Mindly ("we," "our," or "us") provides an AI-powered voice companion for personal reflection and emotional well-being through the Mindly iOS application ("the App"). This Privacy Policy explains what data we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have.
We designed Mindly with privacy at its core. Most AI processing happens directly on your device, and we never sell your data.
Mindly does not collect usage analytics, crash reports, or performance telemetry. We do not implement any first-party analytics, and we do not integrate any third-party analytics or crash reporting SDK (no Firebase, Mixpanel, Amplitude, Segment, Sentry, Crashlytics, or equivalent).
If you have separately opted in to share analytics with Apple under iOS Settings → Privacy & Security → Analytics & Improvements, iOS may include Mindly in what it sends to Apple. That is a relationship between you and Apple; Mindly neither asks for that data nor receives it. You can disable this at any time in iOS Settings.
Mindly prioritizes on-device AI so your conversation text stays on your phone by default. On-device processing involves no data transmission and is not disclosed in our App Store privacy nutrition label because the data never leaves the device.
Apple Foundation Models (iOS 26+): On supported devices (A17 Pro chip or later running iOS 26+), AI responses are generated entirely on your device. No conversation data is sent to any server.
CoreML / MLX Local Models: On devices that do not support Apple Foundation Models, Mindly uses locally downloaded AI models. These run entirely on your device with no network communication.
When cloud AI is needed, Mindly routes requests to one of these named providers:
No other cloud AI providers are used without updating this policy and notifying you in the App.
Cloud AI is never used without your explicit consent. You control this through Mindly's privacy mode toggle:
| Privacy Mode | Cloud AI | What Happens |
|---|---|---|
| Private Mode | OFF (guaranteed) | All processing stays on-device. No data leaves your phone. No internet required. |
| Normal Mode | ON (with protections) | Conversation text is sent to cloud providers with PII removed. You must explicitly select this mode. |
| Full Power Mode | ON (premium providers) | Conversation text is sent to premium cloud providers. You must explicitly select this mode. |
Default: The App defaults to Private Mode. You must actively choose Normal or Full Power mode to enable cloud AI processing. You can switch back to Private Mode at any time, and cloud processing stops immediately.
When you have opted into cloud AI:
We want to be straight with you about the limits of what removing direct identifiers can do. When you opt into cloud AI, we strip names, phone numbers, addresses, and similar identifying tokens from your conversation text before it leaves your phone. That protects against the most common ways a stray log line gets traced back to a real person. What it does not do is mask how you write. Academic research has shown that writing style itself can act as a fingerprint: word choices, sentence rhythms, and topic patterns can re-identify an author from text that has had all the obvious identifiers removed, given enough samples. We're not aware of any consumer AI app that defends against this, and we don't claim to either. If you're sending text to a cloud provider for any reason, treat it the way you'd treat sending a postcard: scrubbed of the name and return address, but still in your own handwriting. The free, on-device tier sidesteps this entirely because nothing leaves the phone.
We do not operate user accounts or maintain server-side databases of personal conversation data.
| Data Type | Retention | How to Delete |
|---|---|---|
| Conversations | Until you delete them | Settings > Delete Data, or uninstall the App |
| Spike companion state | Until you delete | Settings > Delete Data, or uninstall the App |
| Cloud provider logs | Up to 30 days (provider policy) | Deleted automatically by provider |
Deleting the App removes all locally stored data, including conversations, Spike companion state, and preferences.
We never sell, rent, or trade your personal information, conversation data, or usage patterns to any third party for any purpose.
| Third Party | What Is Shared | When | Your Control |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anthropic (Claude API) | PII-stripped conversation text | Normal/Full Power mode only | Privacy toggle (switch to Private to stop) |
| OpenAI (GPT API) | PII-stripped conversation text | Normal/Full Power mode only | Privacy toggle (switch to Private to stop) |
| Apple (OS-level, not via Mindly) | Whatever iOS diagnostics you opted into at the OS level, routed entirely by Apple. Mindly does not push anything to this pipeline. | If you opted in during iOS setup | iOS Settings > Privacy & Security > Analytics & Improvements |
| Law enforcement | As required by valid legal process | Court order, subpoena, or legal obligation | N/A |
We do not use third-party advertising networks, data brokers, or social media tracking pixels.
You have full control over how your data is processed:
California residents have the right to:
If you are in the European Economic Area, you have the right to access, rectify, erase, restrict, or port your personal data, and to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. Our legal basis for processing is your explicit consent (for cloud AI usage via the privacy toggle).
Mindly is a personal wellness and reflection tool. It is not a medical device, does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and is not a covered entity under HIPAA. Mindly should not be used as a substitute for professional mental health care. If you are in crisis, please contact emergency services or a crisis hotline.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy and notify you within the App. Continued use of the App after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or your data:
| Data Type | Collected? | Stored Where | Shared With Third Parties? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Voice audio | Processed transiently | Device only | Never |
| Conversation text | Yes | Device only (encrypted) | Cloud AI only when you opt in (PII removed) |
| Spike companion state | Yes | Device only | Never |
| Emotional insights | Yes | Device only | Never |
| Personal identifiers | No | N/A | N/A |
| Location data | No | N/A | N/A |
Per App Store requirements, our privacy nutrition label discloses: