stays on the Device: App limits, downtime, app blocking, and the web content filter run on the child's device using Apple's Screen Time frameworks. Screen Time and DeviceActivity usage data stays on the device and is shown to the parent through Apple's on-device report. HoverMother's servers do not receive it. It is never sold, never used for advertising, and never shared with third parties, including AI providers such as Google.
  • Shared Location (opt-in): The child's device location is shared only when the parent has turned on location sharing for that child profile and the device has granted location permission. Shared location data is kept for no more than thirty (30) days.
  • Anonymous Website Statistics: Our website counts page views using a first-party, cookieless method. We record only aggregate daily totals (pages viewed, referring website domain, and device type). We do not set tracking cookies, do not store IP addresses, and do not use third-party analytics or advertising trackers. Daily unique-visitor counts use a one-way hash that cannot identify you and cannot be linked across days.
  • Identifiers & Diagnostics: An account user ID linked to your account, and crash and performance diagnostics that are not linked to your identity.

🔒 What HoverMother Does Not Do

HoverMother does not read, access, collect, or transmit your child's messages, texts, iMessages, DMs, emails, call logs, browsing history, photos, or audio. Apple's Screen Time APIs do not provide access to this content, and HoverMother does not attempt to obtain it. HoverMother does not record or stream audio, does not access purchase or payment data, and does not install configuration or device management (MDM) profiles. HoverMother is not designed for covert monitoring.

3. How We Use Information

  • Provide your parent account, dashboard, and the parental control settings you choose.
  • Generate MOTHER AI replies to your questions.
  • Show shared location and send notifications you have turned on.
  • Notify early access members and respond to demo requests.
  • Provide customer support and investigate security issues.
  • Meet our legal obligations, including under COPPA and state privacy laws.

No Advertising. No Selling of Data.

We do not show ads, and we never sell, rent, or share your family's personal information with data brokers, ad networks, or for cross-context behavioral advertising.

4. Service Providers and Data Sharing

We share personal information only with service providers that process it on our behalf, and in the limited cases below:

  • Google Cloud / Firebase: Hosting, authentication, and database storage (including Cloud Firestore).
  • Google Cloud Vertex AI (MOTHER AI): MOTHER AI is powered by Google's Gemini models through Google Cloud Vertex AI. When you use MOTHER, the text you type or dictate and the recent messages in that conversation are sent to Google to generate a response. Inside the parent dashboard, a short summary (such as a child's first name and alert titles) may also be included so MOTHER can answer in context. HoverMother does not send Screen Time data to Google. Google processes this data as our service provider under the Google Cloud terms and does not use it to train its models. Before your first MOTHER conversation, we ask for your permission to share your messages with Google; you can decline and continue using the rest of HoverMother.
  • Browser Speech Services: If you use voice input on our website, your browser or operating system provider converts speech to text under its own privacy policy. HoverMother receives only the text.
  • Apple Inc.: Processes App Store purchases and delivers push notifications under Apple's Privacy Policy.
  • Legal Requirements & Safety: We may disclose data if required by valid legal process, or when necessary to prevent imminent physical harm.
  • Business Transfers: If HoverMother is involved in a merger or acquisition, we will notify you before your information becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

5. Children's Privacy (COPPA)

HoverMother is designed with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) in mind. We don't knowingly collect personal information directly from children under 13. Accounts are created and controlled by parents or legal guardians aged 18 or older; children cannot create accounts or change settings.

5.1 Parental Consent

Before any child device features are activated, a parent or guardian must (1) create an adult account, (2) give consent in the HoverMother app after reviewing this notice, and (3) approve Screen Time access on the child's device using Apple's parent authorization.

5.2 Child Data We Handle

We handle only the minimum needed to provide parental controls: the child's first name or nickname entered by the parent, the parent's settings, and (only if the parent turns it on) shared device location. Screen Time usage data stays on the child's device. We do not profile children or use their data for advertising.

5.3 Parental Rights

Parents have full control over their children's data and may at any time:

  • Review the information in their HoverMother account;
  • Turn off location sharing for any child;
  • Request a copy or permanent deletion of child profiles and related records;
  • Revoke Screen Time authorization in iOS Settings > Screen Time and remove the app.

6. Data Security

Data is encrypted in transit and at rest using Google Cloud infrastructure. Access to personal information is limited to people who need it to operate the service. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, but we work to protect your information and will notify you of a data breach as required by law.

7. Data Retention

  • Parent Account & Family Profiles: Kept while your account is active; deleted within 30 days of account deletion.
  • Screen Time Usage Data: Not stored by HoverMother; it stays on the child's device.
  • Shared Location: Kept for no more than 30 days.
  • MOTHER AI Website Chats: HoverMother does not store public website chat transcripts.
  • Early Access List & Demo Requests: Kept until you are onboarded, the request is handled, or you ask us to delete it.
  • Diagnostics: Kept for up to 90 days.

8. Account Deletion & Managing Your Data

You can delete your account at any time in Settings, or by emailing support@hovermother.com. Your account and associated family data are deleted within 30 days, except where we must keep limited records by law. To request a copy of your data or a correction, email privacy@hovermother.com with the subject "Data Privacy Request." We respond within 30 days.

9. U.S. State Privacy Rights (including California, Tennessee, Virginia, Colorado, and Texas)

Depending on where you live, including under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA/CPRA) and similar state laws, you may have the right to:

  • Know & Access: Learn what personal information we collect, use, and disclose, and get a copy.
  • Delete: Ask us to delete your personal information.
  • Correct: Ask us to correct inaccurate information.
  • Opt Out of Sale or Sharing: We do not sell or share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising, so there is nothing to opt out of.
  • Sensitive Information: We use precise location only to provide the location sharing you request, so the right to limit its use does not apply.
  • Non-Discrimination: We will not treat you differently for exercising your rights.

We extend these rights to all U.S. users, including Tennessee residents. To make a request, email privacy@hovermother.com. We will verify your identity by confirming control of your account email. You may use an authorized agent with written permission. If we deny your request, you may appeal by replying to our decision; if your appeal is denied, you may contact your state attorney general.

10. International Users (GDPR / UK GDPR)

HoverMother is currently offered only in the United States, and data is processed in the United States. If you access our website from the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, App4That Holdings is the controller of your data. We rely on performance of a contract, your consent (for example, for MOTHER AI), and our legitimate interests in operating and securing the service. You may request access, correction, deletion, restriction, portability, or object to processing, withdraw consent at any time, and complain to your local data protection authority. Email privacy@hovermother.com.

11. Not an Emergency Service

HoverMother is not an emergency service. In an emergency, call 911. If you or your child are in crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline).

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy as our service or the law changes. If we make material changes, we will notify account holders by email or in-app notice at least thirty (30) days before they take effect. The date at the top shows the most recent revision.

13. Trademarks

Apple, iPhone, and Screen Time are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. HoverMother is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Apple Inc. Google, Gemini, and Firebase are trademarks of Google LLC.

14. Contact Us

For privacy questions, COPPA requests, or data deletion requests:

App4That Holdings (operator of HoverMother)

[Mailing address coming soon]

Privacy & Data Protection: privacy@hovermother.com

General Support: support@hovermother.com

Website: hovermother.com