Privacy Policy

StepLadder is made by Mather Software Ltd, registered in England and Wales. We are the data controller for the information described here. Questions: support@mathersoftware.com.

What we collect

• Account details from your sign-in (Apple, Google or email): your email address and an account ID. Sign-in is handled by Clerk.
• Your daily step totals, read from Apple Health or Health Connect with your permission. We read step counts only, never any other health data, and we ignore steps typed in by hand. We store one total per day.
• Your Home Area: the postcode district you choose (like SW11), and the town and region it is in. If you tap “Use my location”, your phone works out the district itself; your location never leaves your phone.
• Your profile: the handle and avatar you pick, your level, XP and badges.
• Crash reports through Sentry, without personal details, so we can fix bugs.

What others see

Other walkers see your handle, avatar, level, Home Area and step totals on ladders. They never see your email or where you are. You can hide yourself from public ladders at any time in Settings.

What we don’t do

• We don’t sell your data or use it for advertising.
• We don’t share health data with anyone except the providers that run StepLadder for us.
• We don’t track your location.

Who processes data for us

Clerk (sign-in), Convex (database), Sentry (crash reports) and Vercel (this website), under contracts that protect your data.

Why we can use it

To run the service you signed up for (contract), and for step data, your explicit consent, which you give when you allow StepLadder to read steps and can withdraw in Apple Health or Health Connect settings.

How long we keep it

Until you delete your account. Deleting it erases your steps, profile, badges and ladder places straight away.

Your rights

You can ask for a copy of your data, correct it, or delete it. Delete your account in the app (You, Settings, Delete account) or see how to delete your account. You can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ico.org.uk).

Children

StepLadder is for people aged 13 and over.