GiftVault — Privacy Policy

At a glance

All data stays on your device Encrypted on-device, no cloud sync, no servers

No data sold or shared Zero third-party data sharing

One network request Only for optional promotional content

You own your data Export and delete anytime

1. Who We Are

GiftVault is a personal gift idea manager developed as an independent app. The app is designed to work entirely offline on your device with no account required.

For privacy questions, contact: contact@nikolay100.com

2. Data We Collect

All data you enter is stored only on your device in an encrypted local database. We do not collect, transmit, or have access to any of this data.

Data you create inside the app

Data type	Where stored	Shared externally?
Recipient names, birthdays, sizes, interests	Encrypted local database	Never
Gift ideas, titles, notes, prices, URLs	Encrypted local database	Never
Photos of gifts or recipient avatars	Local device storage	Never
Annual budget and currency preference	Local device storage	Never
Notification preferences	Local device storage	Never

Promotional content configuration

The app makes a single outbound network request to fetch optional promotional banner and modal content from a server operated by the developer (nikolay100.com). This request:

Contains no personal data — it only fetches a JSON configuration file
Is authenticated with a private header key to prevent unauthorised access
Is cached locally so it works offline after the first load
Carries no tracking identifiers, device IDs, or analytics

One request on each app launch when internet is available

3. Device Permissions

GiftVault requests only the permissions needed for its core features:

Permission	Why it's needed	When requested
Camera	To photograph gift items in-store	Only when you tap the camera button
Photo Library	To choose existing photos for gifts or avatars	Only when you tap "Choose photo"
Notifications	To send birthday and event reminders	Only when you enable reminders in Settings

All permissions are optional. The app works without any of them except camera/photos which are needed to attach images to ideas.

4. Data Storage & Security

Your data is stored exclusively on your device in:

SQLCipher encrypted database — all recipients and gift ideas are stored in an AES-256 encrypted SQLite database. The encryption key is unique per device and stored in the hardware-backed secure keystore (Android Keystore / iOS Keychain). It is never transmitted or accessible outside the app.
Local file system — photos stored in the app's private directory (giftvault/ and giftvault/avatars/), accessible only by the app
AsyncStorage — app preferences (budget, currency, notification settings) stored in the app's sandboxed local storage

Encryption key management

On first launch, GiftVault generates a unique 256-bit encryption key using a cryptographically secure random generator. This key is stored exclusively in the device's secure enclave (Android Keystore on Android, Keychain on iOS) — a hardware-backed storage that prevents extraction even if the device is compromised. The key never leaves the device and is never backed up to any cloud service.

Upgrading from an older version

If you are updating from a version prior to v1.1.8, GiftVault automatically migrates your existing data to the encrypted database on first launch. All your data is preserved during this migration. No action is required from you.

Important: Uninstalling the app will permanently delete all your data, including the encryption key stored in the secure keystore. This means data cannot be recovered after uninstallation even if the database file is somehow retained. We strongly recommend using Settings → Export data as JSON to create a backup before uninstalling or changing devices.

5. Third-Party Services

GiftVault does not use any of the following:

Analytics or crash reporting services (no Firebase, Crashlytics, Sentry, etc.)
Advertising networks
Social login or OAuth providers
Cloud databases or sync services
Location services

The app is built with Expo / React Native and uses only the following system-level frameworks: expo-sqlite, expo-notifications, expo-camera, expo-image-picker, and expo-file-system — all of which operate entirely on-device.

6. Children's Privacy

GiftVault is intended for users aged 18 and older. The app does not knowingly collect any personal data from children under 13. Since all data remains on-device and no account registration is required, no personal information is transmitted to us under any circumstances.

7. Your Rights & Data Control

Because all data is stored locally on your device, you have full control at all times:

Export — Settings → Export all data as JSON
Import — Settings → Import data from JSON (restore a backup)
Delete — Settings → Danger zone → Delete all GiftVault data
Individual deletion — delete any person or gift idea from within the app

Uninstalling the app from your device removes all data permanently.

8. Changes to This Policy

If this privacy policy changes, the updated version will be published at this URL with a revised "Last updated" date. Significant changes will also be noted in the app's store listing release notes.

Continued use of the app after a policy update constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

9. Contact

For any questions or concerns about this privacy policy or the app's data practices, please contact:

Email: contact@nikolay100.com
Website: nikolay100.com

Effective date: April 28, 2026 · GiftVault