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Is PenCake Safe?

PenCake privacy label · by Diffathy, Inc. · checked November 2026

  • Nothing linked to you
  • Collects location
App Privacy label Developer-reported · checked November 1, 2026
Used to track you
0types

None declared

Linked to you
0types

None declared

Not linked to you
3types
Short answer

On the label it is low-risk: PenCake collects some data but says none of it is linked to you or used for tracking. The sensitive items are location. In total the label lists 3 data types; 32% of journal & diary apps we checked declare tracking.

At a glance

PenCake privacy in one look

Data exposure on the label
Not linked to you
  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
Not linked to you

PenCake collects some data but says none of it is linked to your identity, and none is used for tracking.

Try it

Did PenCake ask for something?

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

It asked me for access to…
Tap a prompt to compare it with the label.
Matches the label

PenCake lists Location on its label. Choose While Using and turn off Precise Location if the feature works without it.

Not on the label

User Content is not on PenCake'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 PenCake'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

PenCake 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 PenCake'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.

Line by line

What PenCake collects, explained

Data typeWhat it coversWhere to limit it
LocationSensitiveNot linked to you Where your phone is, either precisely (street level) or approximately (city or area). Settings › Privacy & Security › Location Services: choose Never or While Using, and turn off Precise Location if the app does not need it.
Usage DataNot linked to you What you tap, open and view inside the app, plus which ads you have seen. There is no single iOS switch. Look for an analytics or personalised-ads toggle in the app's own settings.
DiagnosticsNot linked to you Crash logs, launch times, hang rates and energy use. Settings › Privacy & Security › Analytics & Improvements › Share With App Developers controls what Apple passes on; the app's own crash reporting is separate.
Reading the label

What PenCake's label means for you

PenCake's label has 3 types under “Data Not Linked to You”. A data type can appear in more than one section when it is used for different purposes — for example, identifiers used for both analytics and advertising.

Every type on PenCake's label is in the “not linked” section, so the developer says the data is stripped of anything that identifies you before it is used. That is typical of anonymous analytics and crash reporting. Not linked is still collected: the data leaves your phone.

The items that deserve the most attention are location. Location history reveals home, work and routines. Precise location deserves the most scrutiny.

Journals collect your private thoughts, moods and often your location and photos. A lock screen inside the app is not the same as encryption of the synced entries. Check whether entries sync to the developer's server and whether that sync is end-to-end encrypted; export your journal regularly.

Among the 173 journal & diary apps in our snapshot with a label, 32% declare tracking, 54% collect data linked to you and 21% say they collect nothing. PenCake lists 3 data types, about the same as the average of 2.9 for this group.

Lifestyle apps cover family, home and personal organisation, and often combine location, contacts and photos in one place.

On your iPhone

Settings to check for PenCake

  1. 1

    Location

    Settings › Privacy & Security › Location Services › PenCake. Choose While Using or Never, and switch off Precise Location if a city-level answer is enough.

  2. 2

    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.

  3. 3

    Notifications

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

Cross-app tracking

Does PenCake track you?

No tracking declared

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

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

iOS 18 and later

Lock PenCake behind Face ID

  1. Find PenCake 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. PenCake now asks for authentication every time it opens.

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

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

From the App Store record

About PenCake

DeveloperDiffathy, Inc.
App Store categoryLifestyle (also Productivity)
Latest version3.17, released July 2026
First releasedMay 2018
RequiresiOS 9.0 or later
Size102 MB
Age rating12+
Languages10 (EN, FR, DE, ID, JA, KO, PT, ZH…)
Bundle IDcom.diffathy.bbapp

The current version shipped in July 2026. That is recent enough that the label should reflect current practices, but check the App Store page again before relying on it.

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 PenCake 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 PenCake's developer: Can anyone at the company read my entries?

How it compares

PenCake vs similar journal & diary apps

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 journal & diary apps → Who tracks you? A–Z → Apps that collect location → Privacy label decoder →

Do it now

Your PenCake 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. Q1PenCake's privacy label says it uses data to track you.
    Right.
    Not quite.

    False: there is no Data Used to Track You section on PenCake'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. Q3PenCake collects Location.
    Right.
    Not quite.

    True: Location appears on its label, in the Not Linked to You section.

  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

PenCake privacy FAQ

Is PenCake safe to use?
Based on its App Store privacy label, penCake collects some data but says none of it is linked to your identity, and none is used for tracking. Whether that is acceptable depends on what you will store in it. The label is developer-reported, not an independent security test.
Does PenCake track you?
No. PenCake's label has no Data Used to Track You section.
What data does PenCake collect?
Location, usage data and diagnostics. None of it is linked to your identity.
Who makes PenCake?
Diffathy, Inc., according to the App Store. It was first released in May 2018 and the current version is 3.17.
Can I lock PenCake with Face ID?
On iOS 18 or later, touch and hold PenCake'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 PenCake compare with other journal & diary apps?
Across 173 journal & diary apps with labels in our snapshot, 32% declare tracking and 21% say they collect no data. PenCake lists 3 data types against an average of 2.9.
Can anyone at the company read my entries?
The privacy label cannot answer that. Look for it in PenCake's privacy policy or support pages, linked from the App Store listing. Check whether entries sync to the developer's server and whether that sync is end-to-end encrypted; export your journal regularly.
How do I delete my data from PenCake?
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 PenCake on the App Store, as reported by the developer. Checked 2026-11-01. How we collect data · Report a correction