Monte Privacy Policy

Last updated: September 21, 2026

Monte is a Montessori-based chore and screen time rewards app for families. This policy explains what data Monte collects, why, and how we handle it. We designed Monte to collect as little as possible and to never sell or share data for advertising.

Who controls accounts

Monte is a parent-managed app. A parent or guardian creates the family account and sets up each child profile. Children do not create their own accounts and do not provide their own contact information. Parents control what chores, rewards, and screen time apply to each child and can review or delete their family's data at any time.

What we collect

• Account information — your email address and display name, used to sign you in (via Sign in with Apple, Google, or email) and to identify parents within a family.
• Beta waitlist information — if you join our beta waitlist, we collect the email address you submit so we can contact you about Monte beta access and related launch updates. If the signup form asks which devices your family will use, we also collect that coarse preference (iPhone/iPad, Android, both, or not sure) and whether it was suggested from the device or chosen by you. We do not include your browser's raw user-agent string in the signup JSON or store it as waitlist data. Waitlist entries are stored in our Firebase service, are not shared for advertising, and are kept until you ask us to remove them or the beta recruitment period ends.
• Family content — chores, reading logs, reward items, and the child display names and ages you enter.
• Proof photos — photos a child takes to verify a completed chore, used solely for chore approval. On a shared family device, proof photos never leave the phone: the parent reviews them on the same device and Monte deletes them the moment they are reviewed. On a dedicated child device, the photo passes briefly through private cloud storage (Firebase Cloud Storage), visible only to parents in the same family, and is deleted automatically the moment it is reviewed — or within 48 hours if it is never reviewed. If a family turns on Monte's optional automated photo check, the in-transit photo (dedicated devices only) is also examined by an automated verification service during review; it is processed in memory for that single check and is never stored or logged by it.
• Usage analytics — anonymous, aggregated event data (for example, that a chore was approved or a reading session completed) via Firebase Analytics, used to improve the app.
• Optional website improvement measurement — if this feature is available and you choose Allow, we may count which of four landing-page messages your browser saw and whether a waitlist signup was acknowledged. These coarse counts do not include the email submitted to the waitlist, your browser's raw user-agent string, or a property that states or infers religious belief. The measurement software does not load before you allow it. You can decline or change your choice from the website footer.
• Crash and performance data — diagnostic reports via Firebase Crashlytics and Performance Monitoring, used to find and fix problems.
• Device identifiers — a notification token and app-instance identifier used to deliver approval notifications and prevent abuse (Firebase Cloud Messaging and App Check).

Screen time data

Monte uses Apple's Screen Time API (Family Controls, Managed Settings, and Device Activity) to grant and remove access to apps your child has earned time on. When a parent selects which apps a child may use, Apple's system app picker returns opaque tokens. Monte cannot read your installed app names or bundle identifiers — we only store and apply the secure tokens Apple provides. Screen time enforcement happens on the device through Apple's frameworks.

Attention-validated reading (on-device only)

Monte offers an optional attention-validated reading feature that a parent can turn on (it is off by default). When it is on, Monte uses the front camera while your child reads to sense whether they are looking at their book, so reading time is only credited when they are actually reading. This sensing runs entirely on the device using Apple's on-device Vision framework. Monte never takes pictures or video, never stores any camera image, and nothing from the camera ever leaves the device. The only thing Monte keeps is a small number — how many attentive minutes were read — which is used solely to credit reading rewards. You can turn this feature off at any time in Settings.

How we use data

We use the data above only to operate Monte: to authenticate you, sync your family's chores and rewards, deliver chore-approval notifications, enforce earned screen time, keep the app stable, and contact people who voluntarily join the beta waitlist. We do not use your data for advertising.

No third-party ad tracking

Monte does not include third-party advertising SDKs and does not track you across other apps or websites. Our privacy manifest declares NSPrivacyTracking as false. We do not sell your personal information.

Affiliate links

Physical wishlist rewards may link out to third-party retailers such as Amazon. Some of these are affiliate links, which means Monte may earn a small commission if you make a purchase. This never changes the price you pay. When you follow such a link, you leave Monte and the retailer's own privacy policy applies to your activity on their site.

Data sharing

We use Google Firebase (Authentication, Firestore, Storage, Cloud Functions, Cloud Messaging, Analytics, Crashlytics, Performance, and App Check) as our backend service provider. Data is processed by Firebase on our behalf under Google's data processing terms. We do not share your data with any other third parties except as required by law.

Data retention and deletion

You can delete your account from within the app. Deleting your account removes your family's data, including proof photos, from our systems. If you signed in with Apple, we also revoke your Apple token as part of deletion.

Children's privacy

Monte is intended to be set up and managed by a parent or guardian. Because children's profiles are created and controlled by a parent, and because we do not collect personal contact details directly from children, families remain in control of children's information at all times.

Contact

Questions about this policy? Email privacy@trymonte.app.