Last updated: 7 October 2026
This Privacy Policy explains how Matvei Arefev, operating PHONI (“PHONI”, “we”, “us” or “our”), collects, uses, shares and protects information when you use the PHONI app and the online services we run for it (the “Service”), and the choices and rights you have.
If you have any questions, email us at phoni.technology@gmail.com.
When you create an account, we collect:
Your display name and other changes you make in EDIT PROFILE are currently saved on your device. If we start storing them with your account, we will update this policy.
As you play, we collect and store information such as your games and rounds, scores and results, EXP, level, wins and streaks, daily question attempts, achievements, your πPHI and ticket balances, the items you own and use, and how you earned or spent them. Some statistics, such as GAMEPLAY PERFORMANCE, are calculated and kept only on your device.
When you add friends, create or join societies, block a player, report an account, send pokes, invites or challenges, or buy a package that is shared with your friends and societies, we process the accounts involved and the details you provide, such as a society’s name and description or the context of a report. Reports are used to keep PHONI safe and to enforce our Terms of Use.
In the current version of PHONI, most of this information is saved on your device. As these features move to our servers so they work across devices, it will be stored with your account under this policy.
If you share your profile or invite someone by email or text message, PHONI opens your Mail or Messages app with a pre-written message. Your own Mail or Messages app sends it, and a record of the invite is kept on your device.
Direct messages you write in FRIENDS are currently saved only on your device; they are not sent to other players or to us. Before player-to-player messaging goes live, we will update this policy to explain how messages are stored and delivered.
When you chat with EVA or MAX in SEARCH, or create a custom trivia category, what you type is sent through our servers (hosted by Supabase) to OpenAI, which generates the reply or the questions. Before your first chat or custom category, the app asks for your permission to send what you type to OpenAI, and the AI features stay off unless you agree. OpenAI processes this information as our service provider. OpenAI’s API terms state that it does not use this data to train its models, and that it may keep it for a limited time (currently up to 30 days) to monitor for abuse unless it is legally required to keep it longer.
Your chat history is not saved to your account; it is kept only while the app is open. Our server logs may record a short excerpt of your latest message and of the reply (up to 160 characters) to help us fix problems; these logs are kept for a limited time. Please do not share sensitive personal information with the sidekicks.
With your permission, the Indicator uses your microphone during Indicator rounds to measure how loud your voice is. This happens in real time on your device. Audio is never recorded, stored or sent to us or anyone else. You can turn microphone access off at any time in your device’s Settings; the Indicator will not work without it.
In-app purchases are processed by Apple. Apple does not give us your name, payment card or billing details. When you buy πPHI, the app sends us Apple’s signed record of the transaction, and we store the transaction ID, original transaction ID, product, amount of πPHI, purchase date and environment (for example, a test purchase) with your account, so that each purchase is credited exactly once and fraud is prevented. We also keep a record of the πPHI and tickets you earn and spend.
PHONI’s reminders (such as Bonus Ready, Play Invites and 2X PHI Ending) are local notifications scheduled on your device. We do not collect a push notification token. You can turn them off in PROFILE > SETTINGS > NOTIFICATIONS or in your device’s Settings.
If you play as a guest, your progress is stored on your device under a random identifier created by the app. If iCloud is turned on, your guest wallet (πPHI, tickets and items) is also backed up to your own iCloud account using Apple’s iCloud key-value storage, so it can be restored if you reinstall PHONI. We cannot access your iCloud data. A guest’s progress is not sent to our servers; only questions and AI features (described above) use our servers.
When the app connects to our servers, our hosting provider automatically receives technical information such as your IP address, your device and operating system type, the app version and the time of each request. This appears in server logs that we use for security, troubleshooting and preventing abuse. PHONI does not contain advertising or analytics software, and we do not use your IP address to work out where you are.
If you contact us, we receive your email address and whatever you include in your message.
We use information to:
We do not sell your personal information, share it for cross-context behavioural advertising, or use it to show you ads. We do not make decisions about you based solely on automated processing that have legal or similarly significant effects.
Where these laws apply, we rely on: performing our contract with you (running your account and the game); our legitimate interests in keeping PHONI safe, preventing fraud, and fixing and improving the app, balanced against your rights; your consent, for example for microphone access, notifications and sending what you type to our AI provider, which you can withdraw at any time; and our legal obligations, for example keeping transaction records.
Other players may see your username and display name, your sidekick and skin, your level and game statistics, the societies you belong to, activity you share (such as a package power-up) and whether you are online or playing, unless you turn on GHOST MODE in PROFILE > SETTINGS. Your email address, phone number, date of birth and gender are never shown to other players.
We share information only as described here:
You can:
Depending on where you live, you may also have the right to access, correct or delete your personal information, to receive a copy of it, to object to or restrict certain processing, and to withdraw your consent. To make a request, email phoni.technology@gmail.com from the address on your account. We may need to verify your identity, and we will respond within the time the law requires (usually 30 days, or 45 days for California residents). We will not treat you differently for exercising your rights. You can also complain to your local data protection authority.
PHONI is not intended for children under 13. We ask for a date of birth at sign-up and do not let anyone under 13 create an account. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13, and if we learn that we have, we will delete it. If you believe a child under 13 has given us information, email phoni.technology@gmail.com.
If you are under the age at which you can consent to data processing where you live (for example, 16 in some European countries), please use PHONI only with the involvement and consent of a parent or guardian.
We protect your information with measures such as encryption in transit (HTTPS), access controls that limit each account to its own data, and hashed passwords. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security. Keep your password safe and tell us if you think your account has been compromised.
We and our service providers may process your information in the United States and other countries whose data protection laws may differ from those where you live. Where required, we use appropriate safeguards for these transfers, such as the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will change the “Last updated” date above and, for material changes, tell you in the app before they take effect.
PHONI (operated by Matvei Arefev)
Email: phoni.technology@gmail.com