Last updated: 13 August 2026
Shamash is a daily Jewish learning app for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. This policy explains what the app collects, what it does not, and what you can do about it.
We have tried to write this in plain language. If anything here is unclear, write to privacy@sanctuarypray.com and we will explain it.
The short version
| Can I use Shamash without an account? | Yes. Reading Torah, daily study, bookmarks, and progress all work with no account. |
| What happens if I never sign in? | Nothing leaves your device. |
| Do you track me across apps or websites? | No. Shamash contains no advertising or analytics tracking of any kind. |
| Do you sell my data? | No. |
| Do you know where I am? | Only if you grant location permission, and your coordinates stay on your device. We never receive them. |
| Can I delete everything? | Yes, from inside the app. |
Using Shamash without an account
Shamash is designed to be useful before you commit to anything. Without an account you can read the Torah, choose a daily study length, complete study sessions, save bookmarks, and build a streak.
All of that is stored only on your device. We do not receive it, and we cannot see it. If you delete the app without ever signing in, your information is gone with it.
The Torah text itself is included in the app. Reading it does not contact us or anyone else.
What we collect when you create an account
An account exists so your study can follow you across devices, and so features that require a server can work. Creating one is your choice.
Account details. Your email address and an encrypted password, handled by our authentication provider. We never see your password in readable form.
Your preferences. How you describe your perspective, your learning depth, your interests, whether you follow the Israel or Diaspora reading calendar, your reading cycle, your theme, your notification setting, whether you show vowel points, your timezone, and optionally a city name.
Your study activity. Study sessions you complete, streaks, badges you earn, flashcards you create, bookmarks you save, and progress through longer study cycles.
Subscription status. If you subscribe, we store whether your subscription is active and when it renews or expires. Apple processes the payment. We never receive your card details.
Notification delivery. If you enable reminders that arrive when the app is closed, we store a device token so those can be sent, and a record of what was sent.
What we never receive
Your location. See the section below. Coordinates stay on your device.
What you read, and where you stopped. The Torah text is bundled in the app. Your reading position is stored locally.
Anything at all, if you have no account.
Tracking identifiers. Shamash contains no advertising SDK, no analytics SDK, and no cross-app or cross-site tracking. The app declares this to Apple in its privacy manifest.
Permissions the app may ask for
Shamash asks for each of these only when you use the feature that needs it, and each one is optional. Declining any of them leaves the rest of the app working.
Location, while using the app. Used to calculate sunrise, sunset, candle lighting, and other times that depend on where you are. Your coordinates are used on your device and stored on your device. They are never transmitted to us and never shared. If you decline, times that depend on location are shown as unavailable rather than guessed.
Calendar. If you export Jewish holidays or candle lighting times, Shamash writes them to a calendar you choose. We do not read your existing events.
Notifications. Reminders are scheduled on your device. If you have an account and enable reminders that arrive when the app is closed, a device token is stored so they can be delivered.
Companies that process data for us
We keep this list short on purpose.
Supabase hosts the database, authentication, and server functions for accounts. Data is stored in the United States.
RevenueCat manages subscription status. It receives an anonymous identifier tied to your account and your subscription state.
Apple processes subscription payments, delivers notifications, and provides Calendar access. Apple's handling of that data is governed by Apple's own privacy policy.
We do not share your information with anyone else, and we do not sell it.
Features that are not active
Some parts of Shamash are visible but switched off in this release. Ask Shamash requires an account and its AI provider is disabled, so no questions are sent anywhere. Community features are not available. Audio controls are visible in the reader, but provider-backed spoken audio may be unavailable or disabled; an unavailable or error state is shown when playback cannot be provided. If these data flows change in a future release, this policy will be updated before that happens.
How long we keep your information
While your account is open, we keep it so the app works.
When you ask us to delete your account, we begin removing your data from our active systems and confirm when deletion is complete. A copy may remain in an encrypted backup for up to 30 days after deletion is complete. Backups are access-controlled and are used only for disaster recovery; deleted information is not restored to active service except when recovery requires restoring the whole system, in which case the deletion request remains scheduled for removal.
We may retain minimized records when law requires them for fraud prevention, tax, accounting, or dispute purposes. We keep only what is required and only for the period required by law.
Information stored only on your device stays there until you delete it or remove the app.
Your choices and rights
See your information. Most of it is visible in the app. Write to privacy@sanctuarypray.com for a full copy.
Correct it. Preferences and profile details are editable in the app.
Delete it. Profile contains an account deletion option. This removes your account and the data associated with it. You can also delete local data by removing the app.
Use Shamash without an account. Always available.
Turn off any permission. In iOS Settings, at any time.
Depending on where you live you may have additional rights, including the right to object to processing or to lodge a complaint with a data protection authority. Write to us and we will help.
Children
Shamash is for adults. It is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect information from them. If you believe a child has created an account, write to privacy@sanctuarypray.com and we will remove it.
Changes to this policy
If we change this policy in a way that affects what we collect or how we use it, we will update the date at the top and tell you in the app before the change takes effect.
Contact
Privacy questions and data requests: privacy@sanctuarypray.com General support: support@sanctuarypray.com
We aim to respond within two business days.