How the withClaro app uses AI, and how your health data is protected
What AI does and doesn't do in the app, who can see your data, and how to delete it.
By Tanya Rybakova · Medical review pending · 2026-11-03 · 7 min read
This article is currently awaiting full medical review. All facts and sources in this piece reflect the current state of the evidence, and all claims have been fact-checked against primary sources. Once the review is complete, we'll publish the article with any relevant updates.
Key takeaways The withClaro app uses AI from OpenAI for its optional AI companion, written reports and short insights. Under our agreement with OpenAI, this data isn't used to train OpenAI's models. The assistant doesn't start from a blank chat. It answers from the treatment record you already keep, and asks a follow-up only when that changes the answer. The AI doesn't diagnose or tell you to start, stop or change a medicine, and it isn't a crisis service. Nothing it suggests is saved to your record until you confirm it. Health data is encrypted, hosted in the EU, never sold, and processed only with your explicit consent under the GDPR. You can delete your account in the app. Your account, treatment records and the assistant's memory are removed as part of that request. On this page
What is the withClaro app? Does the withClaro app use AI? How is the AI assistant in the withClaro app different from a general chatbot? What won't the AI in the withClaro app do? Can the withClaro app help in a crisis? Is my data used to train AI? How is my health data protected? Is the withClaro app HIPAA compliant? Who can access my data? Can I delete my data from the withClaro app? What to check before you trust any health app with your data Telling an app about your medicine, side effects and mood takes trust, and more so when the app uses AI. This guide explains how AI works in the withClaro app, what it won't do, who can see your data and how to delete it.
The answers come from how the app works and from our privacy notice .
What is the withClaro app?
The withClaro app helps people taking antidepressants keep track of their treatment. You log your medicine, dose and side effects, and a daily check-in records mood, energy, sleep and appetite. The app turns that record into summaries and a report you can share with your doctor, so changes don't get lost between appointments.
It's built for the weeks between visits, when questions come up and there's no one to ask. It's a wellness app, not a medical device or a diagnostic tool. It doesn't treat, diagnose or prescribe, and it doesn't replace your prescriber.
Inside the withClaro app: where you are in treatment, how your mood is trending, and the notes you've saved. Does the withClaro app use AI?
Yes. The AI features in the withClaro app are powered by OpenAI. AI writes text: the companion's replies, check-in reports, short insights and the doctor report summary. It doesn't produce your charts, counts or tables. Those are calculated directly from what you've logged, and the AI is instructed to use only the facts it's given.
The AI features cover:
The companion chat, including the check-in conversation and the conversation that prepares a doctor report Written check-in reports for a single moment, a day, a week and a month Short insight lines on a daily check-in and on a questionnaire result The doctor report summary and its short introduction The visit plan created during onboarding, and later updates to it A review of the assistant's own replies The AI companion is optional. Your messages are only sent to OpenAI once you've given explicit consent to use it.
How is the AI assistant in the withClaro app different from a general chatbot?
The assistant doesn't start from a blank chat. It answers from the treatment record you already keep: your medicine, your dose, how long you've been on it, and what you've logged for side effects, mood, sleep and energy. It asks a follow-up question only when the answer would change because of it.
Take a question like "is this side effect normal?" The answer depends on which medicine you take, the dose, how long you've taken it and what else has changed. A general chatbot only knows what you type into it. The assistant in the withClaro app already has those details from your record. For the side effects people most often ask about early on, see our guide to side effects in the first two weeks .
What won't the AI in the withClaro app do?
The AI gives information and context. It doesn't diagnose, and it won't on its own tell you to start, stop, skip, raise, lower or combine a medicine. Those decisions belong with you and your prescriber.
It can offer to record a dose you say you took, or a change to your medication list, but nothing is saved until you confirm it. That confirmation step is how decisions stay with you.
Can the withClaro app help in a crisis?
The withClaro app isn't a crisis service, and it doesn't promise to notice if you're in danger. A questionnaire score doesn't open a crisis screen. If you tell the assistant you're thinking of harming yourself or can't stay safe, it stays in the conversation and offers verified local crisis contacts. It won't give information on ways to harm yourself.
If you're in immediate danger, contact emergency services or a crisis line. In the US, call or text 988. In the UK, call Samaritans on 116 123. Elsewhere, find a crisis line near you .
For what to bring to your next appointment, see how to prepare for a medication management appointment .
Is my data used to train AI?
No. Under our agreement with OpenAI, data sent to power the AI features isn't used to train OpenAI's models. That matches OpenAI's own business data terms , which say it doesn't train on data from organizations using its API by default.
To answer from your record, the assistant receives a snapshot of it with each message. The snapshot includes your account ID and the name you prefer, your medicines, doses and treatment phase, recent check-ins and their notes, questionnaire scores, your plan, and the names of any clinicians you've saved. Your email address isn't part of that snapshot. Anything you type is sent as written, so messages aren't anonymous.
