Last updated June 20, 2026
Child privacy
What Hōbi does and does not do with your child's information, in plain language.
What Hōbi is
Hōbi is a private app that brings the village back into raising a child. The adults in a child's life, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, teachers, and family friends, notice the good things they see. A moment of kindness. A brave try. Something funny. It takes a few seconds. Every week those moments become a Portrait, a warm letter about who the child is becoming.
Hōbi is made by Storytailor. Our founder and CEO, JQ Sirls, is a father and an uncle. Our co-founder, Herston Fails, is an uncle. JQ built it to know who his son really is, and to be a real part of his nieces' and nephews' lives across the distance, not just the big moments, the small ones. You can read more about why on our About page. Hōbi is free for families.
Because it is about children, privacy is the first thing people ask about. So here is the plain version.
In short
Your child is never a user of Hōbi. No account, no login, no profile anyone outside your Circle can find. There is no feed, no followers, and no way for a stranger to discover your child. Everything in Hōbi is written by the adults you invite, about your child. Nothing is sold. Nothing is shown to anyone you did not personally approve.
What we collect, what we never do, who sees what
Could my child's info ever be made public?
No. There is no public side of Hōbi. No public profiles, no feed, no followers, no likes, no usernames, and nothing a search engine or stranger could find. Your child cannot be discovered, looked up, or seen by anyone you did not invite.
Does my child have an account?
No. Children never sign up, log in, or appear anywhere as users. Only the adults you invite use the app.
Who can see my child's moments and photos?
Only the people you invite to your child's Circle. We do not publish your Circle or make it discoverable.
Is my child's location ever shared?
We do not track your child's location. Moments never include location, and we strip hidden location data from photos before storage. If you add an address to a Help request, only the people you share that request with can see it.
Do you sell our data or show ads?
Never. We do not sell your family's information and we show no ads. Hōbi is free for families.
How do you make money then?
Hōbi is free for families today, and we intend to keep the heart of it free. We are a real company, so over time there may be optional things a family can choose to add, like keepsakes or premium features. We will not sell your data, and we will not put ads in front of your child. However Hōbi grows, it has to be good for the family, or it is not worth doing.
Is AI involved?
Only if you turn it on. AI features are off by default. You choose, separately, whether to use the writing helpers and whether your Circle receives the weekly Portrait letter. With them off, your moments are not sent to AI providers for those features.
When AI is on, where does it go?
Only the text needed for the features you turned on, like the weekly Portrait letter, writing helpers, or proofread, goes to trusted AI providers for that purpose. Photos are never used to write Portraits. When AI features are on, a photo you add may also be checked for safety by a trusted AI provider before it is saved. We never use your family's data for advertising.
Where does voice typing go?
Your iPhone transcribes your voice on the device. The audio never leaves your phone. Only the text you choose to save may be transmitted, like any other moment detail.
What do notifications show?
They never show what a moment says. Some alerts may include your child's first name, on your own device, so you know which Circle it is about.
Can I delete everything?
Yes. You can export your data or delete your account and your child's information at any time from Settings.
Who's behind it?
Hōbi is made by Storytailor Inc., a children's company with a real, named team.
This is how Hōbi works today. For the full legal detail, see our Privacy Policy.
What's up to you
Hōbi is private, but it does not keep secrets from the people inside your Circle. The adults you invite can see your child's moments and photos. That is the point. It is how the grandmother two states away gets to be part of things.
So the real control is who you invite. Invite the people who already love and know your child, the same people you would trust to pick them up from school. You are always in charge of who is in the Circle, and you can remove anyone at any time.
Questions
Privacy questions or rights requests: support@storytailor.com. More answers live on the FAQ.
