Privacy Policy

Effective date: May 14, 2026

This policy explains how From Friends handles account information, updates, contacts, transcripts, replies, phone verification, and user-sent invitations.

Overview

From Friends is a close-friends voice update app. Users can create weekly voice updates, add photos, choose an audience, view updates shared with them, reply to specific moments, import contacts to find friends, and send one-time invitations to people they know.

This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, when we share it, and the choices you have. If you do not agree with this policy, do not use From Friends.

Information We Collect

Account information

We collect information you provide to create and manage your account, such as your phone number, display name, assigned update day, profile settings, and authentication information.

Updates, photos, replies, and transcripts

We collect the voice notes, photos, text replies, audio replies, timestamps, and related metadata you submit. We may transcribe voice notes and audio replies so that you and your friends can read and navigate audio content.

Friends, audiences, blocks, and seen state

We collect information about friend connections, update audience selections, blocks, whether an update has been seen, and reply activity so the app can show the right updates to the right people.

Contacts

If you choose to import contacts, the app may store names and phone numbers from your device contacts to help you find people who are already on From Friends and prepare update sharing. You can choose not to grant contact access.

Invitations and phone verification

If a user shares an update with someone who is not on the app, we may store the recipient phone number, optional recipient name, sender, update, message body, and delivery status so the recipient can see the shared update if they later sign up with that phone number. We also process phone numbers to send login or verification codes.

Device and usage information

We may collect technical information such as device type, operating system, app version, approximate logs, request metadata, error reports, and basic usage events to operate, secure, and improve the service.

How We Use Information

To create and authenticate accounts.
To store, display, and distribute updates to the audience chosen by the sender.
To generate transcripts and make audio easier to navigate.
To let users send timestamped replies.
To help users find friends and manage friend connections.
To support blocking, safety, abuse prevention, and account security.
To send transactional SMS messages, including login codes, and to support user-triggered update invitations.
To debug, maintain, analyze, and improve From Friends.
To comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Service.

How Updates Are Shared

Updates are intended for the audience selected by the sender. Active updates are generally visible for a limited time in the app, and a seen latest update may remain revisit-able according to product rules. Visibility expiration does not necessarily mean immediate deletion from all systems, backups, logs, or provider infrastructure.

When a user shares an update with someone who is not on the app, that recipient may be able to see the shared update after signing up with the same phone number, subject to the app's visibility rules and blocking controls.

Service Providers

We use service providers to operate From Friends. These providers process information for us and should use it only as needed to provide their services.

Supabase, for authentication, database, storage, Edge Functions, and related infrastructure.
Twilio, for phone verification codes.
OpenAI, for transcription of voice notes and audio replies.
Apple platform services, when you use the iOS app and device permissions such as Contacts, Photos, or Microphone.

When We Share Information

With friends or recipients you choose as the audience for an update or reply.
With someone you invite, including your name and the fact that you shared an update.
With service providers that help operate the app.
When needed for safety, security, fraud prevention, legal compliance, or to protect rights and property.
In connection with a business transaction such as a merger, acquisition, financing, or sale of assets.

Your Choices

You can choose whether to grant Contacts, Microphone, Photos, and notification permissions in your device settings.
You can choose the audience for an update before posting.
You can block users in the app.
You can opt out of SMS messages by replying STOP where supported.
You can request account or data deletion by contacting us.

Retention

We keep information for as long as needed to provide From Friends, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, enforce agreements, prevent abuse, and maintain backups. Some content may be removed from normal app visibility before it is deleted from all systems.

Security

We use technical and organizational measures designed to protect information. No method of transmission or storage is perfectly secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Children

From Friends is not directed to children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided personal information, contact us and we will take appropriate steps.

International Users

From Friends and its providers may process information in countries other than where you live. Those countries may have different data protection laws.

Changes

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The updated version will be posted with a new effective date.