PrivacyPHONI

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Your privacy. Your questions.

Ask about privacy or request access, correction, or deletion of your personal data.

  1. Enter your contact details and describe your request. If relevant, include the email associated with your PHONI account.
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Privacy Policy

Last updated: 25 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 [email protected].

The short version

  • We collect what we need to run PHONI: your account details, your gameplay, what you choose to share, and records of your purchases.
  • Messages you send to our AI sidekicks are processed by OpenAI to generate replies.
  • If you turn on the Indicator, it measures the timing and pitch of a player’s voice on your device only. No audio is recorded or sent to us.
  • We do not sell your personal information, we do not show ads, and we do not track you across other companies’ apps or websites.
  • You can delete your account at any time in PROFILE > SETTINGS > ACCOUNT > DELETE ACCOUNT.
  • PHONI is only for people aged 13 and over.

1. Information we collect

Account information

When you create an account, we collect:

  • your email address, used to sign you in and to contact you about your account;
  • your password, which is handled by our sign-in provider (Supabase Auth) and stored only in hashed form, so we never keep it in readable form;
  • your username;
  • your date of birth, used to confirm that you are at least 13; it is never shown to other players;
  • your gender, for which you can choose “Prefer not to say”;
  • your phone number, if you choose to give one (it is optional), kept with your account to help identify and secure it;
  • an account ID that we assign to you.

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.

Gameplay information

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.

Friends, societies, blocks and reports

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

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.

AI sidekick chats and AI-generated questions

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.

Microphone (the Indicator)

The Indicator is off until you turn it on in the app. Once it is on, and with your permission for the microphone, it uses your device’s microphone while a player answers in an Indicator game (a short warm-up and up to 20 seconds per answer). The sound is analysed in real time on your device to measure how long the player takes to start speaking, how often they pause, and the pitch of their voice, and to compare these with the same player’s earlier answers in that game. The audio itself is never recorded, stored or sent to us or anyone else. The resulting measurements (numbers such as “1.8 seconds” or “2 semitones higher”) stay in your device’s memory only until the game ends; they are not saved, not linked to your account and not used to identify anyone. Player names you type for an Indicator game also stay on your device. You can turn the Indicator off in PROFILE > SETTINGS, and microphone access off in your device’s Settings, at any time; you can still play the Indicator without the microphone, but without the voice readout.

Purchases

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.

Notifications

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.

Guest mode and iCloud

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.

Information collected automatically

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.

Support

If you contact us, we receive your email address and whatever you include in your message.

2. How we use information

We use information to:

  • create and manage your account, sign you in and keep your account secure;
  • confirm that you are old enough to use PHONI;
  • run the game: questions, scores, rewards, levels, πPHI, tickets, items and your progress;
  • provide social features such as friends, societies, invites, challenges, blocking and reporting;
  • generate AI sidekick replies and AI trivia questions;
  • process purchases, deliver what you bought and prevent fraud;
  • keep PHONI safe, including reviewing reports, detecting cheating and abuse, and enforcing our Terms of Use;
  • answer your questions and support requests;
  • fix problems and improve PHONI;
  • comply with the law.

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.

3. What other players can see

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.

4. How we share information

We share information only as described here:

  • Service providers that process it on our behalf under contract: Supabase (database, sign-in and the server functions that run PHONI’s backend) and OpenAI (AI sidekick replies and AI-generated questions). Apple provides the App Store, in-app purchase processing and iCloud under its own privacy policy.
  • Other players, as described in section 3.
  • Legal and safety reasons: if the law or valid legal process requires it, or if we believe it is necessary to protect the rights, safety or property of our players, the public or PHONI.
  • Business transfers: if PHONI is involved in a merger, acquisition or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to this policy.
  • With your consent or at your direction.

5. How long we keep information

  • Account and gameplay information is kept for as long as your account exists.
  • When you delete your account, we delete your account, profile, gameplay, social and wallet information from our systems promptly, and in any case within 30 days. Copies in backups are overwritten as the backups expire. We may keep limited records where the law requires it or to prevent fraud, such as App Store transaction records needed for accounting and tax, and only for as long as necessary.
  • Server logs are kept for a limited time for security and troubleshooting, then deleted automatically.
  • On your device, deleting your account also removes that account’s PHONI data from the device you delete it on. Guest data stays on your device until you delete the app, and in your iCloud account until you remove it in your device’s iCloud settings.

6. Your choices and rights

You can:

  • see and edit your profile in PROFILE > EDIT PROFILE;
  • delete your account in PROFILE > SETTINGS > ACCOUNT > DELETE ACCOUNT, or by emailing us;
  • control permissions such as the microphone and notifications in your device’s Settings;
  • hide your status with GHOST MODE;
  • block and report other players in FRIENDS and SOCIETIES.

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 [email protected] 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.

7. Children and teens

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 [email protected].

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.

8. Security

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.

9. International transfers

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.

10. Changes to this policy

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.

