Don't Forget the Backpack

Privacy policy

Last updated November 6, 2026

This app handles your family's schedule, so here's exactly what it does with that information.

The short version: your information is used only to write your morning email. It isn't sold, it isn't used for ads, and it isn't used to train AI models. Email text isn't kept by this app after the morning run finishes.

Who runs this

Don't Forget the Backpack is a small pilot run by a parent in Powell, Ohio. It isn't affiliated with Olentangy Local Schools, Google or any school or sports organization. Contact: hello@dontforgetthebackpack.com.

What Google's permission allows

When you sign in, Google asks you to allow read-only access to your calendars. Adding Gmail is a separate, optional step on your settings page.

  • Gmail, if you add it: Google's permission covers your whole mailbox, not just certain senders. The app's code only searches for email from the senders in your settings, but you are trusting it to keep to that limit. If you skip Gmail, your morning email just won't include school and sports notices.
  • Calendar: the app reads your list of calendars, and events from the ones you choose.
  • Your Google email address: this confirms which account connected, and lets you sign in again later.

The app can't send, change or delete your email or calendar events. Your morning brief is sent from this app's own address, not from your account.

What's stored, and for how long

  • Your settings: parent names and email addresses, your kids' names, grades, schools and attendance days, zip code, delivery time, chosen calendars and senders, and dinner preferences. They're encrypted, you can change them on your settings page, and they're kept until you ask me to delete them.
  • Sign-in records: your Google email address is stored only as a scrambled code, used to find your settings when you sign in. A signed-in browser stays signed in for up to 30 days, recorded the same way.
  • Google access token: this lets the app read your data each morning. It's encrypted and kept until you disconnect or delete your account.
  • Dated school notes: short facts pulled from email, such as "No school Friday" or "Form due Nov 14", with a reference to the original email. These are encrypted, then deleted the day after the date passes, or after 14 days if they have no date.
  • Email tracking codes: scrambled codes showing which emails were already read, so none is processed twice. Deleted after about 35 days.
  • Dinner history: which recipe was picked on which date, so dinners don't repeat within 3 weeks.
  • Feedback you send: your message and whether you'd like a reply. It's encrypted and kept until you ask me to delete it. A copy is emailed to me so I see it quickly.
  • Run records: the date, whether the run worked, an error code and how much AI usage it took. These contain no names, subjects or message text.

Not stored by this app: the full text of your email and your calendar events. They're held in memory during the morning run, then discarded. Logs don't contain personal content.

Who else handles your information

These services help run the app and only receive what they need to do their part:

  • Anthropic (Claude): receives text from emails sent by your chosen senders, today's calendar events, your kids' first names and your preferences, so it can decide what matters today. Anthropic's commercial terms say this data isn't used to train its models. By default, Anthropic deletes it from its systems within 30 days, except where a longer period applies under its policies or the law, such as for enforcing its usage policy.
  • Resend: delivers the finished morning email, so it handles the email's contents and your recipient addresses.
  • Cloudflare: hosts the app and its database.
  • Open-Meteo: receives your zip code to get the forecast.
  • Health-e Pro and Nutrislice: provide the public school lunch menus. They receive only a request for your school's menu, not your family's details.
  • Recipe sites: when you add a recipe link, the app visits that page once to read the recipe's name, cook time and ingredients. The site sees a visit from the app, not from you.

Information is never sold or shared with advertisers or data brokers. It may be disclosed if the law requires it.

Google user data

This app's use and transfer of information received from Google APIs follows the Google API Services User Data Policy, including its Limited Use requirements. Google data is used only to write your morning email. No person reads it unless you ask me to help with a problem, it's needed for security, or the law requires it. It isn't used to train general AI models.

About children

Only parents and guardians can sign up, and the email goes to adults. Children don't use this app or have accounts. The details about your kids are the ones you choose to enter, and school or calendar content may also mention them. Please only add children you're the parent or guardian of.

Security

Connections are encrypted, and Google access tokens and school notes are encrypted before they're stored. The app also treats email and calendar text as information to read, never as instructions to follow. No system is perfectly secure. If a breach affected your information, I'd tell you as soon as I could.

Your choices

Changes

If this policy changes in a way that matters, I'll email you before the change takes effect and update the date at the top.