Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

Phlo is operated by Spruce Technologies Pty Ltd (“Spruce”, “we”, “us”, “our”). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and share your personal information when you use the Phlo mobile app and website.

We handle personal information in accordance with the Australian Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles, and, for users in New Zealand, the Privacy Act 2020. If you have any questions, contact us at privacy@phloapp.com.

2. Information we collect

We collect the following categories of information:

• Account and profile: your name, and an email address and/or phone number. If you sign in with Google or Apple, we receive basic profile information from them. With Sign in with Apple you may choose to hide your email, in which case we receive a private relay address.
• Content you create: events, calendars, tasks, habits, countdowns, and messages you send — including any photos or files you attach. Business users may also create jobs, quotes, and invoices.
• Contacts (optional): if you turn on friend matching and grant permission, Phlo reads names, phone numbers, and email addresses from your device contacts. To find friends already on Phlo, we send one-way hashes (SHA-256) of phone numbers and emails to our servers for matching — your raw contacts are not uploaded. See “Finding friends from your contacts” below.
• Location (optional): if you grant permission, we use your approximate or precise location to show local weather for your day and events. You can turn this off at any time in your device settings.
• Photos and camera (optional): to set your avatar and attach images in chat.
• Calendar and reminders (optional, iOS): if you grant permission, we read your device or iCloud calendar and reminders so your schedule appears in one place.
• Device and technical data: device model and identifiers, push notification token, app version, language, time zone, and basic log data.
• Diagnostics: crash and performance reports, collected through Sentry, to keep the app stable.
• Subscriptions and payments: subscription status is managed through RevenueCat and the Apple App Store or Google Play. Business in-app payments are processed by Stripe. We do not collect or store full payment card numbers.

3. How we use your information

We use your information to:

• Provide, operate, and sync the Phlo service across your devices.
• Send notifications and reminders you have enabled.
• Show local weather relevant to your schedule.
• Help you find and invite contacts and collaborate on shared calendars.
• Process subscriptions and payments.
• Provide customer support and respond to your requests.
• Maintain security, prevent fraud and abuse, and comply with our legal obligations.
• Understand usage and improve the app.

4. How we share your information

We share information only as needed to run Phlo:

• With other users you choose: people you share calendars with, invite, add to groups, or chat with will see the content you share with them.
• With service providers who process data on our behalf, including Apple, Google, RevenueCat, Stripe, Sentry, and our cloud hosting and push-notification providers.
• For legal and safety reasons, where required by law or to protect rights, safety, and property.
• In connection with a business transfer, such as a merger or acquisition.

5. Finding friends from your contacts

Finding friends from your contacts is optional. If you turn it on and grant contacts permission, Phlo helps you discover which of your contacts already use Phlo and lets you invite the others.

To do this, Phlo creates a one-way cryptographic hash (SHA-256) of the phone numbers and email addresses in your contacts and sends only those hashes to our servers, where they are matched against hashes of registered Phlo accounts. Your raw contact details — names, numbers, and emails — are not uploaded and stay on your device. We use the hashes only for matching and to enable invitations; we do not sell them and do not use them for advertising. This feature is off until you choose to use it, and you can revoke contacts access at any time in your device settings.

6. Storage, security, and overseas transfer

Your information is stored on secure servers, and we take reasonable steps to protect it from misuse, loss, and unauthorised access. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure.

Some of our service providers may be located outside Australia and New Zealand (for example, in the United States). This means your information may be transferred to, and stored in, countries other than your own.

7. Data retention

We keep your information while your account is active and for as long as needed to provide the service. When you delete your account, we delete or anonymise your personal information, except where we are required to retain limited records to comply with legal, tax, or accounting obligations, or where content you shared remains with other users.

8. Your rights and choices

You can:

• Delete your account at any time in the app (Profile → Delete Account), or at phloapp.com/delete-account.
• Access or correct your personal information by contacting privacy@phloapp.com.
• Control permissions (location, contacts, photos, notifications) in your device settings.
• Exercise your rights under the Australian Privacy Act 1988 or, in New Zealand, the Privacy Act 2020.

9. Complaints

If you have a concern about how we handle your personal information, please contact us first at privacy@phloapp.com. You may also complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at oaic.gov.au, or, in New Zealand, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner at privacy.org.nz.

10. Children

Phlo is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, contact us and we will delete it.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will post the updated version with a new date and, for material changes, notify you in the app.

12. Contact us

Spruce Technologies Pty Ltd — privacy@phloapp.com.