11. Contact us

PHONI (operated by Matvei Arefev)

Email: [email protected]

Terms of Use

Last updated: 25 October 2026

Welcome to PHONI. These Terms of Use (“Terms”) are a legal agreement between you and Matvei Arefev, operating PHONI (“PHONI”, “we”, “us” or “our”). They apply to the PHONI app and the online services we run for it (together, the “Service”).

By creating an account, continuing as a guest or otherwise using PHONI, you agree to these Terms and confirm that you have read our Privacy Policy, which explains how we handle your information. You can find both in the app under PROFILE > SETTINGS. If you do not agree, please do not use PHONI.

1. Who can use PHONI

  • You must be at least 13 years old to use PHONI or create an account. We ask for your date of birth when you sign up and do not let anyone under 13 create an account.
  • If you are under the age of majority where you live (18 in most places), you may use PHONI only with the permission of a parent or legal guardian, who must also agree to these Terms. Parents and guardians are responsible for their child’s use of PHONI, including purchases.
  • You may not use PHONI if the laws that apply to you do not allow it, or if we have previously banned you.

If we learn that an account belongs to someone under 13, we will close it and delete its data.

2. Your account and guest play

  • You can play as a guest or create an account with your email address, a password, a username and the other details requested at sign-up. Please give us accurate information and keep it up to date.
  • Keep your password to yourself. You are responsible for everything that happens under your account. Tell us straight away at [email protected] if you think someone else has used it.
  • Your username must not impersonate anyone, mislead other players or break the community rules below. We may change or reclaim a username that does.
  • Guest progress, including any πPHI, tickets and items, is stored on your device and, if iCloud is turned on, backed up to your own iCloud account. We cannot see or restore it, and it can be lost if you delete the app, reset your device or turn off iCloud.

3. Your licence to use PHONI

We give you a personal, limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable and revocable licence to download and use the PHONI app on Apple devices that you own or control, for your own non-commercial entertainment, in line with these Terms and the Apple Media Services Terms and Conditions. We and our licensors keep all rights not expressly granted to you. If you got PHONI from the App Store, Apple’s standard Licensed Application End User License Agreement also applies to this licence.

4. Community rules

PHONI is built for playing smart with other people. When you use it, you must not:

  • harass, bully, threaten, stalk or intimidate anyone, or encourage others to do so;
  • post or send hateful, discriminatory, sexually explicit or violent content, or any content that sexualises minors;
  • share someone else’s personal information without their permission;
  • impersonate another person or organisation, or lie about your age;
  • spam, scam or advertise, or send unwanted messages, pokes, invites or challenges;
  • cheat, use bots, scripts, modified apps or exploits, or manipulate scores, rewards, rankings or the in-game economy;
  • buy, sell, trade or transfer accounts, πPHI or items outside PHONI;
  • copy, reverse engineer or decompile the app, except where the law allows it;
  • interfere with, overload or break the Service, or access it other than through the app;
  • use PHONI for anything illegal or to infringe anyone’s rights.

We have zero tolerance for objectionable content and abusive players. PHONI automatically filters common offensive words: they are masked in chat messages, and usernames, display names and Society names or descriptions that contain them are refused. You can block other players and report accounts in FRIENDS and SOCIETIES. We may review reports and the related content, and we may remove content, limit features, or suspend or close accounts that break these rules.

5. Your content

“Your content” means what you create or share in PHONI, such as your username, display name, society names and descriptions, messages, and what you type to our AI sidekicks.

You keep ownership of your content. You give us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to host, store, copy, process, display and send your content, only as needed to run, protect and improve the Service (for example, to show your username to other players). This licence ends when your content is deleted, except for copies we must keep by law or that other players have already received.

You are responsible for your content and confirm that you have the right to share it. We do not have to host any content and may remove content at any time.

6. AI sidekicks and AI-generated questions

PHONI’s sidekicks, EVA and MAX, and some trivia questions (for example, custom categories) are generated by artificial intelligence provided by OpenAI through our servers. The app asks for your permission before sending anything you type to OpenAI.

  • AI replies and questions are produced automatically. They can be wrong, out of date, biased or unexpected, and they do not represent our views.
  • They are for entertainment only. Do not rely on them for medical, legal, financial, safety or other important advice.
  • Do not share sensitive personal information, yours or anyone else’s, with the sidekicks.
  • Do not use the AI features to create content that breaks the community rules.

7. The Indicator

The PHONI Indicator is a party game about bluffing, and it is off until you turn it on. With your permission, it uses your device’s microphone while a player answers to measure, on your device, how long they take to start speaking, how often they pause and the pitch of their voice, compared with their own earlier answers. Audio is processed in real time and is never recorded or sent to us.

The Indicator is not a lie detector and cannot tell whether anyone is telling the truth. Its readout and PHONI’s hunch describe timing and pitch only; the hunch is a guess and is often wrong, and neither is a scientific, medical or psychological assessment. Whether an answer is true or a bluff is decided by each player’s secret pick and called by the other players. Do not use the readout or the hunch as evidence about anyone or to make decisions about people, and only play with people who know they are playing and agree to take part.

