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Is Cord Safe?

Cord privacy label · by Mads Schmidt · checked November 2026

  • Collects no data
  • Recently updated
App Privacy label Developer-reported · checked November 1, 2026
Data Not Collected

The developer states that no data is collected from this app.

Short answer

On the label, yes. Cord's developer reports that it collects no data, which puts it among the 29% of secure messengers we checked with a "Data Not Collected" label. That is a self-declared statement, not an audit, and it does not cover data processed only on your device.

At a glance

Cord privacy in one look

Data exposure on the label
Data not collected
  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4

Built only from the developer's App Store label. It describes disclosure, not tested behaviour.

Verdict from the label
Data not collected

Cord's developer states that the app does not collect any data from this app.

Try it

Did Cord ask for something?

Pick the permission prompt you saw. We compare it with what Cord's developer declared.

It asked me for access to…
Tap a prompt to compare it with the label.
Not on the label

Location is not on Cord's label. That can be fine: data used only on your iPhone does not have to be declared. If the data would need to leave the phone for the feature to work, ask why it is missing.

Not on the label

User Content is not on Cord's label. That can be fine: data used only on your iPhone does not have to be declared. If the data would need to leave the phone for the feature to work, ask why it is missing.

Not on the label

Contacts is not on Cord's label. That can be fine: data used only on your iPhone does not have to be declared. If the data would need to leave the phone for the feature to work, ask why it is missing.

Not declared on the label

Cord declares no tracking, so a tracking prompt would contradict its label. Decline it, and consider reporting the mismatch to Apple.

Not on the label

Health & Fitness is not on Cord's label. That can be fine: data used only on your iPhone does not have to be declared. If the data would need to leave the phone for the feature to work, ask why it is missing.

A permission is what the app can reach on your iPhone; the label is what the developer says leaves it. They answer different questions.

Reading the label

What Cord's label means for you

“Data Not Collected” is the cleanest result a label can show. It means the developer states that no data leaves your iPhone in a way the developer or its partners can access for longer than needed to handle a request. Data processed only on your device does not count as collected, so Cord can still read files or photos you open in it.

The statement is the developer's own. Apple reviews apps but does not audit every label, and analytics or crash-reporting libraries added later can make a label out of date. If Cord asks you to create an account, upload files or allow tracking, that would not match a no-collection label — and is worth noticing.

Messengers see who you talk to as well as what you say. Even with end-to-end encrypted content, contact lists and metadata can be collected and linked to you. Check whether contact upload is optional, whether backups are encrypted too, and whether disappearing messages exist.

Among the 172 secure messengers in our snapshot with a label, 14% declare tracking, 54% collect data linked to you and 29% say they collect nothing. Cord lists 0 data types, fewer than the average of 2.8 for this group.

Social apps are built around identity and contacts, so data linked to you is nearly universal. Tracking and contact upload are the settings worth checking.

On your iPhone

Settings to check for Cord

  1. 1

    Contacts

    Settings › Privacy & Security › Contacts. Limited Access shares only the people you select instead of your whole address book.

  2. 2

    Microphone & camera

    Settings › Privacy & Security › Microphone and Camera. The orange and green dots in the status bar show when either is in use.

  3. 3

    Lock the app

    On iOS 18 and later, touch and hold the icon and choose Require Face ID. Anyone who picks up your unlocked phone then needs your face, fingerprint or passcode to open it.

  4. 4

    Notifications

    Settings › Notifications › Cord › Show Previews: When Unlocked keeps message and account details off the Lock Screen.

Cross-app tracking

Does Cord track you?

No tracking declared

There is no “Data Used to Track You” section on Cord's label.

Does Cord track you? Full answer and how to stop it →

iOS 18 and later

Lock Cord behind Face ID

  1. Find Cord on your Home Screen or in App Library.
  2. Touch and hold the icon until the quick-actions menu opens.
  3. Tap Require Face ID (or Require Touch ID / Require Passcode, depending on your iPhone).
  4. Tap Require Face ID again to confirm. Cord now asks for authentication every time it opens.

The lock is an iPhone feature, so it works whether or not Cord has a passcode of its own. It does not change what the app sends to its developer.

