Privacy at Kinu
How Kinu protects your most personal data, in plain terms.
Your relationship data belongs to you. Kinu is built local-first, which is an architectural choice and not just a policy. Your personal information lives on your device, and when you sync, it is encrypted before it ever leaves.
This page is the short version. Every claim here links to a deeper explanation, and nothing is left to vague language.
Your data lives on your device
Kinu is local-first. Every person you add, every moment you capture, every voice note you record, and every private note you write is stored directly on your device. The app works fully offline, and your data never needs to leave your phone to be useful.
There is no central database of your relationships. On the free plan, your data stays on your device and is never uploaded at all. Your device is home base.
Why Kinu needs an account
You sign in with Apple, Google, or an email and password. An account is what makes backup and restore, encrypted sync across devices, and restoring a past purchase possible. It is the only way to move your data to a new phone or get it back if your device is lost.
Even with an account, the app still works fully offline once you are signed in. Signing in does not send your relationship content anywhere. That only happens if you turn on sync.
If you sync, everything is encrypted first
Sync is a Kinu Plus feature, and it is opt-in. When you turn it on, your data is encrypted on your device before it ever leaves. It stays encrypted in transit and at rest on our server. The server receives only encrypted blobs, and we do not access your relationship content as part of running Kinu.
Photos and voice notes are different. They stay on your device only and are never uploaded.
An honest note on encryption. Your sync key is currently derived from your account, which means our server could in principle re-derive it. So we do not claim end-to-end encryption or zero-knowledge today. User-held keys, where only you ever hold the key, are an improvement we are working toward, not something available yet. We would rather tell you exactly where we stand than overstate it.
What the server stores
When you sync, the server stores three things and nothing more:
- Your encrypted blobs (your synced data, which we cannot read)
- Your email address (to run your account and send things like password resets)
- Your subscription status (so the right features unlock)
That is the complete list. Read the full, line-by-line breakdown in what we can and cannot see.
No ads. No data selling. Ever.
Kinu is funded by subscriptions, not by your data. We will never:
- Sell your information to anyone
- Show you ads based on your relationships
- Share your data with third parties
- Mine your content for any purpose
There is no cross-app tracking, and Kinu uses no advertising identifiers.
What we measure, and what we never touch
We collect a small amount of pseudonymous product analytics to make Kinu better. Everything is tied to a random support id, never to your name, email, or content. This includes things like:
- How many people you have added (the count, never the names)
- Which features you use (for example, that you opened moments, not what you wrote)
- App version and device type
We never measure names, content, dates, or anything personal. Our analytics are built to help us improve the product without knowing anything about your life.
Private notes have extra protection
Private notes get an additional layer of protection beyond encryption. They are architecturally excluded from everything. No feature, no system, and no part of Kinu will ever read, surface, analyze, or sync them. This isolation is built into the code itself, not a setting you can toggle.
Our promise. Your private notes are for your eyes only. No exceptions, no conditions, no fine print.
You stay in control
Your data is yours to take or remove at any time.
- Export your data whenever you want a copy.
- Delete your account from Settings, Account, Delete Account. Deletion is immediate and permanent. It removes your account and all server data and wipes the data on your device.
Learn more
What We Can and Can't See
A transparent, line-by-line breakdown of what Kinu knows about you.
Encryption Explained
How encryption works in Kinu, in plain terms.
How Your Data Is Stored
Where your data lives and how it is managed on your device.
Sync Explained
How Kinu keeps your devices in harmony with Kinu Plus.
Still need help? Contact support