8. πPHI, tickets and other virtual items

PHONI includes virtual currency (πPHI and tickets) and virtual items such as packages, power-ups, skins and themes (“Virtual Items”).

  • Virtual Items are licensed to you, not sold. You get a limited, personal, non-transferable and revocable right to use them in PHONI. You do not own them.
  • Virtual Items have no cash value. They cannot be exchanged for real money or anything of value outside the app, and cannot be sold, traded or transferred to another account or person, except where the app itself allows it.
  • You can earn Virtual Items by playing, and buy some with real money through the App Store. Prices, rewards and availability can change.
  • Except where the law or Apple’s refund policies require otherwise, purchases are final and Virtual Items are not refundable, including when your account is closed or deleted or when a feature ends.
  • We may correct balances or items credited by mistake or obtained through cheating, bugs or abuse.
  • Virtual Items are lost if you delete your account, if we close it for breaking these Terms, or, for guests, if the data on your device is lost.

9. Purchases through the App Store

Real-money purchases are made through Apple’s App Store and are processed by Apple under Apple’s terms. We never see your payment card details. Refund requests are handled by Apple at reportaproblem.apple.com. When a purchase completes, we receive a record of the transaction from Apple so that we can credit it to your account.

If a purchase does not arrive, email [email protected] with the date and the product you bought.

10. Our content and brand

PHONI, the PHONI logo, EVA, MAX, the Indicator, and the app’s artwork, questions, sounds and software belong to us or our licensors and are protected by intellectual property laws. These Terms do not give you any rights to them other than the licence in section 3. If you send us ideas or feedback, we may use them without any obligation to you.

11. Third-party services

PHONI relies on third-party services, including Apple (App Store, in-app purchases and iCloud), Supabase (hosting, database and sign-in) and OpenAI (AI features). Apple’s services are subject to Apple’s own terms. We are not responsible for third-party services that we do not control.

12. Changes to PHONI

PHONI is a live game that is still growing. We may add, change or remove features, game modes, questions, rewards and Virtual Items, and we may suspend or stop the Service. Where a change materially affects you, we will try to tell you in advance.

13. Deleting your account and termination

You can stop using PHONI at any time. You can delete your account in the app at PROFILE > SETTINGS > ACCOUNT > DELETE ACCOUNT, or by emailing [email protected]. Deleting your account is permanent: your profile, progress and Virtual Items are erased as described in our Privacy Policy and cannot be restored.

We may suspend or close your account, or limit your access, if you break these Terms, if the law requires it, or to protect players or the Service. Where appropriate, we will tell you why.

Sections 5, 8, 10 and 14 to 17 continue to apply after your account ends.

14. Disclaimers

PHONI is provided “as is” and “as available”. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we make no warranties of any kind, express or implied, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy (for example, of trivia answers or AI replies) and non-infringement, and we do not promise that PHONI will be uninterrupted, secure or error-free.

Some places do not allow certain disclaimers, so some of the above may not apply to you. Nothing in these Terms limits rights you have as a consumer that cannot be limited by contract.

15. Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, we are not liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential or punitive damages, or for any loss of profits, data, goodwill or Virtual Items, arising from or related to your use of PHONI. Our total liability for any claim relating to PHONI is limited to the greater of the amount you paid for PHONI purchases in the 12 months before the claim, or US$50.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability that cannot be excluded or limited by law, such as liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, or for fraud.

16. Indemnity

To the extent permitted by law, you agree to compensate us for claims, losses and costs (including reasonable legal fees) arising from your content or from your breach of these Terms.

17. Governing law and disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Texas, United States, without regard to its conflict-of-law rules. Disputes will be decided by the state and federal courts located in Travis County, Texas, unless the law where you live gives you the right to bring proceedings in your local courts or to rely on its mandatory consumer protections. Before starting a claim, please email us so that we can try to resolve it informally.

18. Apple App Store terms

These Terms are between you and us, not Apple. In addition:

  • Apple is not responsible for PHONI or its content and has no obligation to provide maintenance or support for it.
  • If PHONI fails to conform to an applicable warranty, you may notify Apple, and Apple will refund the purchase price of the app (if any). To the maximum extent permitted by law, Apple has no other warranty obligation for PHONI.
  • We, not Apple, are responsible for any claims by you or a third party relating to PHONI, including product liability claims, claims that PHONI does not meet legal or regulatory requirements, consumer protection claims, and claims that PHONI infringes someone’s intellectual property rights.
  • You confirm that you are not located in a country subject to a U.S. Government embargo or designated as a “terrorist supporting” country, and that you are not on any U.S. Government list of prohibited or restricted parties.
  • You must follow any third-party terms that apply when you use PHONI, such as your mobile carrier’s.
  • Apple and its subsidiaries are third-party beneficiaries of these Terms and may enforce them against you.

19. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms 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. If you keep using PHONI after the changes take effect, you accept the updated Terms. If you do not agree, stop using PHONI and delete your account.

20. Contact us

PHONI (operated by Matvei Arefev)

Email: [email protected]