Flo is one of the most widely used fertility tracking apps in the world. In recent years, several lawsuits and investigations have highlighted how apps like this can share user health data, often without clear consent.
What the controversies are actually about
The claims against apps like Flo center on sharing sensitive data, menstrual cycles, pregnancy attempts, symptoms, with advertising and analytics partners. These practices are often buried in long terms of service that few people read in full before accepting.
Why cloud storage is a structural risk
When an app stores your data on remote servers, it creates a central point where that information can be accessed, shared, or exposed in a security breach. Even with the best intentions, a cloud-based architecture means a third party, the company itself, its advertising partners, or an attacker in the event of a hack, can potentially access your cycle history.
The alternative: a local architecture
| Feature | Cloud-Based Apps | Bloom Private (Local) |
|---|---|---|
| Data storage | Stored on remote servers | Kept exclusively on your device |
| Account required | Mandatory | None |
| Server dependency | Relies on external services | None |
| Main risk | Data breaches, unauthorized access | Full control over your own data |
Bloom Private was built specifically to remove this risk at the source: no data is ever sent to an external server. Every cycle, symptom, and note stays stored exclusively on your own iPhone, encrypted locally. There's no central database to breach, and no advertising partner can gain access, because the data never leaves your device.
How to recognize an app that actually protects your data
- Check whether the app works without creating an account.
- Look for explicit mentions of "local storage" rather than "cloud sync" or "backup".
- See if it lets you export or fully delete your data at any time.
In light of the controversies surrounding cloud-based apps, a local architecture like Bloom Private's removes the risk of unwanted data sharing structurally, there simply isn't any external data to share.