Last updated: October 14, 2026
Ascend analyzes photos of your face to give you personalized skincare, grooming, and hairstyle advice. Because that means handling your photos, we keep this simple and honest:
The rest of this policy explains the details.
Ascend is made by Altus Labs ("we," "us," "our"). If you have any question or request, email us at ascend@altuslabs.app.
By using Ascend, you agree to this policy.
With your permission, the app uses your camera and photo library so you can take or choose photos. You can change these permissions anytime in iOS Settings.
The photos you submit, and the written description of your features that we generate from them, may be considered biometric information or face data under some US state laws (for example in Illinois, Texas, and Washington) and under Apple's developer terms.
We ask first. Before Ascend sends any photo for analysis, we show you what is sent and who receives it, and you have to agree. You can withdraw that agreement at any time at Settings → AI Analysis. Withdrawing stops any future analysis and we will ask again the next time you add a photo.
What we do with it. We use your photos and the description generated from them only to produce your own analysis, recommendations, and roadmap, and to show them back to you.
What we never do. We do not use face data to identify or authenticate anyone. We do not use it for advertising or marketing, our own or anyone else's. We do not sell it or share it with data brokers. We do not use it to train AI models, and neither does our AI provider. We do not share it with any third party except the service providers listed below, who process it on our instructions in order to run Ascend.
How long. We delete the photos themselves within about 48 hours of upload.
We use Mixpanel to understand how features are used (which screens you view, what actions you take) and Firebase Crashlytics for crash and diagnostic reports. This data is associated with your anonymous ID and is used only to run and improve Ascend. We do not display advertising or use advertising trackers.
We share data only with the service providers that help us run Ascend, and only so they can perform their service for us — never for their own marketing, and never for sale:
We may also disclose information if the law requires it, to protect our rights or users' safety, or in connection with a merger or sale of the business.
We use encrypted connections, access rules that limit each account to its own data, and short retention of the most sensitive data (your photos). No system is perfectly secure, but we work to keep your information safe.
You can request access to, correction of, or deletion of your data anytime by emailing ascend@altuslabs.app. You can also delete everything yourself in the app at Settings → Account → Delete my data, which removes your photos, previews, the notes and recommendations Ascend generated, and your coach conversations.
You can also withdraw your permission for AI photo analysis at any time at Settings → AI Analysis. That stops any future analysis. It does not by itself delete what has already been processed, so use Delete my data if that is what you want.
If you're in California: you have the right to know what we collect, to request deletion, and not to be treated differently for exercising those rights. We do not sell your personal information.
If you're in the EEA or UK: our legal bases for processing are performing our service for you, your consent (for camera/photo access), and our legitimate interests in securing and improving the app. You have rights to access, correct, delete, restrict, port, and object, and to complain to your local authority.
International transfers. We process data on Google Cloud infrastructure, which may mean processing in the United States and other countries, with appropriate safeguards.
Ascend is for people 18 and older. We don't knowingly collect information from anyone under 18. If you believe a minor has used Ascend, email ascend@altuslabs.app and we'll delete it.
If we update this policy, we'll change the date at the top and, when it matters, let you know in the app.
Questions or requests: ascend@altuslabs.app — Guest Holdings LLC (d/b/a Altus Labs).