Privacy Policy
Last updated: October 22, 2026
Kin Chat Cloud for Families ("we", "us") is a private messaging, calendar, and chore-organizing cloud for families. This policy explains what information the app collects, how it is used, and the choices you have.
Information you provide
- Account details: phone number or email address, display name, family nickname, profile photo, bio, and date of birth.
- Family information: the family spaces and circles you create or join, invite codes, family roles, and parent/guardian links for child accounts.
- Content you share: messages, photos, videos, voice notes, documents, polls, calendar events, chores, and reactions.
- Kinship verification: photos and details you submit when requesting a verified family connection.
- Reports: if you report a message, we receive the message text you reported, who sent it, and the reason you selected.
Information collected when you use features
- Location: collected only when you choose to share it — for a static location pin, an Emergency SOS, or an active Live Radar session. During a Live Radar session, your location updates with your family circle even if the app is in the background, automatically shutting off after 30 minutes or when ended manually. Kin Chat Cloud never tracks your location in the background outside of an active Live Radar session.
- Camera, photos, and microphone: used only when you choose to take or attach a photo, or record a voice message.
- Push notification tokens: used to deliver notifications to your device.
End-to-end encryption
Chat messages and the photos, videos, and documents attached to them in circles are end-to-end encrypted on your device before they are uploaded. We cannot read the contents of encrypted messages. Notification previews for chat messages do not include message text.
Other content — items saved to the family Media Vault, profile and family pictures, circle pictures, and kinship verification photos — is not end-to-end encrypted. It is stored with Google Firebase and encrypted in transit and at rest. Vault items and family and circle pictures can be accessed only by members of that family or circle. Your name, nickname, and profile picture are shown to the families and circles you join and to people you send kinship requests to.
What other users can see
Other users cannot search for or look up your profile. Your phone number, email address, and date of birth are private to your account and are not shown to other users. The only exception is a kinship connection request, where the phone number and contact details you choose to include are shared with the person you are requesting and their parent or guardian.
How we use information
We use information only to provide and secure the app: to create your account, deliver messages and notifications, show your family the content and location you choose to share, review reports of abuse, and keep the service working. We do not sell your information, show ads, or use your information to track you across other apps or websites.
Service providers
The app is hosted on Google Firebase (authentication, database, file storage, and push notification delivery through Apple Push Notification service and Firebase Cloud Messaging). GIFs in the GIF picker are loaded from GIPHY, which receives standard request information such as your IP address when an image loads.
Children
Child accounts are linked to a parent or guardian through a family invite code. Parents and guardians can review and approve certain activity for child accounts through parental controls. If you are a parent and believe your child has provided information without your consent, contact us and we will delete it.
Blocking and reporting
You can block other users and report messages from inside the app. Blocked users' messages are hidden from you and they can no longer send you notifications. We review reports and may remove content or accounts that violate our Terms of Use.
Keeping and deleting your information
We keep your information while your account is active. You can permanently delete your account and associated data at any time in the app under Edit Profile > Delete Profile Permanently. Content you shared with others in family circles may remain visible to them where it is needed for their conversation history.
Changes
If we change this policy, we will update the date above and, for significant changes, let you know in the app.
Contact
Questions or requests: matthewhon@honfamily.com