Privacy Policy
1. Introduction
The Little Things ("we", "our", or "us") is committed to protecting the privacy of our users and, above all, the privacy of the children whose memories are stored within our app. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your information when you use The Little Things mobile application. By using our app, you agree to the practices described in this policy.
2. Information We Collect
Account Information
When you create an account, we collect your name and email address. This information is used to identify your account and enable access to your data.
Child Profiles and Content
You may create profiles for your children, including their names, dates of birth, and photos. You may also upload photos, videos, audio recordings, and diary entries associated with those profiles. All of this content is encrypted on your device before being transmitted to our servers.
Usage Data
We may collect technical data such as your device type, operating system version, and IP address. This data is used solely for the purpose of maintaining and improving the app and is not linked to your personal content.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to provide and maintain the app, authenticate your account, enable sharing features, deliver in-app notifications, and improve the overall user experience. We do not sell your personal information to third parties. We do not use your personal content for advertising, profiling, or any purpose other than delivering the service to you.
4. Security & Encryption
End-to-End Encryption
All sensitive content — including child profiles, photos, videos, audio, and diary entries — is encrypted on your device using your personal encryption key before it is uploaded. This means that even we cannot access or view your content. Only users who have been granted access by you can decrypt and view the content.
Your Encryption Key
Your encryption key is generated on your device and is never transmitted to our servers in an unencrypted form. You are responsible for safeguarding your key. If your key is lost and you have not backed it up, your encrypted data cannot be recovered — by you or by us.
Key Backup
We provide an optional feature to back up your encryption key to your personal Google Drive account. This backup is stored in your own Google Drive and is not accessible to us.
5. Legal Basis for Processing
We process your personal information on the basis of your consent, which you provide when you create an account and agree to this policy. You may withdraw your consent at any time by deleting your account. Where we are required to retain certain data for legal or regulatory reasons, we will do so only to the extent necessary.
6. Sharing of Information
We do not share your personal information with third parties except as necessary to operate the service (for example, cloud storage infrastructure) or as required by law. Any third-party service providers we use are contractually required to protect your data and are prohibited from using it for any other purpose. They cannot access your encrypted content.
When you choose to share your profile with another person, access is granted via a randomly generated 8-character access code that expires after 48 hours. The recipient must be approved by you before gaining access to your shared content.
7. International Transfers
Your data may be stored and processed in countries outside of South Africa, including countries within the European Economic Area and the United States. Where such transfers occur, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with applicable data protection laws, including POPIA and GDPR.
8. Data Retention
We retain your personal data for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account, your data will be permanently deleted from our systems within 30 days. Some information may be retained for a longer period where required by law or for legitimate security and fraud prevention purposes.
9. Your Rights
Depending on your location, you may have the right to access the personal information we hold about you, request corrections, request deletion of your data, withdraw consent, and lodge a complaint with a relevant data protection authority. To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info.thelittlethingsapp@gmail.com.
10. Children's Privacy
The Little Things is designed for use by parents and guardians. Users must be at least 18 years of age to create an account. Content relating to children is stored with the explicit consent of the parent or guardian who creates and manages the account. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children directly.
11. Cookies
The Little Things is a mobile application and does not use cookies. Our website may use minimal, essential cookies to function correctly. We do not use tracking or advertising cookies.
12. Third-Party Services
The app uses the following third-party services, each governed by their own privacy policies:
- Google Cloud (storage infrastructure)
- Google Drive (optional key backup)
- Google AdMob (in-app advertising)
- RevenueCat (subscription management)
None of these services have access to your encrypted content.
13. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the effective date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify you through the app. Continued use of the app after changes are made constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.
14. Contact
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at: