A practical checklist before you trust a health app
- Is data encrypted on-device, not just in transit?
- Is your data ever stored as plain text on the provider’s servers, or is it always ciphertext?
- Does it work offline, or does it depend entirely on the provider’s servers?
- Can you export everything and fully delete your account?
- Is the business model subscription-based, or does it rely on data or advertising?
What to actually check in the privacy policy
Search the policy for the words “share,” “partners,” “research” and “third parties.” Many medication and health apps explicitly permit sharing de-identified or aggregated data with pharmaceutical or research partners — legal, disclosed, and still worth knowing about before you decide whether you’re comfortable with it.
Red flags worth taking seriously
- Vague language like “industry-standard security” with no specifics
- No mention of on-device encryption, only vague references to encryption “in transit”
- A free app with no clear business model — the data may be the product
- No offline functionality whatsoever
Where MedKeep fits against this checklist
AES-256 on-device encryption, ciphertext-only storage on our servers, full offline functionality, complete export and deletion at any time, and a subscription business model with no data sold to third parties — MedKeep is built to satisfy every item on this list, not just the marketing version of it.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if a health app is actually private?
Check whether it encrypts data on-device (not just in transit), keeps your data as ciphertext on its servers rather than plain text, works offline, and allows full export and deletion — and read the privacy policy for mentions of data sharing with partners.
What are red flags in a health app’s privacy policy?
Vague security language with no specifics, no mention of on-device encryption, a free app with no clear business model, and no offline functionality at all.
Does MedKeep meet these privacy criteria?
Yes — AES-256 on-device encryption, ciphertext-only storage on our servers, full offline functionality, complete data export and deletion, and no data sold to third parties.
Try it with MedKeep — free
Your whole family's medications, vitals, visits and documents. Encrypted on your device, works offline.