Lock or hide Cord: step-by-step guide →

From the App Store record

About Cord

DeveloperMads Schmidt
App Store categorySocial Networking
Latest version5.0.5, released October 2026
First releasedMay 2026
RequiresiOS 15.6 or later
Size44 MB
Age rating17+
Languages1 (EN)
Bundle IDcom.cordmessaging.app

The current version shipped in October 2026, so the app is actively maintained and its label is likely current. Labels are updated by developers when practices change.

Read with care

What the label cannot tell you

  • A label is self-reported. Apple publishes the developer's answers and can reject apps that misrepresent them, but it does not independently verify what Cord sends.
  • It does not say where data is stored, how long it is kept, whether it is encrypted, or which companies receive it. The privacy policy covers those points.
  • Optional data counts: if a feature lets you add something (a profile photo, a phone number), the type is listed even if you never use the feature.
  • Data handled only on your iPhone is not 'collected', so a no-collection label is compatible with an app that reads your files locally.
  • Third-party sign-in, payment processors and SDKs are supposed to be included, but a label can lag behind a new version.

The question to ask Cord's developer: Is the message content end-to-end encrypted by default, including backups?

How it compares

Cord vs similar secure messengers

Data types listed on each App Store privacy label
Tracks youLinked to youNot linkedCollects nothing

Fewer types is not automatically safer: a cloud backup app has to collect your files to work. Compare like with like.

Checking another app?

Look up any of our apps in seconds, or put two labels side by side.

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All secure messengers → Who tracks you? A–Z → Privacy label decoder →

Do it now

Your Cord privacy checklist

Tick what you have done
Tick each step as you do it on your iPhone.

Done. You have applied every control the label points to.

Quick quiz

True or false?

  1. Q1Cord's privacy label says it uses data to track you.
    Right.
    Not quite.

    False: there is no Data Used to Track You section on Cord's label.

  2. Q2Apple tests every app to confirm its privacy label is accurate.
    Right.
    Not quite.

    Labels are self-reported by developers. Apple can reject or remove apps that misrepresent practices, but it does not audit each label.

  3. Q3An app with a “Data Not Collected” label cannot read any of your photos.
    Right.
    Not quite.

    It can read photos you give it access to. Processing on your device is not collection; only data sent off the phone counts.

  4. Q4Data “Not Linked to You” is never sent off your iPhone.
    Right.
    Not quite.

    It is collected and sent; the developer says it is de-identified rather than tied to your account or device.

  5. Q5Tapping “Ask App Not to Track” can stop an app from working.
    Right.
    Not quite.

    Apple's rules require apps to work the same whether or not you allow tracking.

Questions people ask

Cord privacy FAQ

Is Cord safe to use?
Based on its App Store privacy label, cord's developer states that the app does not collect any data from this app. Whether that is acceptable depends on what you will store in it. The label is developer-reported, not an independent security test.
Does Cord track you?
No. Cord's label has no Data Used to Track You section.
What data does Cord collect?
None, according to the developer's label.
Who makes Cord?
Mads Schmidt, according to the App Store. It was first released in May 2026 and the current version is 5.0.5.
Can I lock Cord with Face ID?
On iOS 18 or later, touch and hold Cord's icon and choose Require Face ID (or Touch ID / Passcode). This is an iPhone feature and works for most downloaded apps, whether or not the app has its own lock.
How does Cord compare with other secure messengers?
Across 172 secure messengers with labels in our snapshot, 14% declare tracking and 29% say they collect no data. Cord lists 0 data types against an average of 2.8.
Is the message content end-to-end encrypted by default, including backups?
The privacy label cannot answer that. Look for it in Cord's privacy policy or support pages, linked from the App Store listing. Check whether contact upload is optional, whether backups are encrypted too, and whether disappearing messages exist.
How do I delete my data from Cord?
Apps that let you create an account must also let you start account deletion from inside the app (an App Store rule since June 2022). Deleting the app from your iPhone alone does not delete data already sent to the developer.
Facts on this page come from Cord on the App Store, as reported by the developer. Checked 2026-11-01. How we collect data · Report a correction