Warning: *Privacy Not Included with this product
Happiness has a score! Scientists who study positive psychology, aka the science of happiness, came up with techniques to make you happier. They can even tell how happy you are with tests and surveys. Because according to Happify, "happiness isn't just one thing, it's everything." Which sounds kinda existential to us. We also agree that would look great on a motivational poster. The Happify app is a bunch of science-based activities and games designed to help users beat stress, negative thoughts, and life's challenges. Lord knows life has a bunch of those.
Happify does seem to collect a fair amount of personal information and we have outstanding questions about how they manage security vulnerabilities. We know we'd be happier if they didn't collect so much personal information. Unfortunately, "privacy isn't just one thing, it's everything" doesn't look as good on a motivational poster. Or does it?
What could happen if something goes wrong?
First reviewed April 20, 2022. Review updated, April 25, 2023
Happify is an app that seems to have not gotten better or worse over the last year. This year we could no longer find any mention in their privacy policy saying the company could be collecting data about your from public or third party privacy sources (like, potentially, data brokers), which is good. They still do collect a good bit of personal information and say they can share with affiliates and partners, which you hope will be OK. We did have concerns about how long they say they can retain your data after you request it be deleted. Their privacy policy reads, "We will comply with your request as soon as reasonably practicable," which is rather vague. But, they do say they will delete your data, no matter what privacy laws you live under so that's good.
In 2023 we're still unable to confirm if Happify meets or Minimum Security Standards, as they didn't respond to our emailed questions sent to the email address listed in their privacy policy for such questions. That's bad form, Happify. More bad form from Happify (and something that really irks privacy researchers) is they signed your lovely privacy researcher up for their email list without consent. Bad! They also drop people looking to get started using Happify into a questionnaire that asks about gender, age, race, employment status, relationship status, parental status, your mental state, and other sensitive questions before they offer you a privacy policy or any idea how all this personal information can and will be used on you. Unfortunately, this isn't uncommon for mental health apps, but dang it sure does feel icky.
Read our 2022 review:
First of all, we're not at all sure why Happify needs access to your phone's flashlight, but indeed, it does request permission to control your device's flashlight when you download the app. Which is kinda funny, but also a good reminder to check the permissions an app will require before downloading it. Some of them might surprise (or frighten) you.
Happify does collect a fair amount of personal information and app usage data, as we found with nearly all the mental health apps we reviewed. They do say they can use data they collect for advertising purposes. Happify also says they reserve the right to share or sell aggregate or group data about Happify users. Generally, this aggregate data is data with no personally identifiable information. However, with the use of things like device identifiers and location data, both of which Happify says they can collect, it has been found to be relatively easy to re-identify such user data.
On the security front, we were unable to confirm is Happify has a way to manage security vulnerabilities. We emailed the company multiple times at the email provided in their privacy policy for privacy related questions to try and get answers to our questions.. We received no response. There is this line in Happify's privacy policy (many privacy policies we read contain something similar) that states, "Please be advised, however, that while we take every reasonable precaution available to protect your data, no storage facility, technology, software, security protocols or data transmission over the Internet can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. Computer hackers that circumvent our security measures may gain access to certain portions of your Personal Information, and technological bugs, errors and glitches may cause inadvertent disclosures of your Personal Information." Which is a good reminder that, yeah, any personal data you share pretty much anywhere on the internet, Happify included, is not safe.
What's the worst that could happen? Well, no one wants their terrible happiness score available for all the world to see. Here's hoping that never happens.
Tips to protect yourself
- Opt out of cookies collection
- Do not log in using third-party accounts like Facebook
- Do not connect to any third party via the app, or at least make sure that a third party employs decent privacy practices
- Do not give consent for sharing of personal data for marketing and advertisement.
- Choose a strong password! You may use a password control tool like 1Password, KeePass etc
- Do not use social media plug-ins.
- Use your device privacy controls to limit access to your personal information via app (do not give access to your camera, microphone, images, location unless neccessary)
- Keep your app regularly updated
- Limit ad tracking via your device (eg on iPhone go to Privacy -> Advertising -> Limit ad tracking) and biggest ad networks (for Google, go to Google account and turn off ad personalization)
- Request your data be deleted once you stop using the app. Simply deleting an app from your device usually does not erase your personal data.
- When starting a sign-up, do not agree to tracking of your data if possible.
Can it snoop on me?
Camera
Device: N/A
App: Yes
Microphone
Device: N/A
App: No
Tracks location
Device: N/A
App: Yes
What can be used to sign up?
Yes
Phone
No
Third-party account
Yes
Facebook and Twitter sign-up available
What data does the company collect?
Personal
Name, date of birth, postal address, email address, age, gender and other personal information that may be considered a protected classification characteristic under California or federal laws, geolocation data.
Body related
Information regarding your medications, medical history and other healthcare-related information
Social
How does the company use this data?
How can you control your data?
What is the company’s known track record of protecting users’ data?
No known privacy or security incidents discovered in the last 3 years.
Child Privacy Information
Can this product be used offline?
User-friendly privacy information?
Links to privacy information
Does this product meet our Minimum Security Standards?
Encryption
Strong password
Security updates
Manages vulnerabilities
Privacy policy
Is this AI untrustworthy?
What kind of decisions does the AI make about you or for you?
Is the company transparent about how the AI works?
Does the user have control over the AI features?
Dive Deeper
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Happify Health Weaves a New Path as Twill, the Intelligent Healing Company™Business Wire
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Mental health app privacy language opens up holes for user dataThe Verge
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Mental Health Apps Fail to Protect Privacy, Harming UsersMad In America
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Happify: For Stress & Worry ReviewOne Mind Psyber Guide
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Happify App Review 2022: Pros & Cons, Cost, & Who It’s Right ForChoosing Therapy
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The Ethical Dilemma of Mental Health AppsAcceleration Economy Network
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Global Mental Health Apps Market Size, Share & Industry Trends Analysis Report By Application, By Platform Type, By Regional Outlook and Forecast, 2021 - 2027Yahoo! finance
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How AI Can Help Manage Mental Health In Times Of CrisisForbes
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