SlowInk Privacy Policy

Last updated: May 19, 2026  |  Effective: May 19, 2026

Welcome to SlowInk (“we”, “us”, or “our”). We respect your privacy and process personal information lawfully, fairly, and transparently. Please read this Privacy Policy before using the app.

Operator: SlowInk product team
Contact: support.slowink@gmail.com

1. Scope

This Policy applies when you use SlowInk on iOS, Android, or related services we provide. Feature-specific notices apply where stated.

2. Information We Collect

We collect only what is needed for core features. Items in bold are required for registration or essential functions.

2.1 Account & identity

• Email address and password (stored encrypted on our servers)
• Email verification codes (short-lived, for registration only)
• Nickname, gender, birthday, bio, interest tags, avatar style (built-in avatars only — we do not require photo uploads)
• Invite code and referral relationship (if you provide one)

2.2 Content you provide

• Private letters, public letters, time capsules, warm messages, feedback, and other text you submit
• Letter titles, tags, stamp selections, and records of in-app virtual coins, stamps, and album progress

2.3 Location & distance

• Region you manually select (country / province / city)
• Approximate region and estimated coordinates derived from IP address (for distance and delivery-time estimates). We do not request GPS / precise location permission.

2.4 Usage & interaction

• Pen-pal relationships, match history, check-in records, letter send/receive/read/reply status
• Reports you submit about users or content
• Account creation time, last activity, and service logs for security and operations

2.5 Device & local storage

• Login token, language preference, and onboarding flags stored on your device
• Your email may be stored locally for convenience — do not stay logged in on shared devices
• IP address, app version, and basic technical data needed for network requests

2.6 What we do not collect

• Contacts, SMS, call logs, microphone, calendar, or health data
• Precise GPS location (unless a future version requests it with your consent)
• Advertising identifiers (IDFA/GAID) for cross-app tracking — we do not integrate ad or analytics SDKs

3. How We Use Information

• Registration, sign-in, authentication, and account security
• Delivering letters, public letters, matching, friends, check-in, stamps, time capsules, warm messages, place recommendations, and related features
• Calculating distance and estimated delivery time
• Handling reports and feedback; maintaining community safety
• Sending service emails such as verification codes
• Complying with applicable laws

We do not sell your personal information and do not use it for third-party advertising.

4. Sharing, Processors & Disclosure

4.1 Sharing

We do not share personal information except:

• With your consent
• When required by law, court order, or government authority
• When necessary to protect you, us, or other users

4.2 Service providers

To operate the app, we may use qualified providers for account verification, storage, service notifications, network delivery, and approximate region lookup, including:

• Cloud service providers (such as Tencent Cloud): hosting, storage, and service-related email notifications
• Network and infrastructure providers: connectivity, security, and approximate IP-based region lookup

We share only what is necessary, require confidentiality and security obligations, and do not allow use of your data for unrelated purposes without consent or legal basis.

4.3 Public visibility

Public letters and warm messages are shown to other users per product rules. Private letters are visible to the sender until delivery, then to the recipient. Your nickname, avatar style, region, and tags may appear in profiles, matching, and recommendations.

5. Storage & Retention

• Location: Data is primarily stored on servers in mainland China. If cross-border transfer is needed in the future, we will comply with applicable legal requirements.
• Retention: Data is kept while your account is active. After you delete your account in the app, we delete or anonymize personal data, except where law requires retention.
• Verification codes expire quickly (typically within 10 minutes).

6. Security

We use reasonable safeguards including access controls, encrypted password storage (bcrypt), HTTPS in production, and database backups. No method of transmission is 100% secure — please protect your credentials.

7. Your Rights

Depending on applicable law, you may:

• Access profile and certain records in the app
• Correct profile fields in Edit Profile (some fields, e.g. gender, may be editable only once)
• Delete content where the product allows
• Delete your account — in-app at Me → Delete account; see Section 8
• Withdraw consent by stopping use and signing out

EEA/UK users may also have rights to portability, restriction, and objection. Contact us to exercise these rights.

8. Account & Data Deletion

You may delete your account at any time. After deletion, we stop providing sign-in and account services and handle your information as described below.

8.1 How to delete

• In the app (recommended): While signed in, go to Me → Delete account (above “Sign out”), read the confirmation, and submit. Deletion takes effect immediately; the app signs you out and the account can no longer be used.
• Email assistance: If you cannot use the app, email support.slowink@gmail.com with subject “SlowInk account deletion” and your registered email. We will verify and assist within a reasonable time.

This section satisfies Google Play and similar store account-deletion disclosure requirements.

8.2 What happens to your data

Deletion is implemented as a soft delete, including:

• Removed or anonymized: Your registered email (released so it can be used to register again), password, nickname, bio, tags, avatar, region and coordinates, invite binding, friend relationships, check-in records, warm messages you posted, and feedback you submitted.
• May be retained: To preserve other users’ messaging experience, private and public letters you sent or received may remain linked internally by account ID, but your profile is no longer displayed (nickname, email, region, etc. are cleared).
• Virtual items: Coins, stamps, and album progress become unusable and cannot be restored.

We may retain records where required by law (e.g. security, disputes, regulatory retention).

8.3 Other notes

• Back up anything you wish to keep before deleting; cleared data cannot be recovered.
• To stop using the app without deleting, you may simply sign out.

9. Children

SlowInk is intended for users aged 16 and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16. If you are a parent or guardian and believe a child has used the service, contact us and we will delete the account and data.

10. Changes

We may update this Policy. Material changes will be posted in the app or on this page. Continued use means acceptance; if you disagree, stop using the service or delete your account in the app.

11. Contact Us

• Email: support.slowink@gmail.com
• In-app: Me → Feedback

We aim to respond within 15 business days.