Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Account Information

When you create an account, we collect:

• Email address - Used for authentication and account recovery
• Display name - Encrypted and shown to your family members
• Profile photo (optional) - Encrypted before storage
• Password - Stored securely in Firebase Authentication (never accessible to us)

1.2 Family Data

Content you create within your family group is encrypted and includes:

• Messages and conversations
• Photos and voice messages
• Memories and timeline entries
• Family traditions, recipes, and activities
• Goals, gratitude entries, and to-do items
• Calendar events and meal plans
• Question answers and Bible verse reflections
• Fun facts and lending library items

1.3 Device Information

• Push notification tokens - To deliver notifications to your device
• Device type and OS version - For crash reporting and compatibility

1.4 Usage Analytics

We collect anonymized, aggregated analytics to improve the app:

• Feature usage statistics (which features are used, not specific content)
• Session duration
• App crashes and errors
• General engagement metrics

2. How We Use Your Information

3. Data Encryption & Security

3.1 End-to-End Encryption

Your family's data is protected with industry-standard encryption:

• Algorithm: AES-256-CBC encryption
• Key Derivation: Your family passphrase generates the encryption key using SHA-256
• Passphrase Protection: Your passphrase is encrypted with Argon2id (memory-hard algorithm) before storage
• What's Encrypted: Messages, photos, voice messages, memories, and all family content

3.2 Local Security

• Biometric authentication: Optional fingerprint/Face ID protection
• Secure storage: Sensitive data stored in iOS Keychain / Android Keystore
• Multi-factor authentication: Email verification and authenticator app support

3.3 Data in Transit

All data transmitted between your device and our servers uses HTTPS/TLS encryption.

4. Data Storage & Third-Party Services

We use the following Google Firebase services to operate the app:

All Firebase services are hosted on Google Cloud Platform infrastructure. See Firebase Privacy Policy for more details.

4.1 Optional Integrations

Google Calendar Integration: You may optionally connect your Google Calendar account to sync family events. When connected, we store encrypted OAuth tokens on our secure servers to maintain the connection. We only access your calendar to read and write family events you create in the app. You can disconnect at any time from Settings > Google Calendar, which will delete the stored tokens.

Immich Photo Backup: You may optionally connect to your own self-hosted Immich server for photo backup. Your Immich credentials are encrypted locally on your device. This is entirely under your control, and we do not have access to your Immich server.

5. Data Retention

• Active accounts: Data retained while your account is active
• Deleted accounts: Data deleted upon account deletion (see Section 7)
• Analytics data: Aggregated metrics retained for service improvement
• Crash logs: Retained for 90 days for debugging purposes

6. Data Sharing

We may share information only in these circumstances:

• With your family: Content you create is shared with members of your family group
• Service providers: Firebase/Google Cloud for hosting (see Section 4)
• Legal requirements: If required by law or valid legal process
• Safety: To protect the rights, safety, or property of users

7. Your Rights & Choices

7.1 Data Export

You can export all your data at any time using our Data Takeout feature:

• Export as a ZIP file containing PDF documents and media files
• Choose time range: last 30 days, 90 days, 1 year, or all time
• Export personal data only or entire family data (if admin)

7.2 Account Deletion

You can delete your account at any time from within the app. When deleting, you can choose:

• Label as former member: Your content remains visible but marked as from a former member
• Hide content: Your content is hidden from family but preserved
• Delete all content: Permanently remove all your messages, photos, and contributions

7.3 Notification Preferences

Control notifications for each feature individually in Settings.

7.4 Biometric Settings

Enable or disable biometric authentication at any time.

8. Children's Privacy

Family Connection Hub is designed for families, which may include children. However:

• Account creation requires an adult (18+) to manage the family
• Children should use the app under parental supervision
• We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without parental consent
• Parents can manage and delete their children's data through the family admin features

9. International Data Transfers

Your data may be processed in the United States or other countries where Google Cloud/Firebase operates data centers. These transfers are protected by:

• End-to-end encryption of your family data
• Google's data protection commitments
• Standard contractual clauses where applicable

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by:

• Posting the new policy on this page with an updated effective date
• Sending a notification through the app for significant changes

11. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or your data, please contact us:

• Email: privacy@familyconnectionhub.com
• Website: familyconnectionhub.com/support