Kammunicate is a privacy-first augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) application designed to help individuals with communication disabilities express their needs and thoughts. This Privacy Policy explains how Kammunicate collects, uses, and protects your information.
Our Privacy Commitment: Kammunicate is built with privacy as a core principle. All data processing happens entirely on your device. We do not transmit, collect, or store any of your personal information on external servers.
Information We Collect
Kammunicate collects and stores the following types of information locally on your device only:
1. Communication Content
Drawings and handwriting: Created on the drawing canvas using Apple Pencil or finger input
Communication cards: Cards selected from the built-in library
Photos: Images captured via camera or selected from your photo library
Voice recordings: Audio messages recorded using your device's microphone
Stickers: Visual stickers added to messages
Communication history: A chronological record of all messages sent between players, including timestamps and associated media
2. Personalization Data
Avatar information: Custom avatars (letters, icons, or photos) created for each player
Player names: Custom names assigned to each player (defaults: "Person" and "Carer")
Role settings: Player role assignments (Needs Expresser or Support Provider)
Preference settings: App customization choices including Easy Read mode and ambient music preferences
3. Machine Learning Data
Usage patterns: Which communication cards are used together and in what sequences
Card effectiveness: Which suggestions are accepted or dismissed
Contextual preferences: Time-of-day usage patterns and topic preferences
Drawing analysis data: Automated analysis of drawings to suggest relevant communication cards
Engagement metrics: Session duration, message frequency, and interaction patterns (used for the Professional Learning Dashboard)
4. Technical Data
App version information: Current version of Kammunicate installed
Crash recovery data: Saved drafts to restore your work after unexpected app closures
How We Use Your Information
All information collected by Kammunicate is used exclusively on your device for the following purposes:
Personalization and Machine Learning
Smart suggestions: Six complementary machine learning systems analyze your usage patterns to suggest relevant communication cards
Pattern recognition: Learning which cards work best in different contexts and times of day
Handwriting recognition: Converting handwritten text into communication suggestions using Apple's Vision framework
Drawing analysis: Identifying objects and intentions in drawings to suggest appropriate cards
Conversation memory: Maintaining context from recent messages (last 10 messages) to improve suggestion relevance
Analytics for Caregivers
Professional Learning Dashboard: Providing insights to caregivers about communication patterns, frequently used topics, and engagement levels
Progress tracking: Monitoring communication growth and identifying areas of focus
App Functionality
Communication history: Enabling users to review past conversations and communication patterns
Draft recovery: Restoring unsaved work if the app closes unexpectedly
Avatar display: Showing personalized avatars in the communication interface
Data Storage and Security
Local Storage Only
No cloud sync: All data remains exclusively on your device
No external servers: Kammunicate does not connect to any external servers or transmit data over the internet
Sandbox storage: All data is stored in the app's secure sandbox using Apple's UserDefaults and local file storage
Data Retention
Communication history: Stored indefinitely until manually deleted by the user
Engagement logs: Retained for analytics purposes; old events (30+ days) may be automatically cleared
Machine learning models: Continuously updated based on recent usage patterns
Avatars and settings: Persist until changed or deleted by the user
Device Backup
iCloud/iTunes backups: Your Kammunicate data may be included in device backups if you have iCloud or iTunes backup enabled
Backup control: You can manage backup settings through your device's Settings app
Data Sharing and Third Parties
We do not share, sell, or transmit your data to any third parties. Kammunicate operates entirely offline and does not:
Send data to external servers
Share information with advertisers
Transmit data to analytics services
Connect to social media platforms
Use third-party tracking tools
On-Device Processing
All machine learning and data analysis is performed using:
Apple Core ML: On-device machine learning framework
Apple Vision: On-device handwriting and image recognition
Apple Natural Language: On-device sentiment analysis and text processing
No data from these analyses leaves your device.
Your Privacy Rights and Controls
Access and Review
You can access all your data through the app:
Communication History: View all past messages via the History button
Professional Learning Dashboard: Review analytics and engagement patterns
Settings: View and modify player names, roles, and preferences
Data Deletion
Currently, you can delete data through:
Individual messages: Long-press on history entries to delete specific communications
Avatars: Delete custom avatars through the avatar management interface
App deletion: Removing Kammunicate from your device permanently deletes all associated data
Note: We are working on adding bulk data deletion features in future updates, including:
Delete all communication history
Clear all engagement logs
Reset all settings and preferences
Permissions We Request
Kammunicate requests the following permissions to provide core functionality:
Camera Access
Purpose: To capture photos for communication messages
Permission prompt: "Kammunicate needs camera access to take photos for messages"
Data handling: Photos are stored locally on your device only
Microphone Access
Purpose: To record voice messages for communication
Permission prompt: "Kammunicate needs microphone access to record voice messages"
Data handling: Audio recordings are stored locally on your device only
Photo Library Access
Purpose: To add existing photos from your library to messages
Permission prompt: "Kammunicate needs photo library access to add photos to messages"
Data handling: Selected photos are copied and stored locally within the app
Apple Music Access
Purpose: To play calming background music during communication sessions
Permission prompt: "Kammunicate uses Apple Music to play calming background music during communication sessions"
Data handling: No music data is stored; only playback control
You can manage these permissions at any time through your device's Settings → Kammunicate.
Children's Privacy
Kammunicate is designed to assist individuals with communication disabilities, which may include children. We take children's privacy seriously:
Parental Guidance
Parental supervision: We recommend that parents or guardians supervise the use of Kammunicate by children
Privacy protection: No personal information is transmitted off the device
Photo safety: Parents should review and approve any photos captured or used in the app
COPPA Compliance (United States)
No data collection: Kammunicate does not collect personal information from children in a manner that would require parental consent under COPPA
Local processing only: All data remains on the device under the parent/guardian's control
No online features: The app does not include chat, forums, or other online communication features
Contact Information
If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your privacy rights, please contact us:
Email: [Your Contact Email]
GitHub: [Your GitHub Profile/Repository]
Legal Compliance
Data Protection Laws
Kammunicate's privacy-first, on-device architecture complies with major privacy regulations including:
GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation - European Union)
CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act)
COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act)
Since all data processing occurs locally on your device and no information is transmitted to external parties, many data protection requirements related to external data processing do not apply.
Summary
What we collect: Communication content, personalization data, and usage patterns - all stored locally on your device.