Frequently Asked Questions

Every Question, Answered Honestly

We know that trusting an app with your most personal relationships is a big ask. Here is everything you want to know — including the things most apps would rather you not ask.

Privacy and Data

Data, Privacy, and Trust

Does People Memory upload my data anywhere?

No. People Memory has zero network access. Every name, note, photo, trust level, voice recording, and date is stored exclusively in your device's private local storage (AsyncStorage). The app contains no server communication, cloud sync, analytics SDK, crash reporting service, or advertising network.

Your data never leaves your phone — not even anonymised, aggregated, or pseudonymised data.

You can verify this by inspecting the open-source code on GitHub. Every dependency is publicly listed.

Does the app use Google Analytics, Firebase, or any tracking?

None of the following are present in People Memory:

  • Google Analytics or Firebase Analytics
  • Facebook SDK or Meta Pixel
  • Amplitude, Mixpanel, Segment, or similar analytics
  • Crashlytics, Sentry, or any crash reporting service
  • Any advertising network or data broker SDK

The full dependency tree is open source. If you see something that should not be there, open a GitHub issue.

Is my data included in iCloud Backup or Google Backup?

It depends on your device settings. If you have iCloud Backup (iOS) or Google Backup (Android) enabled on your device, your app data may be included in those backups — this is controlled by your operating system, not by People Memory.

People Memory itself never initiates any backup or sync. If you want to ensure your People Memory data is not included in system backups, you can disable backup for individual apps in your device settings.

Can the developers read my notes or contacts?

No. There is no server, no database, and no telemetry pipeline that the developers can access. Everything is on your device. We have no technical means of reading your data even if we wanted to — and by design, we built it so that we cannot.

Using the App

Getting Started and Daily Use

What platforms is People Memory available on?

People Memory is available on iOS (iPhone, running iOS 16 or later) and Android (Android 10 or later). It is built with React Native and Expo SDK 54.

App Store and Google Play listings are coming soon. In the meantime, the Android build is available via Uptodown, and you can build for any platform from the open-source repository.

Is People Memory free? Are there in-app purchases?

Completely free. No in-app purchases. No subscriptions. No ads. No "premium" tier. The full feature set is available to everyone from day one, forever.

The source code is open source. You can build your own version or contribute improvements on GitHub.

Do I need to create an account?

No. There is no account, no registration, no email address, no username. On first launch, you set a 4-digit PIN. That is the only "setup" required. You are ready to add people immediately.

Can I import contacts from my phone's address book?

Yes. When adding a new person, People Memory can optionally read your device contact list (with your explicit permission) to auto-fill the name, phone number, and birthday. You select a specific contact — the app does not scan or store your entire address book.

The imported data is stored locally in the app. It is never synced, uploaded, or transmitted anywhere.

How does the trust level system work?

Each person in People Memory has a private trust level from 0 to 10. You set it, you see it, and it is never shared. It is a personal tool for your own situational awareness.

  • 0–3: Low trust — proceed carefully in conversations
  • 4–6: Moderate trust — the relationship is building
  • 7–10: High trust — your inner circle

Colour-coded indicators on the main list let you see your entire network's trust landscape at a glance without reading individual profiles.

What is the Relationship Health Score?

The Relationship Health Score is a 0–100 number automatically calculated for each person. It reflects how well you are maintaining that relationship based on:

  • How recently you last interacted with them
  • Whether you have a next meeting scheduled
  • How complete their profile is
  • Whether an upcoming birthday or anniversary is near

A dropping score is a quiet nudge to reconnect. A consistently high score means the relationship is getting your attention. It is not gamification — it is an honest signal about your relational health.

Data Management

Backups, Transfers, and Deletion

What happens if I lose my phone?

Your data lives on your device. If you lose your phone without having made a backup, that data is gone — this is the privacy trade-off that People Memory makes deliberately. No cloud means no remote recovery.

To protect against loss, export a backup file from the Settings screen before switching or losing a device. Store the backup file in your own trusted location.

How do I back up and restore my data?

Open the Settings screen in People Memory and use the Export Backup option. This creates a file containing all your contacts and notes. Save this file to your preferred location — your own cloud drive, a computer, a USB drive.

To restore, open People Memory on your new device and use the Import Backup option in Settings. Select your backup file and all your data will be restored.

How do I delete my data?

You can delete any individual person's profile at any time from within the app. You can also clear all app data from the Settings screen. Uninstalling the app permanently removes all stored data from your device.

Because we store no data on our servers, there is nothing for us to delete on our end. You are always in full control.

Can I transfer data from Android to iPhone (or vice versa)?

Yes. Export a backup from the Settings screen on your old device, transfer the file to your new device (email it to yourself, use AirDrop, cloud storage — whatever you trust), and import it in People Memory on the new device. The backup format works across platforms.

Notifications and Permissions

Reminders and Device Permissions

How do reminders work without a server?

All reminders — birthdays, meetings, custom dates — are local device notifications. When you set a reminder, People Memory schedules a notification using your phone's operating system notification API. Your phone's OS fires the alert at the scheduled time.

There is no push notification server. No Firebase Cloud Messaging. No Apple Push Notification Service is used for data delivery. The entire reminder lifecycle happens on your device.

What permissions does People Memory request?

People Memory only requests permissions that you explicitly trigger:

  • Notifications — to schedule birthday and meeting reminders (requested when you first set a reminder)
  • Camera / Photo Library — to set a profile photo (requested when you choose to add a photo)
  • Microphone — to record voice notes (requested when you choose to record)
  • Contacts — to import contact details (requested when you choose to import)

None of these permissions are requested at launch or in the background. Each is triggered only by your direct action.

Technical and Open Source

Under the Hood

Is People Memory open source?

Yes. The full source code is available on GitHub. You can audit every line, build it yourself, or contribute improvements. Transparency is a non-negotiable part of the privacy promise.

What technology is People Memory built with?

People Memory is built with:

  • React Native + Expo SDK 54 — cross-platform iOS and Android
  • TypeScript — fully typed codebase
  • AsyncStorage — on-device only storage
  • Expo Router — file-based navigation
  • EAS Build — cloud build pipeline for iOS and Android
What does SHA-256 mean for my PIN?

SHA-256 is a one-way cryptographic hash function. When you set your PIN, the app converts the four digits into a 64-character string using SHA-256. This hash is stored on your device. The original PIN digits are discarded.

When you enter your PIN to unlock the app, the app hashes what you typed and compares it to the stored hash. If they match, you are in. Because SHA-256 is one-way, there is no mathematical way to reverse the hash back to the original PIN.

This means that even if someone extracted the app's storage from your device, they could not recover your PIN from the stored hash.

Still have a question?

If your question is not answered here, you can reach us directly or open an issue on GitHub.

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