How is my health data protected?
Your data is encrypted in transit using TLS 1.2 or higher, and at rest using AES-256. The main database and storage are hosted in the EU with DigitalOcean.
We never sell personal data. Your check-ins, medicines and chat aren't used to target ads. We do measure whether an install or a subscription came from one of our marketing campaigns.
Reminders don't name your medicine. Some check-in reminders refer gently to something you've logged, and an appointment reminder can include a title or note you wrote.
Health information is special category data under the GDPR, the EU data protection law. That means it can only be processed when a specific legal condition is met, such as explicit consent . The withClaro app asks for your explicit, separate consent once for the core check-in features and again for each optional feature. You can withdraw it at any time.
Is the withClaro app HIPAA compliant?
HIPAA doesn't apply to the withClaro app. HIPAA covers US healthcare providers, health plans and the companies working on their behalf. The withClaro app isn't any of these. It is a wellness app operated from Portugal. It follows the GDPR, which treats health data as a special category with stricter rules than ordinary personal data.
This is common for health apps. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services , HIPAA stops protecting your health information once it reaches an app that doesn't work for a provider or health plan. So the useful question for any health app is which rules it does follow, and whether you can see them in writing.
Who can access my data?
No pharmaceutical company has access to your data, and advertisers don't receive your check-ins, medicines or chat. We work only with service providers we need to run the app, and each is bound by a data processing agreement:
OpenAI: the AI companion, AI features, safety checks and reports DigitalOcean: hosting of the database and storage in the EU PostHog, hosted in the EU: pseudonymous in-app analytics, only with your consent Klaviyo: account emails and service emails Apple and Google: sign-in, and push notifications on Apple devices Apple App Store and RevenueCat: payments; we never receive your full card details Each provider gets only what its job requires. An email service needs your email address, for example, while analytics are pseudonymous. The full list, with what each provider does, is in the privacy notice .
Can I delete my data from the withClaro app?
Yes. In the app, go to Profile → Account → Delete Account. Deletion is permanent and can't be undone. If you have an App Store subscription that's still renewing, you'll need to cancel it in the App Store first, and the app tells you when that's the case.
Your account, your treatment records and the assistant's memory are removed as part of that request, without a waiting period. Leftover copies held by service providers and in backups are cleared within 30 days. A few records follow fixed periods:
AI safety metadata: 90 days Session and login logs: 12 months Analytics: 24 months, then deleted or fully anonymized Billing records: 7 years, as Portuguese tax law requires You can also access, export or correct your data, or ask for deletion by email, at privacy@withclaro.com. You'll get a reply within one month.
What to check before you trust any health app with your data
Whatever app you use to track treatment, the same handful of questions tells you how it handles your data. A good privacy notice answers each one in plain language:
Does it use AI, from which provider, and is your data used to train models? Where is your data stored, and is it encrypted in transit and at rest? Is your data sold or used for advertising? Which law protects your data: HIPAA, the GDPR or something else? Who else gets access, and why? Can you export and delete your data, and how quickly is it deleted? Download on the App Store The withClaro app helps you track your medicine, side effects, mood and sleep between visits, with an AI assistant that works from your own treatment history.
Frequently asked questions Is it safe to use AI for mental health questions? It depends on the tool. Look for one built for your situation, open about where your data goes, and clear about what it won't do. Use AI to understand patterns and prepare questions, and keep decisions about medication with your prescriber.
Can the withClaro app tell me if my antidepressant is working? It can show how your side effects, mood, sleep and energy have changed since you started or changed a dose. Whether the medicine is working is a judgment for you and your prescriber. Bring that record to your next appointment.
Does the withClaro app share my data with drug companies? No. No pharmaceutical company has access to user data. You can read the full list of service providers, and what each one does, in the privacy notice.
Can the AI in the withClaro app replace my doctor? No. It answers questions about your own treatment and helps you notice patterns, but it doesn't diagnose or make treatment decisions. Use it to prepare for appointments, and bring decisions about your medication to your prescriber.
What happens to my data if I delete the app? Deleting the app from your phone doesn't delete your account. To remove your data, go to Profile → Account → Delete Account in the app before you uninstall it, or email privacy@withclaro.com.
Related articles
Sources withClaro. Privacy notice. Effective August 13, 2026 OpenAI. Business data privacy, security and compliance U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The access right, health apps and APIs Health Research Board (Ireland). GDPR guidance: special category personal data Claro articles are for self-monitoring and educational purposes only. They are not a medical device, therapist, or diagnostic tool, and do not replace care from your prescribing clinician. If you are in crisis, contact your care team, emergency services, the Samaritans (UK: 116 123), or the Crisis Text Line (US: text HOME to 741741).
