ICYMI: Delete Your Period Tracker Apps

Happy Monday, friends! Today we delete, delete, delete! Let’s go!

Duration: 5-15 Minutes—really depends on how much data you want to save
Ease: Very Easy
Cost: Free

What am I suggesting and why?

Completely delete any period tracking accounts you have. Some big hitters are Flo, Glow, Samsung Health, and Apple Health.

Tracking your period is a great way to understand your mental and physical health and predict when your next cycle should begin. Tracking can also be critical for telling exactly how far along you are if you do become pregnant.

That said, if the government comes a-knockin,’ it’s best not to have your perfectly normal, irregular periods documented in an app subject to a data request.

You in? Let’s go:

Save any data you want to keep before deleting any accounts. For me, I actually manually documented my past periods in my private calendar. Glow has a data download, but it’s not very comprehensive.

For Glow users:

1. Open Glow app.
2. Save any data you’d like to keep (at least your last period or two is helpful).
3. Tap the three-line menu in the top left corner next to your name.
4. Tap Settings (it’s near the bottom of the menu).
5. Scroll all the way down, and tap Delete Account.
6. Tap Delete Now on the popup.

For Samsung Health users:

1. Open Samsung Health.
2. Tap Women’s Health.
3. Tap the three-dot menu in the top right corner.
4. Tap Settings.
5. Under Data, tap Delete Women’s health data.

For Apple Health users:

1. If you use it: delete the Cycle Tracking app from your Apple Watch.
2. Open Apple’s Health app.
3. Tap Browse.
4. Select Cycle Tracking.
5. Scroll down and tap Options.
6. Disable cycle tracking.

For other period tracking app users:

1. Open the app.
2. Find the app settings (this is usually where the delete function is, and it’s probably inside of a menu).
3. Find the option to delete your account and ensure it includes all stored data.

So, what can you use instead?

There are a few options.

Personally, I moved all my data to Proton Calendar—part of the Proton family of privacy-focused, encrypted digital services. No one can see your calendar entries, not even Proton. If you like getting notifications that your period is coming, I recommend logging your current period and your next predicted* period. Set an alert on the calendar event for your next period to get a notification ahead of time.

*If you’re unsure when your next period will be, start with 28 days from the start of your current period. Of course, everyone’s different, and you’ll start to see patterns with your own over time. Don’t forget to update your period prediction with the actual date it started to keep your log accurate!

I would also consider using an app like Spot On from Planned Parenthood without an account. For privacy reasons, Spot On allows you to use the app without entering your email address. If you go this route, just know that your data will be stored locally on your device—if you lose your phone, you lose your data.

Finally, if you want to be 100% offline with your period data, treat yourself to a beautiful wall calendar, preferably with kittens, and log it by hand!

Dig Deeper

• “Privacy experts recommend deleting period tracking apps as Roe v Wade abortion decision overturned” News.com.au
• “Period tracking apps are no longer safe. Delete them” ZDNet
• “Deleting Your Period Tracker Won’t Protect You” NYTimes (there’s more you can and should do)
• “This Period-Tracking Method Doesn't Leave a Digital Paper Trail” CNET