How to Write a Privacy Policy for a Mobile App

Mobile apps have a few extra requirements that a standard website privacy policy doesn't cover. If you're launching on iOS or Android, here's exactly what your policy needs.

Why mobile apps are different

When someone installs your app, you gain access to things a website can't touch:

• The device itself (model, OS version, unique identifiers)
• Push notification permissions
• Camera, microphone, location (if requested)
• Health and fitness data (if integrated with Apple Health / Google Fit)
• Contacts (if the app accesses them)
• Background data collection (if applicable)

Each of these needs to be disclosed.

What your mobile app privacy policy must cover

1. Device data and identifiers

Your app collects device identifiers automatically. At minimum: device model, OS version, app version. Often also: advertising identifier (IDFA on iOS, GAID on Android).

Your privacy policy needs to:

• List what device data you collect
• State whether you use advertising identifiers
• Explain how to opt out of ad tracking (required by Apple's App Tracking Transparency rules)

2. Permissions you request

Every permission your app requests — camera, location, microphone, contacts — needs a corresponding entry in your privacy policy explaining why you need it and what you do with that data.

If your privacy policy says you don't collect location data but your app requests location permission, the app stores will flag this. Apple's review process checks for this discrepancy.

3. Push notifications

If you send push notifications, your privacy policy needs to mention this and explain what type of notifications you send (marketing, transactional, reminders).

4. In-app purchases and payment data

If your app uses Apple's in-app purchase or Google Play Billing, Apple and Google process the payment — you don't receive card details. But you do receive transaction records and should disclose this.

5. Analytics SDKs

Most mobile apps include at least one analytics SDK — Firebase Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude, Adjust. Each one that processes personal data needs to be disclosed as a third-party processor in your privacy policy.

6. Third-party SDKs generally

SDKs collect data independently. Before you ship, list every SDK in your app and check what data it collects. Common ones:

• Crash reporting: Sentry, Firebase Crashlytics
• Analytics: Firebase, Amplitude
• Advertising: Meta Audience Network, Google AdMob
• Customer support: Intercom

Each one that touches personal data needs to be in your policy.

App store requirements

Apple App Store

Apple requires:

• A privacy policy URL submitted with your app
• A Privacy Nutrition Label in App Store Connect listing every data type you collect
• Compliance with App Tracking Transparency (ATT) if you use advertising identifiers

Your privacy policy must be accessible before download — linking from the App Store listing is sufficient.

Google Play Store

Google requires:

• A privacy policy link in your Play Store listing
• A Data Safety section in Play Console describing what data you collect and how it's used

The Data Safety section and your privacy policy need to be consistent. Discrepancies lead to policy violations.

Where to host it

Your mobile app privacy policy should live at a public URL — a page on your website, not inside the app. This allows it to be linked from the app stores and accessed before download.

Generate your mobile app privacy policy

InkTerms creates personalised privacy policies for mobile apps — covering device data, permissions, SDK disclosures, in-app purchases, and app store requirements.

Need this document for your business? InkTerms generates it in minutes — tailored to your answers, in plain English.