Privacy Policy

Last updated: May 14, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how Pixel Buddy ("we", "us", "the app") collects, uses, and shares your information when you use our iOS app. It is written to be plain and specific so you know exactly what happens with your data.

1. What we collect

• Account information:your name, email address, and the sign-in provider you used (Apple, Google, or email). We store this in our backend under a record scoped to your user ID.
• Messages you send to Kio:your typed text messages are streamed to our backend and forwarded to a third-party AI provider to generate Kio's replies. Your chat history (the text of your messages and Kio's replies, including transcripts of voice conversations) is stored on your device and also synced to our backend under a record scoped to your user ID, so your chats are backed up and available if you reinstall or sign in on another device. You can delete this any time via Delete account (see below).
• Voice audio:when you use voice mode, your microphone audio is streamed in real time to a third-party AI provider to generate Kio's spoken reply. The audio is not retained on our servers after the conversation ends.
• Usage statistics on your device:total turns with Kio, current streak, voice minutes used today, daily message count. These are stored locally on your device and used to drive the home screen stats and the daily free-tier caps. We do not transmit them off your device.
• Content reports:if you long-press a Kio response and submit a report, the report (reason, the response text you flagged, your optional note, and your user ID) is stored in our backend so we can review it. You can view your submitted reports inside the app at any time.
• Subscription status:whether you have a Pro subscription is recorded by our subscription-management provider, which we use to manage in-app purchases. Its customer ID matches your Pixel Buddy user ID.
• Technical and log data:when the app communicates with our backend, our servers and infrastructure providers automatically process your IP address and basic request metadata to route traffic, secure your account, and prevent abuse. We do not use this to track you or to determine your precise location, and we never use it for advertising.
• Product usage analytics:we record a small set of in-app events (for example: the app being opened, starting a voice chat, sending a message, viewing the paywall, and starting a subscription) together with your Pixel Buddy user ID, name, and email so we can recognize accounts in our analytics. We use this only to understand which features are used and to improve the app. We do not record the content of your messages or voice in analytics, we do not capture screen recordings, and we do not use it to track you across other apps or websites. This is processed by our analytics provider (see below).

2. What we do not collect

• We do not collect precise or GPS location.
• We do not collect your contacts, photos, or device identifiers for advertising.
• We do not track you across other apps or websites.
• We do not sell or rent your data to anyone.

3. Who we share data with

We share the minimum necessary data with the following categories of service providers, all of whom act as data processors for us under agreements that require them to protect your data at a level equivalent to this policy:

• AI provider:we send your text messages and voice audio to a third-party AI provider to generate Kio's replies. Under the applicable paid-API terms, the content you send is not used to train the provider's models.
• Backend & authentication provider:provides our authentication and stores your profile, chat history, and any content reports you submit.
• Subscription-management provider:handles subscription state and entitlement checks.
• Apple:when you Sign in with Apple or make a subscription purchase, Apple processes that interaction. See Apple Privacy Policy.
• Analytics provider:provides product analytics. We send the in-app usage events described above, associated with your user ID, name, and email, so we can measure feature usage and improve the app. It does not receive your messages or voice content.

4. AI disclosure

Kio's replies are generated by a third-party large language model. AI-generated content can be wrong, especially about recent events or specific facts. Don't rely on Kio for medical, legal, financial, or other professional advice. Before you can use Kio, the app asks for your explicit consent to this AI processing, which you can review on the consent screen during onboarding.

5. Data retention

• Chat history:the text of your messages, Kio's replies, and voice-conversation transcripts are kept on your device and synced to our backend (scoped to your user ID) until you delete a chat or delete your account. Deleting your account removes them from both your device and our backend.
• Voice audio:the raw microphone audio is streamed to a third-party AI provider and discarded; we do not retain the audio. The text transcript of the conversation is saved as part of your chat history (above).
• Profile and reports:retained in our backend while your account exists.
• Backups:our backend provider performs routine database backups for disaster recovery. Backups are encrypted at rest and rotated.

6. Account deletion

You can delete your account at any time from Settings → Account → Delete account. When you do, the app will:

• Delete every chat and message stored on your device.
• Delete your profile record from our backend.
• Revoke your Sign in with Apple token (if you signed in with Apple) by calling Apple's authorization revocation endpoint.
• Delete your customer record from our subscription-management provider.
• Sign you out and clear any locally cached identifiers.

Submitted content reports may be retained in anonymized form for up to 90 days for audit purposes.

7. Data export

From Settings → Export my data you can download a JSON file containing your profile, usage stats, subscription tier, every chat and message, and every report you've submitted.

8. Children

Pixel Buddy is rated 16+ on the App Store and is not directed at children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, contact us and we will delete it.

9. Security

All traffic between the app and our backend uses TLS. Your data is protected so that only you, the authenticated owner, can read or modify it. Authentication tokens are stored securely and are never exposed to other users.

10. International users and your rights

Pixel Buddy is operated from the United States. If you are in the European Economic Area, the UK, or California, you have the right to access, correct, delete, and port your personal data. The in-app "Export my data" and "Delete account" features fulfill the access, portability, and deletion rights. To exercise other rights or ask questions, email us at the address below.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Material changes will be highlighted in-app and the "last updated" date above will change.

12. Contact

Questions or requests: pixelbuddyapp@gmail.com