Maya Period Tracker Alternative: Private Period Trackers That Keep Data on Your Device

Maya by Plackal Tech was flagged by Privacy International for sharing data with Facebook. Here are maya period tracker alternatives with on-device storage.

Maya by Plackal Tech was flagged by Privacy International for sharing intimate health data with Facebook through embedded SDKs. The app collects location data per its privacy policy. Floriva keeps core records on your device with no third-party SDKs, no location tracking, and no account required for core tracking.

Why Users Are Leaving Maya

Maya by Plackal Tech is one of the most popular period trackers in India and Southeast Asia. It offers cycle tracking, ovulation predictions, and lifestyle content. In September 2019, Privacy International published an investigation that changed how many users viewed the app.

Privacy International found that Maya was sharing intimate health data with Facebook through the Facebook SDK embedded in the app. The data transmission was happening before users had a chance to consent to Maya's privacy policy. Users were opening an app to track their periods and, without any meaningful disclosure, their health data was being sent to Facebook's advertising infrastructure.

This was not a bug. It was the business model. Ad-supported period trackers embed third-party SDKs that collect and transmit data as a condition of the free service. Maya's case was documented by a credible independent organization, but the underlying pattern, health data flowing to ad networks, is common across ad-supported trackers.

What Maya Does With Your Data

Maya's data practices involve three distinct concerns.

First, the Facebook SDK integration. Privacy International's research documented that Maya transmitted health data to Facebook, including data entered about reproductive status. Facebook's SDK collects device identifiers, app events, and behavioral data that feeds its advertising targeting systems.

Second, location data. Maya's privacy policy lists location data among the information it collects. A period tracker has no functional reason to know your location. Cycle predictions are based on dates and symptoms, not geography. Location data combined with reproductive health information creates a data profile with serious implications, especially for users in jurisdictions with abortion restrictions.

Third, cloud storage. Maya stores data on remote servers, which means the data is accessible to the company, its partners, and law enforcement through legal process. Read more about how period tracker apps collect data.

What Changes When You Switch to On-Device Storage

Local-first storage reduces the vectors described above. No SDK transmits your health information to Facebook or any other ad network. Floriva has no readable central cycle database to subpoena or breach.

Floriva uses local-first architecture. Cycle data, symptoms, and predictions are processed and stored locally for core tracking. No account is needed. No ads are shown. No location data is collected. No third-party SDKs are present.

That is the difference between a period tracker that works for you and one that works for advertisers. Learn more about what zero-knowledge period tracking means.

How to Switch

Moving from Maya to Floriva is straightforward:

Record your recent period start dates and cycle lengths from Maya.
Install Floriva, no account or sign-up required.
Enter your cycle history to set up predictions.
Delete your Maya account and request data deletion if available.
Uninstall Maya.

Deleting your account is important. Simply uninstalling the app does not remove data already stored on Maya's servers. For a comparison of private alternatives, see our list of best private period tracker apps.

The Privacy Bottom Line

Maya was documented by Privacy International sharing intimate health data with Facebook before users could consent. The app collects location data that serves no cycle-tracking function. If you want a period tracker that does not transmit your health data to advertising companies, you need an app built on a different architecture, one with no ad SDK path for cycle data.

Strengths and trade-offs

Maya

Pros

Feature-rich cycle tracking
Large user community

Cons

Privacy International flagged Facebook SDK data sharing
Location data collection
Ad-supported model
Cloud-based data storage

Quick answers to the obvious questions.

What did Privacy International find about Maya?

In September 2019, Privacy International published research showing that Maya was sharing intimate health data with Facebook through the Facebook SDK embedded in the app. The investigation found that data was being transmitted to Facebook before users had a chance to consent to Maya's privacy policy. This included information entered into the app about health and reproductive status.

Does Maya collect location data?

Yes. Maya's privacy policy includes location data among the information it collects. A period tracker has no functional reason to know your location. Cycle predictions are based on dates and symptoms, not geography. Location data combined with reproductive health data creates a particularly sensitive data profile.

Questions people ask before they switch.

Is Maya period tracker safe?

Privacy International flagged Maya for sharing intimate health data with Facebook through embedded SDKs. The app also collects location data according to its privacy policy. Data is stored on cloud servers and is accessible through legal process.

Does Maya share data with Facebook?

Privacy International's 2019 investigation found that Maya was sharing intimate health data with Facebook through the Facebook SDK embedded in the app. This included data being transmitted before users could consent to the privacy policy.

What is a private alternative to Maya?

Floriva is a local-first period tracker that keeps core records on your phone. No cycle data is shared with Facebook or ad networks. No account is needed for core tracking.