Who this applies to
This policy covers Mei, an iOS application published by Kekayan Nanthakumar (“we”, “us”). It applies to everyone who installs or uses the Mei app on an iPhone.
What Mei does on your device
Mei runs a language model directly on your iPhone using Apple’s on-device machine-learning frameworks. When you talk, type, or dictate to Mei, the processing happens locally — nothing is transmitted to a remote server for us or a third party to read, store, or train on.
Mei can optionally remember details you share so that future conversations feel continuous. Those memories are written into the app’s private storage on your device and are not copied anywhere else.
What data we collect
We do not collect personal data about you. Specifically:
- We do not operate servers that receive your conversations.
- We do not collect your name, email, phone number, or location.
- We do not include behavioural analytics, advertising, or tracking SDKs.
- We do not read your Calendar, Reminders, photos, or any other on-device data except through iOS-granted permissions you explicitly approve — and even then, only locally (see Permissions).
We do use Sentry to receive anonymised crash reports when the app crashes, so we can fix it. This is the only data that ever leaves your device, and it never includes the contents of a conversation. See Crash reporting below for the exact fields collected.
If you voluntarily email us for support, that email (and whatever you choose to write in it) will reach our inbox. We use it only to reply to you and do not merge it with any other data source.
Apple may, independently of us, report aggregated crash and usage metrics from the App Store — we do not control this, and you can opt out from iOS Settings → Privacy & Security → Analytics & Improvements.
Crash reporting
When the app crashes or hits an unrecoverable error, Mei sends a diagnostic report to Sentry (sentry.io, operated by Functional Software, Inc.) so the bug can be traced and fixed. This is the single exception to the rule that nothing leaves your device.
Each report contains:
- A stack trace showing the line of code that failed.
- The iPhone model and iOS version.
- The Mei app version and build number.
- A timestamp of the crash.
- A short technical “breadcrumb” trail — e.g. which screen was open, which internal action fired — that contains no conversation text, journal content, or memory data.
Each report does not contain:
- Any message you sent to Mei, or any reply Mei sent back.
- Your memory store, journal entries, meal log, or reminders.
- Audio recordings or transcripts of your voice.
- Your name, email address, or any account identifier (because Mei has no account system).
Sentry acts as a data processor on our behalf. Their handling is governed by Sentry’s privacy policy and DPA. Reports are retained for up to 90 days and then deleted.
On by default. Crash reporting is enabled when you install Mei and cannot currently be disabled from inside the app. An in-app opt-out is planned for a future release. If you would prefer that no crash data ever leave your device, uninstall Mei — reports stop being sent immediately.
Permissions Mei may ask for
Each of these is optional. Mei will ask at the moment it’s actually needed, and you can revoke any of them at any time from iOS Settings → Mei.
- Microphone & Speech Recognition — so you can talk to Mei. Audio is converted to text on-device; neither the audio nor the transcript is uploaded.
- Notifications — only to deliver reminders or responses you’ve asked Mei to surface.
- Calendar — to read or add events when you ask Mei to. No calendar data is sent off-device.
- Reminders — to create or check items when you ask Mei to. No reminder data is sent off-device.
Where your data lives
Your conversations, journal entries, and Mei’s memory of you are stored in the app’s private container on your iPhone. They are protected by the standard iOS application sandbox and the device-level encryption that applies whenever your phone is locked.
If you have iCloud backup enabled for your iPhone, Apple may include Mei’s data in your encrypted device backup — that is controlled entirely by iOS, not by Mei. If you do not want Mei’s data backed up to iCloud, disable the backup for Mei from iOS Settings → [your name] → iCloud → Manage Account Storage → Backups.
Deleting the app removes all local Mei data. There is no cloud copy for us to purge, because we never received one.
Third parties
Mei does not share data with advertisers, behavioural-analytics vendors, or AI training partners. Mei does not use remote AI APIs. The model that generates replies is bundled with the app and runs on your device.
Two third parties are involved, and only for the reasons below:
- Apple — App Store operator and iOS platform provider. Their handling of download and subscription events is governed by Apple’s privacy policy.
- Sentry (Functional Software, Inc.) — receives anonymised crash reports so bugs can be fixed. See Crash reporting for the exact fields.
Children
Mei is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect data from anyone, so no data about children is held.
Your rights
Because we do not hold any personal data about you, there is nothing for us to export, correct, or erase upon request. Your ability to access, edit, and delete Mei’s on-device data lives inside the app, under Settings.
If you still have a question about your rights under the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020, GDPR, CCPA, or another regional law, email us at mei@kekayan.com and we will respond within 30 days.
Changes to this policy
If the policy changes materially — for example, if a future version of Mei added any server-side component — we will update the effective date above and note the change in the App Store release notes. Continued use of the app after a change means you accept the updated policy.
Contact
Questions, concerns, or legal requests: mei@kekayan.com.
Kekayan Nanthakumar
New Zealand