Legal

Privacy Policy

Last updated: 30 September 2026

The short version

• We collect what you put into YouCoach (your account, goals, activities, journal and messages) so the app can work for you.
• If you link with a coach, they can see your goals, activities and progress, and the messages you send them. They can never see your journal or your personal reminders.
• We never sell your information, and we don't use advertising or tracking tools.
• You can see, correct or delete your information at any time. Deleted accounts are removed within 7 days.
• Questions? Email info@youcoach.co.za.

1. Who we are
2. What this policy covers
3. Information we collect
4. Wellness and health information
5. How we use your information
6. Who can see your information
7. Cookies and browser storage
8. Where your information is kept
9. How long we keep it
10. Keeping it safe
11. Your rights
12. Age limit
13. Emails and notifications
14. Links to other websites
15. Changes to this policy
16. Contact us

1. Who we are

YouCoach (“we”, “us”, “our”) is a wellness and habit coaching service based in South Africa. We decide how and why your personal information is used, which makes us the “responsible party” under South Africa's Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA).

You can reach us, including our Information Officer, at info@youcoach.co.za.

2. What this policy covers

This policy applies to our website (youcoach.co.za), the YouCoach app at app.youcoach.co.za (including when you add it to your phone's Home Screen), and the emails and notifications we send you. Together we call these “the Service”.

By using the Service, you agree to us using your information as this policy describes.

3. Information we collect

Information you give us

• Your account: your name, email address and password. We store your password in a scrambled (hashed) form, so no one at YouCoach can read it. We also record whether you use YouCoach as a client or a coach.
• Your profile: any extra details you choose to add, such as your main goals.
• Your wellness and habit data: the goals, activities, routines and reminders you set up, and the progress you log (for example, completed activities and timed sessions).
• Your journal: the entries you write, the feelings you pick and any photos you add.
• Your messages: messages between you and your coach.
• Coach invitations: if a coach invites you, the email address they used and whether the invitation was accepted.
• Contact form: your name, email address, topic and message when you contact us through the website.

Information collected automatically

• Technical details: when you use the Service, our servers record details such as your IP address, browser and device type, the pages you open and the time. We use this to run the Service, fix problems and keep it secure.
• Notifications: if you allow notifications, your browser gives us a notification address for your device so we can send you reminders and messages.

4. Wellness and health information

Some of what you record, such as how you're feeling in your journal or your health-related goals, may count as information about your health. POPIA treats this as “special personal information”.

We only process it because you choose to add it, so that the Service can work for you. You can change or delete it at any time. We never use it for advertising, and we never share it with anyone except as section 6 describes.

YouCoach is a coaching and habit tool. It is not a medical service. See our Terms & Conditions.

5. How we use your information

We use your information to:

• create and manage your account, and sign you in;
• provide the Service: show your goals, activities, progress and journal, and connect you with your coach if you choose to link with one;
• send reminders and notifications you have asked for;
• send service emails, such as password resets, coach invitations and security notices;
• reply when you contact us;
• keep the Service safe and prevent misuse;
• understand how the Service is used, in summary form, so we can improve it; and
• meet our legal obligations.

We rely on your consent, on what we need to provide the Service you signed up for, on our legitimate interest in running a safe and working service, and on legal requirements, as POPIA allows.

6. Who can see your information

• You. You can see everything in your account.
• Your coach, only if you link with one. Your coach can see your goals, activities and progress, and the messages you send them. Your coach can never see your journal entries, journal photos or personal reminders. If you remove your coach, they lose access to your goals, activities and progress.
• Authorised YouCoach staff, only when needed to support you or keep the Service safe. This access is recorded.
• Service providers who help us run the Service: for example, hosting and database providers and our email delivery service. Notifications are delivered through the push services run by your browser's maker (such as Google, Apple or Mozilla). These providers may only use your information to provide their service to us, and must protect it.
• The law. We may share information if the law requires it, for example in response to a valid request from a court or public authority, or to protect someone's safety.
• A new owner. If YouCoach is ever sold or merged, your information may pass to the new owner. We will tell you before it becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

We never sell your personal information, and we do not share it with advertisers.

7. Cookies and browser storage

We do not use advertising cookies or analytics tracking tools.

The app uses your browser's storage (similar to cookies) to keep you signed in and to remember small choices, such as the email address you last signed in with and whether you have read the latest release notes. This is needed for the app to work. If you clear it, you will be signed out.

Our website and app load their fonts from Google Fonts. When they do, Google receives your IP address, as it would for any website that uses those fonts.

8. Where your information is kept

Your information is stored with cloud hosting providers. It may be stored or processed on servers outside South Africa. When that happens, we only use providers that are bound by laws, rules or agreements that protect your information at least as well as POPIA does.

9. How long we keep it

• We keep your account information for as long as your account is open.
• If you delete your account, or ask us to, we remove your personal information within 7 days, except anything the law requires us to keep. Copies in our backups are overwritten as those backups expire.
• We keep contact-form messages only as long as we need them to deal with your request.
• We keep technical server records for a short time, unless we need them longer to investigate a security problem.

10. Keeping it safe

We protect your information with measures such as encrypted connections (HTTPS), scrambled passwords and limits on who can access what. No system is completely secure, so we cannot promise absolute security. If a security breach affects your information, we will tell you and the Information Regulator, as POPIA requires.

11. Your rights

Under POPIA you have the right to:

• ask what personal information we hold about you, and get a copy;
• ask us to correct or update it;
• ask us to delete it;
• object to how we use it;
• withdraw your consent at any time (this does not affect what we did before you withdrew it); and
• complain to the Information Regulator of South Africa at inforegulator.org.za.

You can change most of your information yourself in the app. For anything else, email info@youcoach.co.za. We may need to check who you are before we act on a request.

12. Age limit

You must be 13 or older to use YouCoach. We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has given us their information, please contact us and we will delete it.

Under POPIA, anyone under 18 is a child. If you are between 13 and 17, you may only use YouCoach with the consent of a parent or guardian, and we may ask for that consent before we collect or use your information.

13. Emails and notifications

We only send emails about your account and the Service, such as password resets, invitations and important notices. We do not send newsletters or marketing emails. If we ever want to, we will ask you first, and you will be able to stop them at any time.

You can turn notifications on or off in the app's notification settings and in your browser settings.

14. Links to other websites

The Service may link to websites we do not run. We are not responsible for their content or privacy practices, so please read their privacy policies.

15. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. We will post the new version on this page and change the “Last updated” date. If a change is important, we will tell you by email or in the app before it takes effect.

16. Contact us

If you have any questions about this policy or your information:

• Email: info@youcoach.co.za
• Contact form: youcoach.co.za/contact