Academy · Deep-dive
Is Your Sober Days Counter App Private? A Checklist
By Dry100 Editorial · · 6 min read
You type a date into a sober days counter app. It feels small. But that date says something very personal: you stopped drinking, and when. Where does that sentence go next?
This post walks through a five-minute privacy check you can run on any app, ours included. You don't need to be technical. You need a phone, the app's store page and a few minutes.
Why this matters more than it seems
Sobriety isn't a secret to be ashamed of. But it's yours to share, and who you share it with is a choice. An employer, an insurer or an ex shouldn't learn it from a data broker.
Most counters keep a modest amount of data: a date, maybe an email, maybe notes. The risk isn't dramatic. It's that nobody told you where it goes.
Step 1: read the privacy label
On the Apple App Store, scroll down the app page to App Privacy. On Google Play, find Data safety. Both are written by the developer, so they show what the developer says, not an audit.
Look for these lines:
- Data Used to Track You. This means data linked to you and used across other companies' apps and sites. For a counter, you'd rather see "none".
- Data Linked to You. Is it just contact info, or also health and fitness, usage data or purchases?
- Data Not Collected. The best phrase on the page.
If the label says nothing or is missing, assume the worst until you learn otherwise.
Step 2: scan the policy for four words
Open the privacy policy and use your browser's search for these:
| Word to search | What you're hoping to find |
|---|---|
| "share" | Sharing only with processors who run the service, not advertisers |
| "advertis" | No advertising use of your data |
| "analytics" | Either none, or first-party and anonymised |
| "delete" | A way to remove your data that you can do yourself |
Table: four search words for a privacy policy. If a word is missing from the policy, that is useful too.
If "sell" or "partners" shows up in a sentence about your data, read that whole paragraph.
Step 3: open the settings screen
Install the app and spend two minutes in the settings. Check for:
- Export. Can you download your data?
- Delete account. Is it a button, or an email to support?
- Lock. Can you protect the app with a passcode or fingerprint?
- Notifications. Can you control the wording that appears on the lock screen?
A friendly lock screen matters. A notification that reads "Day 47 sober!" is lovely at home and awkward on a train.
Who pays for it?
Every free app has a business model. Common ones are:
- Ads. The app is free to you and paid for by advertisers, who may want data.
- A paid tier. Free core, paid extras. Usually the cleanest for privacy.
- Donations. Low income, so check how the app stays running.
- Community or services. Some apps link to paid coaching or treatment.
None is automatically bad. But the model tells you what the app wants from you. An app with a paid tier wants your subscription. An ad-funded one wants your attention, and often data about you.
How we handle it at Dry100
We should be plain about our own setup, because you'll want to check it. Dry100's counter works with no account and keeps the date on your device. If you create a free account, history syncs and notes are encrypted by the app before storage. There are no ads and no third-party analytics, and supporter pages are kept out of search results. Details are on the privacy page.
That's our claim. The checklist above is how you test it, and ours.
A small example
Imagine two apps. App A has a label that says "Data Used to Track You: identifiers, usage data" and asks for an email before showing a count. App B has "Data Not Collected" and shows a count straight away.
Both might be perfectly decent. But App B asks less of you at the start, and you can always add an account later.
What to do if an app fails the check
Not every miss is a deal-breaker. Sort what you find into three piles.
| Finding | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| No tracking, clear policy | Looks fine | Use it, and re-check after updates |
| Ads or analytics, but you can opt out | A trade-off | Opt out, or choose another |
| No policy, no delete option, unclear sharing | A red flag | Don't enter a real date, and look elsewhere |
Table: three outcomes of a privacy check and a sensible response to each.
If you've already entered a date in an app that fails, change the email on your account to a throwaway address if you can, then ask support to delete your data.
Questions to put to an app's support team
If the policy leaves you unsure, ask. A short, polite email is enough, and how an app replies tells you a lot.
- Is my sober days counter data shared with any third party, including advertisers or analytics tools?
- Where is my data stored, and is it encrypted?
- Can you delete my account and data on request, and how long does it take?
- Can anyone at your company read my notes?
A good answer is short, direct and says "no" where it can. A vague reply, or none, is an answer too.
A sober days counter app and your lock screen
Privacy isn't only about servers. It's also about the person next to you on the sofa.
Look at what a sober days counter app puts on your lock screen. Does a notification show your day count, your name or a phrase like "Keep your streak"? Anyone glancing at your phone sees it.
Fixes that take a minute:
- Turn off notification previews for the app in your phone settings.
- Pick a neutral name for the app's home-screen icon if it allows one.
- Use the app's own lock, if it has one.
- Keep reminders to a time when your phone is usually with you.
None of this is paranoia. It's the same care you'd take with any personal health information.
A sober days counter app and children, partners and employers
Think about who might see the app and whether you'd mind. Teenagers borrow phones. Partners sometimes scroll. Work phones can be monitored by an employer. If your counter lives on a device you don't fully control, a browser counter you can clear, or a private notebook, may be a better home for your date than a managed phone.
Common pitfalls
- Trusting the name. "Private" or "secure" in an app's title is marketing. Read the label.
- Giving a real email to a free app. If you only need a counter, try one with no sign-up first. If you do need an account, consider a dedicated address.
- Forgetting the lock screen. A great privacy policy won't help if your partner sees a notification you didn't expect.
- Never checking again. Policies change. Look again when the app updates.
What to do if you've already signed up
You don't have to start over. Open settings, export your data, then decide. If an app doesn't give you a clear way to delete your account, email its support and ask in writing. In some places, like the EU and California, you have legal rights to ask for deletion.
Next steps
If you want a counter with no sign-up, try the browser counter. If you're comparing apps, the seven-check guide to choosing a sobriety counter app pairs well with this one. And if you'd like to see how Dry100 differs from other apps, the comparison page is blunt about it.
If you're worried about stopping drinking safely, speak to a doctor. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 in the US.
Sources
Common questions
Do sober days counter apps sell my data?
Some apps share data with advertisers or analytics companies, and some do not. You can't tell from the name. Read the privacy label on the store listing and the sharing section of the privacy policy.
What is a privacy label?
On the Apple App Store, it's a short summary from the developer of what data the app collects and whether it's linked to you. Google Play has a similar Data safety section.
Is a counter that stores the date on my device safer?
In one way, yes: nothing leaves the device, so nothing can leak from a server. The trade-off is that you lose the date if you lose the device and have no sync.
Can someone see my sober days if I share my phone?
Possibly. Look for a passcode or biometric lock inside the app, and think about notification text that appears on the lock screen.