Privacy policy

Last updated: October 27, 2026

Fanelio is a messaging app for friends and family. Privacy is the reason it exists, so this policy explains in plain language what we collect, why, and the choices you have.

Fanelio is operated by Melitus Iloegbunam in Nova Scotia, Canada (“Fanelio”, “we”, “us”).

The short version

• Your messages, photos, videos, voice notes, stories, shared lists, time capsules and shared locations are end-to-end encrypted. They are locked on your device and only the people you send them to can open them. We cannot read them.
• We collect only what's needed to run the service: your account, profile, contacts and the technical information that lets messages reach the right people.
• We don't show ads, we don't sell your information, and we don't use analytics or tracking tools.

Information you give us

• Account: the email address or phone number you sign in with. If you sign in with Google, Google shares your name and email with us. Passwords are handled by Google Firebase Authentication; we never see them.
• Profile: your name, @username, photo, “about” line and, if you add it, your birthday (month and day). People who are your contacts, or who look you up by your exact username, can see your profile.
• Contacts and groups: who you've connected with, contact requests, blocks, and the groups you belong to.
• Find-me settings: if you choose to be findable by email or phone, we store a one-way fingerprint (hash) of it, not the email or number itself.
• Reports and feedback: if you report someone or contact us, we receive what you send. If you choose to include recent messages in a report, those messages (up to 10) are shared with us in readable form so we can review them.

Encrypted content we store but cannot read

To deliver messages when your contacts are offline, we store encrypted copies of messages, media, group names and photos, stories, shared lists, time capsules and shared locations on Google Cloud. The keys to open them stay on your devices. Your encryption key is protected by your secret passphrase; we can't recover it or your messages if you forget it.

Information we need to run the service

Some information can't be encrypted because the service needs it to work:

• who a message is from, which chat it belongs to, when it was sent, and its type (for example text, photo or call);
• reactions, poll votes (which option number, not the option text), pinned message and delivered/read receipts;
• call records (who called whom, when, and how long);
• your online status and last seen, shown only to your contacts and hidden completely when you turn on Ghost mode;
• notification tokens that let your device receive alerts;
• your app settings, such as muted chats, folders, starred message IDs, quiet hours and time zone.

Calls

Voice and video calls are encrypted end to end between the people on the call. When a direct connection isn't possible (for example on some mobile networks), the encrypted call is passed through relay servers provided by Metered. The relay can't hear or see the call.

Location

Fanelio uses your location only when you choose to: when you share live location, send a location or check-in, or send an SOS. Shared locations are encrypted and visible only to the people you choose, for the time you choose. When you stop sharing, the shared location is deleted. Map pictures are loaded from CARTO and Esri, and Street View and directions open Google Maps; these services see the map area requested and your internet address, as with any website.

Backups

If you connect Google Drive, Fanelio saves copies of your chats to a “Fanelio Backups” folder in your own Drive. The messages inside stay end-to-end encrypted. We store a secure access token so backups can run automatically, and Fanelio can only see the files it creates. You can disconnect at any time in Settings › Storage & backup, or at myaccount.google.com/permissions.

Who processes your information

• Google (Firebase and Google Cloud): sign-in, database, file storage, server functions, notifications and Google Drive backups. Data is stored in Canada (Montréal) and the United States.
• Metered: call relay servers.
• CARTO and Esri: map images.

We don't share your information with anyone else, except if required by law. Because content is end-to-end encrypted, we can't provide its contents to anyone.

How long we keep it

Messages stay until they're deleted, or until they expire if you use disappearing messages. Stories disappear after 24 hours. When you delete your account (Settings › Account), we delete your profile, username, contacts, shared location and settings. Messages you already sent stay in the other people's chats, still encrypted, unless they delete them.

Your choices and rights

You can view and change your profile, control who finds you, hide your online status, turn off read receipts, lock chats, stop sharing location, disconnect backups and delete your account at any time in the app. Depending on where you live (including under Canada's PIPEDA and the EU/UK GDPR), you may also have the right to request access to, correction of, or deletion of your information, or to object to how we use it. To make a request, contact us as described below.

Children

Fanelio isn't meant for children under 13, or under the minimum age for online services in your country (16 in some places). If you believe a child has created an account, please contact us and we'll remove it.

Security

We use end-to-end encryption, secure connections and strict database rules that only let each person access their own chats. No system is perfect, so please keep your passphrase private and your phone protected.

Changes

If we make important changes to this policy, we'll tell you in the app before they take effect.

Contact us

Open Fanelio and go to Settings › Help & about › Contact us. We read every message.