Legal
Privacy Policy
Roost is developed and operated by Pinehollow Studios.
This policy applies to the Roost website, the Roost macOS app, and the Roost iOS app.
Last updated: 18 April 2026
Contact: support@pinehollow.studio
Who we are
Roost is a shared household app for couples, built by Pinehollow Studios. For the purposes of UK and EU data protection law, Pinehollow Studios is the data controller — meaning we decide what personal data is collected and why.
If you have any questions about this policy or how we handle your data, email us at support@pinehollow.studio.
What data we collect and why
Account information
What: Your email address, name, and, if you sign in with Google, your Google profile name and profile picture URL.
Why: To create and identify your account, and to let your partner see who you are in the app.
Legal basis: Performance of contract — this data is necessary to provide the service.
Profile data
What: The display name and avatar (colour and icon) you choose within the app.
Why: To personalise your experience and help your partner identify you throughout the app.
Legal basis: Performance of contract.
Household content
What: Everything you and your partner create inside the app — shopping list items, expense records and amounts, chore names and descriptions, budget limits, calendar events, activity feed entries, pinboard notes, and shared decisions.
Why: To provide the core features of Roost: a shared, real-time view of your household.
Legal basis: Performance of contract.
Billing and payment data
What: Your subscription status and billing plan. Payment details (card number, billing address) are handled directly by Stripe and are never stored by Roost.
Why: To manage your Roost Pro subscription, process payments, and apply the correct features to your household.
Legal basis: Performance of contract — required to provide the paid tier of the service.
Preferences and settings
What: Your notification preferences, display preferences (week start day, time format, date format, currency), and theme choice.
Why: To remember your settings between sessions.
Legal basis: Performance of contract.
Technical data
What: Basic information about how you use the app and website, for example when you log in, when a sync event occurs, or when you open Roost invite links. We do not use analytics tools, advertising trackers, or crash reporting services.
Why: To keep the service working correctly and deliver website functionality such as invite links and downloads.
Legal basis: Legitimate interests — maintaining a functioning service.
How we use AI (Hazel)
Roost includes an AI assistant called Hazelthat silently tidies up text you enter — for example, normalising a shopping item name or categorising an expense. To do this, short text snippets are sent to Anthropic's Claude API.
- What is sent: Only the text of the specific item being processed, for example "2x oat milk" or "Uber to airport". No account information, names, or other personal details are attached.
- Who receives it: Anthropic, PBC — a US company. See "International transfers" below.
- Anthropic's data use: Anthropic does not use API inputs to train its models.
- Legal basis: Legitimate interests — Hazel provides a meaningful improvement to the experience and processes only the minimum text necessary.
You can read Anthropic's privacy policy at anthropic.com/privacy.
Third parties we work with
| Party | Purpose | Location | Privacy policy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supabase | Database and authentication | US (EU/UK data stored under SCCs) | supabase.com/privacy |
| Stripe | Payment processing (Roost Pro subscriptions) | US (EU/UK data stored under SCCs) | stripe.com/gb/privacy |
| Anthropic | AI text processing (Hazel) | US | anthropic.com/privacy |
| Sign in with Google (if used) | US / EU | policies.google.com/privacy |
We do not sell your data to anyone. We do not share your data with advertisers. The parties listed above are processors— they handle data only as instructed by us to provide their specific service.
International transfers
Supabase, Stripe, and Anthropic are based in the United States. Transferring personal data from the UK or EU to the US requires appropriate safeguards under UK GDPR and EU GDPR. All three operate under Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), which are the approved legal mechanism for these transfers.
How long we keep your data
| Data | Retention |
|---|---|
| Account and household data | For as long as your account is active |
| Activity feed entries | Rolling 90 days |
| Preferences and settings | For as long as your account is active |
| Billing records (Stripe) | 7 years, as required by UK financial regulations |
| Data sent to Anthropic (Hazel) | Not retained by Anthropic beyond the API request |
If you delete your account, all of your personal data is permanently deleted from our database within 30 days, except where we are required by law to retain it (for example, billing records).
Your rights
Under UK GDPR and EU GDPR, you have the following rights:
- Access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
- Rectification — ask us to correct inaccurate data
- Erasure — ask us to delete your data ("right to be forgotten")
- Portability — receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
- Restriction — ask us to pause processing of your data in certain circumstances
- Objection — object to processing based on legitimate interests
Most of these rights can be exercised directly within the app (Settings → Account). For anything else, email us at support@pinehollow.studio, and we will respond within 30 days.
UK residents: You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)at ico.org.uk.
EU residents: You may lodge a complaint with the data protection authority in your country of residence.
Children
Roost is not directed at children under 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 16. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will delete it.
Changes to this policy
If we make material changes to this policy, we will update the "Last updated" date above and notify users via the app or website where appropriate. Continued use of Roost after a change constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
Contact
Pinehollow Studios
support@pinehollow.studio