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Inkling — Legal & Policy

Published by Vi Truong Le

Privacy Policy

Effective date: September 3, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how Vi Truong Le ("we," "us," "our") handles information in connection with the Inkling mobile app ("the App"). Inkling is a private, two-person "shared sketchbook" — you pair your device with one other person using a 6-character code, and you draw doodles and share a mood status with each other. Please read this policy before using the App.

1. Information we collect

Inkling does not require an account, an email address, a phone number, or a password. Instead, the App collects only what it needs to sync your shared space with your paired partner:

We do not collect your precise or approximate location, contacts, photo library, camera, health data, or any account credentials — the App does not use any of these on-device capabilities.

2. How we use this information

We use the information above for one purpose: to sync your shared sketchbook (doodles, mood, display name) between the two devices paired to the same space, and to show your partner's latest doodle/mood on your Home Screen and Lock Screen widget. We do not use your information for advertising, profiling, or any purpose unrelated to making the shared sketchbook work.

3. Where this information is stored, and who can see it

Doodles, mood status, display names, and the pairing code are stored in Google Firebase Realtime Database, a cloud database service operated by Google, in order to sync between your device and your paired partner's device. Content in a space is visible only to devices that hold that space's pairing code — normally, that is you and the one partner you paired with.

Important security note, stated plainly: access to a space is controlled by knowledge of its 6-character pairing code, not by a login or password. Treat your pairing code the way you would treat a shared house key — do not post it publicly or share it with anyone you don't want to see your space. If you believe your code has been exposed, create a new space and re-pair with your partner using a fresh code.

We do not sell your information, and we do not share it with advertisers, data brokers, or any third party other than the cloud infrastructure provider (Google Firebase) that stores it on our behalf to make the App work.

4. On-device sharing with the widget (not a third-party transmission)

Inkling includes a Home Screen / Lock Screen widget that shows your partner's latest doodle or mood. The widget reads this data from a private, on-device App Group storage area shared only between the Inkling app and its widget extension on your own device. This is not sent anywhere new — it is the same synced data described above, made available to the widget locally.

5. Third-party services

The only external service Inkling connects to is Google Firebase Realtime Database, used purely as the data-sync backend described in Section 3. Inkling does not integrate any advertising network, analytics SDK, crash-reporting SDK, or tracking technology. We do not use the Advertising Identifier (IDFA), and the App does not display App Tracking Transparency prompts because it does not track you across other companies' apps or websites.

6. Data retention and deletion

Your space's content remains in the database for as long as the space exists, so that it stays available to sync between you and your partner. Using "Leave space" in the App unpairs your device only — it removes the space code from your device, but it does not delete the space's content from the database (your partner's device, if still paired, keeps access). If you want your space's content permanently deleted from our database, contact us — see Section 8 — and we will delete it, typically within 5 business days of a verified request.

7. Children's privacy

Inkling is not directed to children, and we do not knowingly collect information from children under 13 (or the relevant minimum age in your region). If you believe a child has provided us information through the App, contact us and we will delete it.

8. Your choices and rights

You can stop using the App at any time. You can leave a shared space from the App's Profile screen at any time (see Section 6 for what that does and does not delete). Depending on where you live, you may have additional rights over your information (such as access, correction, or deletion) under applicable law — to exercise any of these, contact us using the details below.

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time, for example if the App's features change. We will update the "Effective date" above when we do. Continued use of the App after an update means you accept the revised policy.

10. Contact us

Questions about this Privacy Policy or your data? Email us at tremainejerde8549@icloud.com.