$ cat watchtower/privacy.md

Watchtower Privacy Policy

Last updated: May 27, 2026

Watchtower is an iOS app for monitoring public service status pages and custom HTTPS endpoints. The app is designed to work without an account, without a Watchtower backend, and with monitor data stored on your device.

Information Watchtower Stores

Watchtower stores the monitors you add, recent status checks, display preferences, widget settings, notification preferences, and Live Activity preferences on your device. This data is used to show your monitor list, widgets, history, notifications, and Live Activities.

Network Access

Watchtower requests status information from the services you choose to monitor. This includes official third-party status feeds from the catalog and any custom HTTPS endpoints you add. Those services may receive normal request information such as your IP address, device network details, and request time according to their own privacy practices.

Custom URLs

If you add a custom URL, Watchtower uses it only to perform status checks from your device. Do not add URLs that contain secrets, access tokens, or private credentials in the URL itself.

Purchases

Watchtower Pro purchases are processed by Apple. Watchtower uses Apple StoreKit to determine whether Pro features are unlocked. I do not receive your full payment details from Apple.

Notifications And Live Activities

If you enable notifications or Live Activities, Watchtower may use monitor names and current incident status to show alerts, Lock Screen updates, and Dynamic Island updates. These features are optional and can be disabled in the app or iOS Settings.

Analytics And Tracking

Watchtower does not use third-party advertising trackers and does not sell personal information. If this changes in a future version, this policy and the App Store privacy details will be updated.

Support

For help, feedback, or privacy questions, use the Watchtower support page.