The Legal Checklist for Launching Your App

This guide is for general information only. Legal requirements depend on your app, users, and country. Review everything carefully before publishing.

1. Terms of Use

Your Terms of Use explain the rules for using your app. They can cover who can use it, acceptable use, payments and subscriptions, account suspension or deletion, and each party’s responsibilities.

Before you create it

• App name
• Your name or company name
• Contact email
• What the app does
• Whether users need an account
• Whether the app is free or paid
• Subscription and cancellation details
• Minimum user age
• Country or state where your business operates

Copy this prompt

Create a simple Terms of Use document for my app.

App name:
[App name]

Owner or company:
[Your name or company name]

Contact email:
[Email]

Country or state:
[Location]

What the app does:
[Short description]

Does the app require an account?
[Yes or no]

Pricing:
[Free, paid, or subscription]

Subscription and cancellation details:
[Details]

Minimum user age:
[Age]

Please include sections for user accounts, acceptable use, payments,
subscriptions, intellectual property, account termination, disclaimers,
limitation of liability, changes to the terms, and contact information.

Use simple language.

Do not invent missing details. Mark anything I need to review with [CHECK].

Check before publishing

• Replace every placeholder
• Make sure the pricing details are correct
• Make sure cancellation instructions match your app
• Add a contact email
• Add the date the terms become effective

2. Privacy Policy

Your Privacy Policy explains what information your app collects and how it is used, including information provided by users, collected automatically, accessed through permissions, or received by third-party services.

Before you create it

• What information users provide
• What your app collects automatically
• Why each type of information is needed
• Where the information is stored
• Which third-party services receive it
• How users can delete their account or data

Copy this prompt

Create a simple Privacy Policy for my app.

App name:
[App name]

Owner or company:
[Your name or company name]

Contact email:
[Email]

Country or state:
[Location]

What the app does:
[Short description]

Information users provide:
[List it]

Information collected automatically:
[List it]

Permissions used:
[Camera, microphone, location, photos, etc.]

Third-party services:
[Supabase, Firebase, PostHog, Stripe, RevenueCat, etc.]

How users can delete their account or data:
[Explain]

Please explain what information is collected, why it is collected,
how it is used, when it is shared, how long it is kept, and how users
can request access or deletion.

Use simple language.

Do not invent missing details. Mark anything I need to confirm with [CHECK].

Check before publishing

• Include every analytics and third-party tool
• Make sure the policy matches what the app actually does
• Explain how users can delete their data
• Add a contact email
• Add an effective date

3. Check Your App Name

Before committing to an app name, check whether another business is already using something similar. Search exact and similar names across search engines, app stores, domains, social platforms, and official trademark databases.

Before you create it

• Similar spellings
• Similar-sounding names
• Singular and plural versions
• Names in the same product category
• Countries where you plan to operate

Copy this prompt

Help me create a search plan for my proposed app name.

App name:
[Name]

What the app does:
[Description]

Target users:
[Audience]

Countries where I plan to launch:
[Countries]

Create a list of:

1. Exact-name searches
2. Similar spellings
3. Similar-sounding names
4. Singular and plural versions
5. Search queries combining the name with the product category
6. Trademark databases I should check

Do not tell me that the name is legally safe.

This is only for preliminary research.

Check before publishing

• Search the exact name
• Search similar names
• Check the app stores
• Check domains and usernames
• Check official trademark databases
• Get professional advice if you find a similar business

4. Declare the Data Your App Collects

Apple and Google may ask what information your app collects, uses, or shares. Include data handled by your own app as well as every third-party tool and SDK.

Before you create it

• Every type of data collected
• Why it is collected
• Whether it is linked to a user
• Whether it is shared with another company
• Which feature or SDK collects it
• Whether users can request deletion

Copy this prompt

Help me prepare my app’s data declarations.

App description:
[Description]

Platforms:
[iOS, Android, or both]

Information collected:
[List it]

Permissions used:
[List them]

Third-party tools and SDKs:
[List them]

For each type of information, create a table showing:

1. What information is collected
2. Why it is collected
3. Whether it is linked to the user
4. Whether it is shared
5. Which feature or SDK collects it
6. Whether users can request deletion

Separate the result into:

- Apple App Privacy
- Google Play Data Safety

Mark uncertain answers with [VERIFY].

Check before publishing

• Include every SDK
• Review the official documentation for each tool
• Make sure the answers match your Privacy Policy
• Update the declarations whenever your app changes