Privacy Policy

Last updated: October 27, 2025

Cipher (“we”, “our”, or “the App”) is an authenticator application designed to generate and manage time-based one-time passwords (TOTPs) and related multi-factor authentication data. Cipher is built to be local-first and privacy-respecting. This Privacy Policy explains our approach and confirms that we do not collect personal data.

1. Summary — What we collect

• No personal data: Cipher does not collect, transmit, or store any personal data on our servers. There is no analytics, no crash reporting, no email collection, and no tracking by default.
• Local-only secrets: TOTP secrets and related metadata are generated and stored locally on your device and encrypted. These secrets never leave your device unless you expressly choose to export them using a feature you intentionally trigger (not present by default).

2. No account required & local-first design

Cipher is designed to work without creating an account. By default, all authentication secrets and related data are generated, stored, and used only on your device. We do not transmit or store authenticator secrets, usage data, or contact information on our servers.

3. Authentication secrets & technical storage

All secrets (TOTP shared secrets, account labels, and any metadata necessary to generate codes) are:

• Encrypted at rest on your device using industry-standard encryption.
• Never sent to our servers under normal operation.
• Stored in a format that minimizes plaintext exposure; the app implements secure key handling to reduce in-memory exposure.

4. Backups, sync & third-party services

Cipher does not perform automatic cloud backups or synchronization by default. If we introduce an optional export, backup, or sync feature in the future, it will be:

• Explicitly opt-in and clearly described to the user before any data leaves the device.
• Encrypted before leaving your device whenever possible, with key handling and procedures documented at the time of opt-in.

5. Analytics, cookies & third-party tracking

Cipher does not include advertising and does not collect analytics or place tracking cookies by default. If optional analytics or crash reporting is ever provided, it will be opt-in and clearly described at the point of opt-in.

6. Data retention

Local authenticator data is retained on your device until you manually delete it or uninstall the application. Because Cipher does not collect personal data, we do not retain user data on any server.

7. Data security

We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect local data and any optional services we may offer in the future, including:

• Encryption of secrets at rest on the device (AES-grade or equivalent).
• Secure handling practices to reduce accidental memory exposure.
• Use of HTTPS/TLS for any optional network communication and strong access controls on any server endpoints we operate.

Despite these measures, no system is perfectly secure. If you suspect a security issue, please contact us immediately (see “Contact” below).

8. Children

Cipher is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided personal data to Cipher, please contact us and we will advise on how to remove that data from the device if possible.

9. Your Rights

Because Cipher does not collect, store, or process personal data on our servers, there is no personal data for us to provide, correct, or delete. All authentication data and secrets remain local to your device and under your direct control. If you wish to remove stored information, you can do so by uninstalling the app or deleting data within the app (when such controls are available).

We fully support user privacy and data protection. If Cipher introduces optional features that involve processing personal data in the future, those features will be clearly described, optional, and will include controls to access, update, or delete that data.

10. International transfers

Because Cipher does not transmit personal data by default, no international transfers occur. If you opt in to any future features that use third-party providers (e.g., backups or email services), those providers may process data in other jurisdictions; appropriate safeguards will be described at the time of opt-in.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. We will post the revised policy on this page with an updated “Last updated” date. If we introduce material changes that affect how personal data is processed, we will provide clear notice within the application or via any contact method you have explicitly provided to us.

12. Contact

If you have questions, requests, or privacy concerns, please contact us at tobytesizedwizard@proton.me.

We aim to respond to privacy inquiries promptly and in compliance with applicable law.