Last updated: September 2026
Kernel has no server. Every entry you make stays on this device. Nothing is uploaded, nothing is synced to me — because there is no “me” to sync to.
Focus records, seeds, notes, and every setting live in a local database on this device. The app and its widgets share the same App Group container.
It gets carried along by your iPhone’s ordinary backup (iCloud or a computer). That backup belongs to the system, encrypted and managed by your Apple Account, and I cannot reach it.
Delete the app and all of it goes with it. There is no other copy.
No account, no sign-up, and you are never asked who you are.
No analytics, no event tracking, no crash reporting, no ads, no third-party SDKs.
You are not tracked, and no data is shared, traded, or sold to anyone. The app never goes online to do any of that.
Health: if you turn on “Log as mindful minutes” in Settings, each finished round writes one mindful-minutes entry to Health. Write only — the app never requests and never reads any of your health data. Off by default.
Calendar: if you turn on “Write to Calendar,” each round writes one event into a separate “Kernel” calendar. Write-only access — the app cannot read your existing events. Off by default. Delete that calendar any time you want it gone.
Photos: an image is added to your library only when you press save on a share card. Add only — the app never reads your library.
Notifications and alarms: all local, never routed through any push server.
The one line in “This week’s note” is generated on this device by the system’s built-in on-device model. That step never goes online, and this week’s records never leave the device.
On a device that does not support Apple Intelligence, or with it turned off, that line simply does not appear. Nothing else changes.
PRO is a one-time purchase handled by the App Store. I never see your payment details and never get your Apple Account — all the app gets back from the system is a yes or no on whether you have access.
There is no subscription and nothing renews. On a new device or after a reinstall, tap Restore Purchases on the PRO screen to get it back.
You can export the ledger as CSV. The export only happens when you press it, and where the file goes is up to you in the share sheet. Once the file is handed to another app, that app’s rules apply.
Kernel is not directed at children under 13 and does not knowingly collect their information — in fact it collects no one’s information.
This page ships with the app. If anything substantive changes, it will be spelled out in the release notes.