wivo1. Who we are
Wivo (“Wivo”, “we”, “us”) provides the Wivo messaging app for iPhone and Android. This policy explains what information we handle when you use Wivo, why, and for how long. Questions: privacy@wivo.chat.
2. The short version
Wivo is built so that we know as little about you as possible. Everything you say, send or share is end-to-end encrypted: it is locked on your phone and can only be unlocked on the phones of the people you're talking to. We do not hold the keys, so we cannot read it — not for ads, not for moderation, not for anyone who asks.
To run a messaging service, our servers still need a small amount of information, such as an account identifier and a way to deliver notifications. This policy lists every one of them honestly, with how long we keep it.
3. Content we cannot access
- Messages and attachments. Text, photos, videos, voice notes, files, shared locations and contact cards are end-to-end encrypted. One-to-one chats use the Double Ratchet with a post-quantum key exchange (X25519 + ML-KEM). Our servers only ever hold scrambled ciphertext.
- Calls. Voice and video calls are encrypted end to end. Each side checks a signed key fingerprint before the call is shown as encrypted. Group calls routed through our media server are encrypted frame by frame before they reach it.
- Stories. Story content and media are encrypted; they expire after 24 hours.
- Your 12 secret words. They never leave your phone. To sign you in, your phone derives a separate login secret from them; we store only a one-way hash of that secret.
- Key backup. Your encryption keys are backed up only in encrypted form, locked with your 12 words and, if you set one, your PIN. We never receive your words or your PIN.
- Memory Map. Backed up only as ciphertext locked with your 12 words.
4. Information we keep
| Information | Why we need it | How long we keep it |
|---|---|---|
| Account ID and username | So people can find and message you | Until you delete your account |
| Profile name, photo and “about” | Shown to people you chat with | Until you change it or delete your account |
| Public encryption keys | So others can send you encrypted messages | Until you delete your account. Entries in the public key-transparency log are permanent by design, so that key changes can always be checked. |
| Encrypted messages waiting for delivery | To deliver messages when you're offline | Deleted when your phone confirms delivery, or after 30 days at most |
| Recovery email (optional) | To help you recover your account | Stored encrypted until you remove it or delete your account |
| Phone number (only for older accounts created with a number) | Legacy sign-in | Until you switch to 12-word sign-in or delete your account. New accounts don't need a number. |
| Contact matches (if you choose to sync contacts) | To show which contacts use Wivo | Stored only as keyed hashes, until you remove them or delete your account |
| Sign-in, signup and terms-acceptance logs: IP address, device model and OS version | Security, abuse prevention, and proof of consent | 12 months, then deleted automatically |
| Push tokens | To deliver notifications through Apple and Google | Until you sign out or the token changes |
| Notification and delivery logs | To make delivery reliable | 7 days |
| In-app activity notifications | To show you your activity centre | 30 days |
| Call setup data (which may contain network addresses) | To connect calls | 24 hours |
| Call history records | Call setup and history | Deleted automatically; never longer than 90 days. Your call log on your phone is encrypted. |
| Call relay logs (IP addresses) | To relay calls when a direct connection isn't possible | About 1 day |
| Abuse-prevention counters (rate limits) | To stop spam and brute-force attacks | Hours to 30 days |
| Reports you send or receive | Moderation | 12 months, or until an open case is closed |
Our database provider keeps daily backups for about 7 days. Information that is deleted remains in those backups until they expire.
5. Metadata
We are working to minimise what our servers can learn about who talks to whom. One-to-one messages are delivered through a sealed mailbox that does not record the sender. Some older parts of the service still keep basic records such as chat and group membership, message timestamps and delivery status, and reactions. Like every internet service, our hosting and network providers can see IP addresses and the timing of connections.
6. Things that stay on your phone
- Translation runs on your phone. Messages are never sent to us or anyone else to be translated.
- Link previews are created by your phone, not by our servers.
- Your age confirmation (13+) is stored on your phone. We never ask for your date of birth.
- Crash logs stay on your phone. We use no analytics or crash-reporting services.
- Locations you share, hidden drops and Memory Map pins travel only inside encrypted messages or encrypted backups.
7. Service providers
We share only what is needed to run Wivo, with:
- Supabase (servers in Frankfurt, Germany) — database, storage and backups.
- Servers we operate — call relay and group-call media server, which carry only encrypted media.
- Apple and Google — push notifications. They see a device token and that a notification was sent, never its content.
- Cloudflare — network protection in front of our servers.
- Resend — recovery and security emails, if you add an email.
- Apple App Attest and Google Play Integrity — checking that requests come from a genuine app.
- Google STUN servers and OpenStreetMap-based map tiles — these see your IP address when you start a call or view a map.
We never sell, rent or trade your information.
8. Safety and moderation
Because messages are encrypted, we can't scan them. Moderation relies on the reports people send us. A report contains message and chat identifiers and a short reason — never the message itself. Automated systems can limit accounts that show signs of spam or abuse, and our moderation team reviews reports. You can contest any decision by writing to support@wivo.chat.
9. Law enforcement
We respond only to valid legal process. We cannot hand over messages, calls, stories, media or backups in readable form, because we don't have the keys. The most we could provide is the limited information listed in section 4 that still exists at the time of the request.
10. Children
Wivo is for people aged 13 and older, or older where local law requires. If we learn that a younger child has an account, we will delete it.
11. Your rights and choices
- Delete your account any time in Settings → Delete account. After a 30-day grace period, your account and the information we hold are permanently deleted (except entries in the public key-transparency log and short-lived backups).
- Access, correction, portability, objection and restriction — write to privacy@wivo.chat and we will reply within 30 days. We can only provide server-side information; we cannot decrypt your messages.
- Control what others see — last seen, online status, read receipts, profile photo and who can message or call you, all in Settings → Privacy.
- Who can find you by phone number — while your number is discoverable (Settings → Privacy → Find me by phone number), anyone who already has your number can learn that it is registered with Wivo. Blocking someone stops them from seeing your profile or contacting you, but does not hide that the number is registered. Turn discovery off to stop new lookups.
- You can also complain to your local data protection authority.
12. International transfers
Our main servers are in the European Union. Some providers, such as Apple and Google, may process data in other countries under appropriate safeguards, such as the EU Standard Contractual Clauses.
13. Security
Besides end-to-end encryption, Wivo uses TLS with certificate pinning, encrypted storage on your phone, keys kept in your phone's secure hardware, optional app lock, and safety numbers so you can verify your contacts. No system is perfectly secure, and Wivo has not yet had an independent security audit — one is planned.
14. Changes to this policy
If we make material changes, we'll tell you in the app before they take effect.
15. Contact
Privacy questions: privacy@wivo.chat
Support: support@wivo.chat