Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to Mind Journal. We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we handle your data when you use our mobile application.

2. Information We Do NOT Collect

Mind Journal does not collect, store, or have access to:

• Your journal entries or personal writings
• Mood tracking data
• Tags or favorites
• Breathing exercise usage
• Meditation timer data
• Search history
• Any personally identifiable information (PII)
• Device identifiers or usage analytics
• Location data

3. How Your Data is Stored

All data you create in Mind Journal is stored locally on your device using:

• On-device database file: For storing journal entries and mindfulness sessions, inside the app's own private storage
• On-device preferences: For storing settings, reminders, and theme choice
• Local Device Storage: All data remains on your device and is never transmitted to any server
• Offline Operation: The app functions completely offline without requiring internet connectivity

Data Security

Your data is protected by your device's security features including:

• App sandboxing provided by the Android operating system, which keeps the database file readable only by this app
• Device-level encryption, which Android applies to your storage when you have a screen lock set. This is what protects your entries if the phone is lost or stolen, so setting a screen lock matters
• Android automatic backup is disabled, so entries are never copied to Google Drive
• App Lock, which you can turn on in Settings to require your fingerprint, face or device PIN before the app opens
• Your device's lock screen security

Where that stops: the app does not add a second layer of encryption of its own on top of Android's. Someone who can already read your phone's private app storage — an unlocked, rooted device — could read the database file. This is a deliberate choice: an app-held encryption key is one the app can also lose, and losing it would mean losing your journal permanently, with no way for anyone to recover it. If you want a copy that is protected independently of your device, export a password-protected backup — you choose that password, so only you can lose it.

4. Third-Party Services

Mind Journal does not use any third-party analytics, tracking, or advertising services. We do not share your data with any third parties because we do not have access to your data in the first place.

The following third-party components are used solely on your device:

• Flutter Framework: The app development framework (no data collection)
• Lottie Animations: For displaying animations (no data collection)
• Material Design Components: For UI elements (no data collection)

5. Permissions

Mind Journal requests the following permissions:

• Notifications: To show the daily writing reminder, if you turn it on
• Run at startup: So a reminder you have set still arrives after a restart
• Biometrics: To unlock the app with your fingerprint, face or device PIN, if you turn App Lock on
• Vibration: For the small taps that confirm an action
• Keep screen on: So the screen does not dim part-way through a session
• Internet: Only to open links from Settings — this policy, the terms, and your email app. The app itself never sends anything you write, and works with no connection at all
• Microphone: Only while you are recording a voice note on an entry. The recording is saved with your entry on this device and is never sent anywhere. Nothing is recorded unless you press record, and the app never listens in the background

These permissions are used solely for their stated purposes and never for data collection or transmission. The app does not use your location.

Photos. You can attach a photo to an entry, either by picking one from your gallery or by taking one. Mind Journal asks for no camera permission of its own: taking a photo opens your phone’s own camera app, which hands the picture back. Whichever way it arrives, a copy is saved with your entry in this app’s private area on the device and is never sent anywhere. Removing a photo from an entry deletes that copy.

6. Children's Privacy

Mind Journal does not knowingly collect data from anyone, including children under 13. Since all data remains on the device, there is no collection, transmission, or storage of personal information on external servers.

7. Data Deletion and Export

Deleting Your Data

You can delete your data at any time by:

• Deleting individual journal entries from within the app
• Uninstalling the app (removes all local data)
• Clearing app data from your device settings

A deleted entry is moved to Recently deleted, where it is kept for 30 days in case you change your mind, and is then removed permanently. You can restore it, or delete it for good yourself, at any point during those 30 days. Entries in Recently deleted are excluded from any backup you export.

Data Backup

Since data is stored locally, you are responsible for backing up your data if desired. The app can export all of your entries to a single file from Settings → Export & import, which you can then store wherever you like.

An export can optionally be protected with a password you choose. The file is then encrypted on your device with AES-256-GCM, using a key derived from that password (PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA256). The password is never stored or transmitted, and it cannot be recovered — if you lose it, that backup cannot be opened by anyone, including us. An export without a password is plain, readable text.

8. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy. Continued use of the app after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

9. Your Rights

Since we do not collect or store your data on our servers, there is no data for us to access, modify, or delete. You have complete control over your data through the app interface and your device settings.

10. Contact Us

11. Consent

By using Mind Journal, you consent to this Privacy Policy and agree to its terms. If you do not agree with this policy, please do not use the app.