Does my mobile app need a privacy policy?

Yes. Both Apple App Store and Google Play require a privacy policy URL before they accept your app for review. You cannot ship without one. Beyond the store requirements, every privacy framework (GDPR, CCPA, COPPA) applies to apps that handle user data.

What does Apple's Privacy Manifest require?

Starting Spring 2024, every app and SDK must declare which APIs it uses that touch user data, which third-party SDKs it bundles, and the purposes for which data is collected. Your privacy policy needs to align with the manifest — Apple cross-checks at submission time. We generate a policy that matches what your manifest declares.

Does COPPA apply to my app?

COPPA applies if your app is "directed to children under 13" OR if you knowingly collect data from users under 13. The "directed to children" test looks at the subject matter, visual content, language, characters, and overall feel — bright cartoon art and game mechanics typically qualify. If COPPA applies, you need verifiable parental consent before any data collection.

What's the difference between iOS and Android privacy disclosures?

Both platforms require a privacy policy, but the format and depth differ. Apple uses the App Privacy "nutrition label" + the Privacy Manifest (a structured file in the app bundle). Google Play uses the Data Safety section, filled out in the Play Console. Both formats should align with the prose policy. The generator produces a policy that satisfies both.

Home / Privacy Policy / Privacy Policy for Your Mobile App

Privacy Policy for Your Mobile App

A privacy policy that satisfies Apple's Privacy Manifest, Google Play's Data Safety section, and the COPPA / GDPR overlays mobile apps trigger.

Generate my app privacy policy → Free preview · No signup · 2 minutes

iOS Privacy Manifest + App Store nutrition-label aligned
Google Play Data Safety section disclosures included
Every device permission requested gets a stated purpose

A mobile app privacy policy is what the App Store rejection email actually wants from you. Apple and Google both require a privacy policy URL before they accept your submission, and both review the policy against their own format expectations. Apple has the Privacy Manifest plus the App Privacy "nutrition label". Google Play has the Data Safety section. Your privacy policy needs to align with both — if you say one thing in the policy and another in the nutrition label, your app gets rejected or pulled. Plus you need every device permission you request to be justified, every SDK you bundled to be disclosed, and COPPA or the relevant under-16 protections handled correctly.

What your mobile app privacy policy needs to cover

Disclosures that matter for mobile app.

Data collection table

Aligned with the App Privacy nutrition-label categories (Contact Info, Identifiers, Usage Data, Diagnostics, Location). For each: collected? Linked to user? Used for tracking? This is the table Apple wants to see match between your nutrition label and your policy.

Device-permission justifications

Every permission you request (Location, Camera, Microphone, Photos, Contacts, Notifications, Calendar) needs a "why we need this" statement. Vague justifications get apps rejected.

SDK and third-party disclosures

Firebase, RevenueCat, OneSignal, Sentry, Mixpanel — anything that ships in your app binary and collects data. Apple's Privacy Manifest requires you to declare these. Google Play's Data Safety section asks for them too.

In-app purchase / subscription handling

If you use StoreKit (iOS) or Google Play Billing (Android), explicitly state that you do not see card data — the platforms handle it. If you use RevenueCat or similar, name them as a sub-processor.

COPPA compliance

If your app is "directed to children under 13" or you knowingly collect data from under-13 users, COPPA applies and the policy needs specific disclosures (parental consent, no behavioural advertising, parent-accessible deletion). If COPPA does not apply, state that the app is not directed to children under 13.

App Tracking Transparency status

For iOS, state your ATT status — "no tracking" if you do not use cross-app tracking (most apps), or describe the consent flow if you do. This aligns with the Apple Privacy Manifest declaration.

Common mistakes

Where mobile app policies usually go wrong.

Mismatch between policy and nutrition label

If the nutrition label says "no data collected" and your policy describes analytics, Apple will pull the app. They cross-check at review time.
Missing permission justifications

"We request the camera" is not enough. You need "We request the camera for the in-app photo capture feature. Camera access is not used in the background."
SDK left out of disclosures

Bundled analytics SDKs (Firebase, Mixpanel, etc.) collect data even when you do not explicitly call them. They need to be disclosed in both the policy and the Privacy Manifest.
COPPA "we are not directed to children" with a kid-friendly art style

Apple and the FTC look at the actual app, not just your statement. Bright cartoon graphics + game mechanics = directed to children, regardless of what the policy says.