Privacy Policy

Last updated 29 September 2026 · https://kindness.mckee.family/privacy

Who we are

Kindness Ring is a kindness tracker for families. The website and the iPhone app both use the same service at https://kindness.mckee.family.

This policy explains what we store, why we store it, and how you can delete it. It is written for grown-ups.

What the app does

People log kind acts, fill a Kindness Ring, collect badges, add friends, and send anonymous kindness points with a QR code or username.

There is no chat, no free-text messaging, and no public social feed.

Information we collect

We store only what the app needs to work:

• Account: username, grown-up email, and a password stored as a one-way bcrypt hash (we cannot read the password).
• Profile: date format / region (for example en-GB) and the date the account was created.
• Kindness: self-logged acts, points received, badge reasons, ring progress, badges, and optional challenges.
• Friends: usernames you add (friendship is one-way on your list).
• Receive code: a code used in your QR so a friend can send you points. The code is not your email.
• Live updates: a sign-in token on the device, and short-lived events so the ring can update when points arrive.
• Help: a subject, messages, and (if you ask without an account) the email you type on the support page. The operator can read that thread. A request on an account is also visible to that account.

Information we do not collect

We do not ask for a real name, home address, phone number, date of birth, payment card, or precise location.

We do not run advertising, analytics, crash, or tracking SDKs. We do not sell personal information.

How we use it

We use this information to:

• Create and sign in to the account.
• Show the Kindness Ring, badges, friends, and challenges.
• Let friends send anonymous points (the receiver does not see who sent them).
• Send on-device notifications when points or a new challenge arrive (iPhone).
• Let you change your password, delete the account, or ask for help.

Who can see what

Friends you add can see your username. Anyone who scans your receive QR can send you points and may see the username tied to that code.

Kindness points you receive are anonymous. We do not show the sender’s name to the receiver.

We do not share account data with advertisers or data brokers. Hosting for the website and API is on our own servers for kindness.mckee.family.

Help messages stay on those servers. They are not sent to an outside help desk.

Camera, notifications, and the website

Camera (iPhone and website): used only on the device to scan a friend’s Kindness QR code. We do not upload camera photos.

Notifications and Background App Refresh (iPhone): used so the ring can update when the app is not open, and so you can be told about points or a new challenge. You can switch these off in iOS Settings.

The website loads Nunito and Fredoka fonts from Google Fonts. Google may see the device IP address for that font request. The iPhone app does not load Google Fonts.

The website stores a sign-in token in the browser (local storage), not an advertising cookie.

Children and families

Kindness Ring is made for families with school-age children and is listed in Apple’s Kids Category. A grown-up should create the account and use their email.

The iPhone app does not open a website, a shop, or a share sheet. The QR picture is the receive code. The app has no ads.

Please do not put a child’s surname, school, address, or other extra personal details in a username. Usernames are visible to friends.

How long we keep it

We keep account, kindness, and help data while the account exists. If you delete the account (Profile, then confirm), we remove the user, ring, friends, badges, kindness events, and help requests. You do not type the password again.

The sign-in token on the phone or browser is removed when you sign out or delete the account.

Your choices

In Profile you can change date format, change password, and delete the account.

For help, open https://kindness.mckee.family/support. You can ask a question there without signing in. Keep the page link to read the reply and send another message. Help in the app stays on the account.

Changes

We may update this policy. The date at the top will change. The current version always lives at https://kindness.mckee.family/privacy.

Contact

Kindness Ring is operated by Stewart McKee. Website: https://kindness.mckee.family.

For questions, use https://kindness.mckee.family/support.