1. Who we are
tamaru is an app made by qantara, an independent developer based in Mexico. In this policy, "we" and "us" mean qantara. If you have questions about your privacy, write to support@tamaru.app.
This policy covers the tamaru apps for Android and iOS, their widgets and shortcuts, and the website at tamaru.app.
2. Information we collect through the app
None. We don't operate servers that receive, store or process your entries, balances, budgets, goals, debts, installments, notes or settings, so we can't see them. The app has no sign-up and no account.
3. Where your data lives
Everything you enter is stored in the app's private storage on your device.
- Android: the database is encrypted with SQLCipher, using a random 256-bit key that is protected by the Android Keystore.
- iOS: the database is protected by Apple's Data Protection, so it can't be opened while your device is locked.
tamaru opts out of Android cloud backups and device-to-device transfers. On iOS, its data is excluded from iCloud and computer backups. Your records only leave the app inside the encrypted backups or exports you set up yourself (see Backups and exports).
4. Network access
The app works fully offline. It makes one kind of network request, and only if you turn it on:
- Exchange rates (off by default). If you turn on exchange-rate downloads in Settings, the app requests daily reference rates from Frankfurter (api.frankfurter.dev), which publishes European Central Bank data. The request contains only your main currency code and is sent over HTTPS. Like any web request, it reveals your IP address to that service, which handles it under its own policies. Rates are cached on your device for 12 hours.
Receipt scanning and voice input use recognition that runs on your device. When a device can't recognize speech offline, the microphone option isn't shown, rather than sending audio to an online service.
5. Analytics, advertising and tracking
tamaru contains no analytics, advertising, crash-reporting or tracking software. It doesn't track you across apps or websites, and it doesn't use advertising identifiers.
6. Automatic capture, receipts and voice
These features are off until you turn them on, and you can turn them off at any time in Settings.
- Apple Pay (iOS). If you create a Shortcuts automation for tamaru, iOS passes the amount, merchant and card name of each Apple Pay payment to the app on your device. Deleting the automation stops it.
- Bank notifications (Android). If you grant notification access, tamaru reads notifications only from the banking apps you select. It ignores every other app. From a matching notification it keeps only the amount, merchant, date and card hint, as an entry for you to review. The notification text itself is never stored or sent. Turning the feature off also switches off the app's notification access.
- Receipts. Photos you take or share are read on your device to find the total, date and merchant, then deleted. tamaru doesn't keep receipt images.
- Voice. Speech is converted to text on your device. Recordings aren't stored.
Captured entries wait in a review inbox, unless you allow a source to save entries automatically. Reviewed or dismissed items are removed from the inbox after 30 days.
7. Device permissions
- Face ID, Touch ID or fingerprint: used only if you turn on the app lock. Your operating system checks your identity, and tamaru never receives biometric data.
- Notification access (Android): used only for bank notification capture, as described above.
- Notifications: used only for the reminders and backup alerts you turn on.
- Microphone and speech recognition: used only while you dictate an entry.
- Camera: used only while you scan a receipt. Choosing a photo uses the system photo picker, which gives tamaru only the photo you pick.
- Siri and Shortcuts (iOS): used only for the actions you run or automate.
- Files and folders: accessed only to write backups and exports, or to restore a backup, at the location you pick.
- Background activity: used to run scheduled backups and reminders.
- Internet: used only for the optional exchange-rate download.
8. Widgets, reminders and Siri
Widgets can show a short summary, such as the amount left to spend this month. The app saves that summary in a small file on your device that only tamaru and its widgets can read. When amounts are hidden or the app lock is on, widgets, reminders and Siri responses leave out names and amounts. Reminders include only the details you choose in Settings. On Android, tamaru blocks screenshots and hides its content in the recent-apps screen by default. On iOS, it covers its content in the app switcher.
9. Backups and exports
- Encrypted backups. Backups are encrypted on your device with AES-256-GCM. The key is derived from your recovery phrase or passphrase (PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA256, 600,000 iterations). To run scheduled backups, the derived key is kept in the Android Keystore or the iOS Keychain on this device; your phrase itself is never stored. Backups are saved to the folder you choose. If that folder syncs to a cloud service, such as iCloud Drive, the encrypted file is stored there under that service's terms. We never receive your backups and can't decrypt them.
- Plain exports. JSON, CSV, Markdown and hledger exports are created only when you ask, saved where you choose, and not encrypted, so keep them somewhere you trust.
Once a file leaves the app, for example when you send it to someone, the privacy terms of the service you use apply.
10. Purchases
You buy tamaru through Google Play or the App Store. Google and Apple process your payment under their own privacy policies. We never receive your payment card or account details. The stores may give us limited transaction information, such as an order number, date and country, which we use only for accounting, taxes and refunds.
11. This website
tamaru.app has no cookies, analytics or third-party scripts, and its fonts are served from our own domain. If you switch between light and dark mode, that choice is saved in your browser's local storage and never sent to us.
The site is hosted by Vercel. Like any web host, Vercel processes technical request data, such as IP addresses, browser type and the pages requested, to deliver the site and protect it from abuse. We don't use this data to identify or profile visitors.
12. If you contact us
When you email us, we receive your email address and whatever you include in your message. We use it only to reply to you, and we keep it only as long as needed to resolve your request and meet legal obligations. Please don't send us your financial records, recovery phrase or backups. We never need them to help you.
13. Your rights
Your app data is entirely under your control. You can view, change, export or delete it at any time within the app. To delete everything, use Settings → Data → Delete all data, or uninstall the app. Because we hold no copy, deleted data can't be recovered, except from backups you made.
For any personal information we do hold, such as emails you sent us, you can ask to access, correct or delete it, or object to how we use it. This includes your ARCO rights under Mexico's personal data protection law and similar rights where you live. Write to support@tamaru.app and we'll respond within the time required by law.
14. Children
tamaru doesn't collect personal information from anyone, including children. If you believe a child has emailed us personal information, contact us and we'll delete it.
15. Changes to this policy
If we change this policy, we'll update this page and the effective date above. If a change affects how the app handles your data, we'll also note it in the app's release notes.
16. Contact
Questions about privacy: support@tamaru.app.
To report a security issue: security@qantara.dev.