Period tracker app Flo launches ‘anonymous mode’ for iOS devices

As a first step, period tracker app Flo is launching anonymous mode on iOS only. However, be careful, access to data can be “easily”lost.

Flo’s anonymous mode has arrived. The period-tracking app promised to launch the mode shortly after the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case to allay privacy concerns. Activists and privacy advocates have highlighted menstrual tracking apps since the Supreme Court ruling, warning users that the data collected could be used to interview people seeking menstrual interruption services. They urged users to remove these apps, especially if they live in a state where abortion is illegal.

Flo Period Monitoring App Deploys Anonymous Mode

This new anonymous mode allows people to use Flo without having to enter a name, email address, or any ID. Flo is partnering with Cloudflare, the same company that worked with Apple on iCloud Private Passthrough, to give users “the best possible privacy.”The company clarified that it does not sell any user-identifying data and that it wanted to offer this mode to “reassure users living in states subject to abortion bans.”

iOS only, natively

Anonymous mode is obviously very welcome, especially for those who remember Flo’s rather dark history when it comes to privacy. In 2019, The Wall Street Journal reported that it shared sensitive user data, including information about whether someone was trying to get pregnant, with Facebook, Google, and other third-party apps.

However, be careful, access to data can be “easily”lost.

Since all information transmitted to the application in anonymous mode will not be tied to any identifier, it will be completely lost if the device is lost. They also cannot be transferred to a new device, and only important data, such as cycles and symptoms, can be copied to a new account. Users can also enter a passcode for an extra layer of security, but they will completely lose access to their information if they forget it. In other words, it’s pretty easy to lose access to your data if you’re using anonymous mode, which requires some thought before deciding whether to enable it or not.

The anonymous mode of Flo’s menstrual cycle tracking service is already available for iOS users and will be coming to Android next month.