Terms of Use

alīv · Last updated 13 August 2026

These terms are an agreement between you and Michael Entrekin about your use of the alīv app. By using alīv you accept them. If you do not accept them, please delete the app.

alīv is not medical care

This is the part that matters most, so it comes first.

alīv is a self-help tool. It is not a medical device, it does not diagnose or treat any condition, and it is not a substitute for care from a doctor, therapist, psychiatrist or any other qualified professional. Nothing in the app is medical advice, and no clinician is reviewing what you write or how you are doing.

The lessons summarise published clinical research in plain language. They are educational. They describe what tends to help people in general; they cannot tell you what will help you, and they are not tailored to your situation, history or medication.

The self-checks are modelled on the *shape* of questionnaires clinicians use — a fortnight's window, four frequency options, a summed score — but the questions were written for this app rather than taken from any validated instrument. The scores are not clinical scores. They cannot diagnose anything, they are not comparable to anything a professional would use, and their only real use is comparing your own answers over time. Do not make a decision about your treatment on the strength of a number in this app.

Never delay seeking professional help, or disregard advice you have been given, because of something you read here.

In an emergency

alīv is not an emergency service and cannot get help to you.

If you are in immediate danger, or you are thinking about acting on thoughts of suicide or self-harm, contact your local emergency number now — 911 in the United States, 999 in the United Kingdom, 112 across the EU — or go to your nearest emergency department.

In the United States you can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or text HOME to 741741 for the Crisis Text Line. Elsewhere, findahelpline.com lists services by country.

The crisis contacts and safety plan you enter in alīv are notes to yourself. The app does not call anyone, alert anyone, or monitor you. Nobody is watching what you write, and nobody will be notified if things get worse.

Who can use alīv

You must be at least 13 years old. If you are under 18, please use alīv with a parent or guardian's knowledge. You must also be somewhere alīv is lawfully available, and you must not be barred from using it under applicable law.

There is no account

alīv has no sign-in. There is nothing to register and no password to keep safe, and we cannot identify you or lock you out of anything.

What you write is yours

Everything you put into alīv — your plan, your journal, your safety plan, your answers — belongs to you. It stays on your device. We claim no rights over it, we do not read it, and we could not produce it if asked, because we do not have it. See the Privacy Policy for the full account.

That also means the only copy is the one on your device. Keep a backup of your iPhone if your writing matters to you.

What you may not do

Do not use alīv to break the law or to harm anyone. Do not attempt to reverse-engineer, decompile or tamper with the app except where the law expressly allows it. Do not use it to build a competing product, and do not remove or obscure any notice within it.

Our rights in the app

alīv, its name, its design, its lesson library and its code remain the property of Michael Entrekin and its licensors. You get a personal, revocable, non-exclusive, non-transferable licence to use the app on Apple devices you own or control, as set out in Apple's standard licence terms — these terms sit on top of those, and where the two conflict on Apple-specific matters, Apple's prevail.

No warranty

alīv is provided "as is" and "as available", without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including any implied warranty of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy or non-infringement. We do not warrant that it will be uninterrupted, error-free, or that it will improve how you feel.

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of implied warranties, so parts of this section may not apply to you.

Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent the law allows, Michael Entrekin will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential or punitive damages, or for any loss of data, profits or goodwill, arising out of your use of — or inability to use — alīv. Our total liability for any claim relating to the app will not exceed the greater of the amount you paid for it in the twelve months before the claim, or US$50.

Nothing in these terms limits liability that cannot lawfully be limited, including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, or for fraud. Some jurisdictions do not allow some of these limits, so parts of this section may not apply to you.

Apple

These terms are between you and Michael Entrekin only, not with Apple. Apple has no obligation to provide support for alīv and is not responsible for any claim relating to it, including product liability, any failure to conform to a legal requirement, or a claim under consumer protection or privacy law. Apple and its subsidiaries are third-party beneficiaries of these terms and may enforce them against you. Apple's own standard terms are at apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula.

Changes and ending

We may update these terms; the current version always lives in the app and at the address below, with the date at the top. If a change matters, it will be obvious. Continuing to use alīv after a change means you accept it.

You can end this agreement whenever you like by deleting the app. We may suspend or end your access if you materially breach these terms. The sections on warranties, liability and governing law survive.

Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of [STATE / COUNTRY], without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules, and the courts of [STATE / COUNTRY] will have jurisdiction — except where the law of the place you live gives you the right to bring a claim locally, which these terms do not take away.

Contact

mrentrekin@gmail.com