# Period tracker without an account: how it works

> Why “no sign-up” is the simplest privacy setting there is, and what you give up.

Category: Apps & privacy · 5 min read · Written by the Splash team · Sources checked October 2026
URL: https://splash.care/learn/apps-privacy/period-tracker-without-account

## Quick answer

A period tracker without an account keeps everything you log on your phone, not on a company server, so your cycle is never linked to an email address. The trade-off is no automatic restore if you lose your phone, unless you keep backups. Splash works fully without an account; sync is optional and end-to-end encrypted.

- Without an account, your cycle data stays on your phone and isn’t linked to your email.
- The trade-off: no automatic restore or multi-device use unless you keep backups.
- Splash works fully without an account; sync is optional and end-to-end encrypted.

A period tracker that works without an account stores what you log on your own phone instead of on a company’s server. There is no email address tying your cycle to you, and nothing to leak from a server breach because the server never had it. This is called [Local-first](https://splash.care/learn/glossary#local-first) design.

## Why does it matter whether a period app has an account?

Cycle data is health data. Under UK GDPR it is “special category data”, which needs extra protection. Once it sits on a server next to your email address, it can be exposed by a breach, shared with partners, or requested by courts. If it stays on your phone, or is [encrypted](https://splash.care/privacy) before it leaves, those risks mostly disappear.

## What do you give up without an account?

Table: Local-only versus account-based tracking

|  | Local-only (no account) | Account with server copy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Where your data lives | Your phone only | Your phone and the company’s server |
| Lose your phone | Data lost unless you kept a backup file | Restored when you sign in |
| Use on two devices | No | Yes |
| Share with a partner | Usually not possible | Often possible |
| Exposed in a server breach | No | Depends on encryption |

## Can you have both: no account and a backup?

Yes. Splash works fully without an account and lets you save a backup file. If you later want sync or [end-to-end encrypted](https://splash.care/learn/glossary/end-to-end-encryption) [partner sharing](https://splash.care/features/partner), you can add an account. Your logs are encrypted on your phone with AES-GCM-256 before upload, so our server only stores a locked copy it cannot open. With an account, the server can still see your email, when you sync, and which categories a share contains.

## Which period trackers work without an account?

- **Splash:** no account needed; optional encrypted sync.
- **Euki:** a non-profit app that stores data on your device.
- **drip:** open source; everything stays on your device.
- **Flo Anonymous Mode:** Flo says this mode uses no email or IDs. Some features are limited.

> Someone with your unlocked phone can still open a local app. Set a PIN or Face ID, and see our [safety page](https://splash.care/safety) if you are worried about someone checking your phone.

> **Splash says:** if you track without an account, make a backup file once a month and keep it somewhere only you can reach.

## Sources

1. [ICO: Special category data (UK GDPR)](https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/lawful-basis/special-category-data/)
2. [Euki (official site)](https://eukiapp.org/)
3. [drip (official site)](https://dripapp.org/)
4. [Flo: Anonymous Mode FAQ](https://flo.health/privacy-portal/anonymous-mode-faq)
5. [Mozilla Foundation: Privacy Not Included, period and pregnancy apps (2022)](https://www.mozillafoundation.org/blog/in-post-roe-v-wade-era-mozilla-labels-18-of-25-popular-period-and-pregnancy-tracking-tech-with-privacy-not-included-warning/)

This is general information, not medical advice. Splash can’t diagnose. If you’re worried, talk to a GP, pharmacist or sexual health clinic. In an emergency call 999 (UK) or 911 (US).