This Menstrual Cycle Tracking App Really Ensures the Privacy of Your Data.
Tracking your menstrual cycle is a simple task that many apps can handle. However, most modern apps, including those that track health data, store your information on their own servers and sometimes even share this data with advertisers. The Mozilla Foundation tested several of the most popular menstrual cycle tracking apps and found one that protects your data better than others: Euki.
Privacy is especially important for menstrual tracking apps in light of the political and legal battles surrounding abortion and contraception. We know that police have used other data, such as messages and search history , to prosecute people for alleged abortions. It’s understandable if you don’t want tech companies storing or sharing your reproductive health data. Our sister site PCMag has a guide to privately tracking your menstrual cycle . They recommend Apple Health or DIY methods, such as coded calendar notes.
The Mozilla Foundation recently conducted a privacy audit of six leading menstrual cycle tracking apps . It found serious privacy flaws in Stardust, SpotOn, Period Calendar, Flo, and Clue, but named Euki the best of the bunch: “We highly recommend Euki to anyone who prioritizes privacy,” the report states.
How to install and use Euki in private mode
The Euki app is available for iOS and Android . It’s free, with no in-app purchases, and according to the Apple App Store, the developer doesn’t collect any data from the app. There’s no need to create an account to use the app; it starts working immediately after installation.
Most importantly, your data is stored locally on your phone and is not sent to any servers. Most menstrual tracking apps, including those that are more privacy-focused and claim to encrypt or anonymize your data, still store your data on servers to which the company has access. Some claim they will fight a subpoena if asked to hand over their data; however, it’s probably best not to share your data with the company at all.
Euki has several other privacy-enhancing features. You can set a PIN when installing the app, as well as a dummy PIN that will hide your data. (When you enter the dummy PIN, a message appears informing you that the app is experiencing technical issues and that you need to try again.) You can configure Euki to delete your previous data by tapping the button in the settings or by setting a schedule to regularly delete old data.
As for the app’s features, you can record almost anything for a given day. There are categories for bleeding, emotions, physical symptoms, sexual activity, and much more. You can track doctor visits and even things like IUD thread checks.