Privacy policy
Last updated November 13, 2026
Karnex Chat is a messaging app made by Karnytine Labs LLC, Ohio, USA (“we”). This policy explains what we collect when you use the Karnex Chat apps (Android, iPhone, Windows, Mac, web) and karnexchat.com, why, and what you can do about it. Questions: [email protected].
The short version
- Your messages, photos, voice notes and files are end-to-end encrypted. They are stored on our server only in encrypted form; we can’t read them, and neither can anyone else who gets the server’s data.
- We collect only what the service needs to work. No ads, no selling or sharing your information for advertising, no tracking across other apps or websites.
- You can delete your account at any time, in the app (Settings › Delete account) or on karnexchat.com/delete-account.
What we collect
| Information | Why |
|---|---|
| Your email address | To create your account and sign you in with a one-time code. We don’t send marketing email. |
| Your name and profile photo (optional) | Shown to the people you chat with. Profile photos and names are not end-to-end encrypted. |
| Passkeys | If you add one, we store its public key only. The private key never leaves your device or password manager. |
| Encrypted messages and media | To deliver them and keep your chat history. We can’t read them. |
| Chat information the server needs | Which chats you are in, group names and pictures, who sent a message and when, read receipts and reactions’ timing. This is needed to route messages and is not end-to-end encrypted. |
| Your devices | Each signed-in device’s name and a push-notification token, so new messages can reach it. |
| Technical data | IP addresses and request logs, for security and to stop abuse (for example, sign-up limits). Kept for up to 28 days. |
| Business billing (paid plans only) | Your business’s name, plan and subscription status, and the ID Stripe gives your billing account. Card and bank details go straight to Stripe; we never see or store them. |
| Reports | If you report a message or person, we receive your report and the reason you give. |
We don’t collect your contacts, location, or anything from your phone beyond what you choose to send. The app uses the camera, microphone and photos only when you take or pick something to send.
Who else processes your information
We use a few service providers, each only for the purpose listed:
- DigitalOcean (New York, USA): hosts our server.
- Backblaze B2 (USA): stores our nightly backups, encrypted before they leave our server.
- Zoho ZeptoMail: sends sign-in code emails (your email address and the code).
- Google Firebase Cloud Messaging: wakes your Android phone when a message arrives. Google receives only your device’s push token and message identifiers, never the message, its sender or the chat’s name; your phone fetches and decrypts the message itself.
- Stripe: takes payments for business plans and keeps the billing details (name, email, address, card) needed for them, including for taxes.
- Cloudflare: network protection for karnexchat.com and the “Verify you are human” check at sign-up (Turnstile), which sees your IP address and browser signals.
We don’t sell your information. We disclose it to others only to provide the service as above, when the law requires it (we can only ever hand over what we hold, which excludes the content of your messages), or to protect people from harm.
How long we keep it
- Your account, profile and chats: until you delete your account or a chat is deleted.
- When you delete your account: your profile, email address, passkeys and devices are deleted, and you leave every chat. Messages you already sent stay with the people who received them, as with a letter. People who join a chat later don’t see your messages.
- Logs: up to 28 days. Backups: up to 12 months, then deleted on a rolling basis.
Your choices and rights
You can see and change your name and photo in the app, delete your account at any time, and ask us for a copy of the information we hold about you, or to correct or delete it, at [email protected]. Depending on where you live (for example the EU, UK or California) you have these rights by law, and you can complain to your data protection authority.
Security
Messages use end-to-end encryption (Matrix’s Olm and Megolm). Everything between your device and our server uses HTTPS. Our server and backups are access-controlled and backups are encrypted. Keep your recovery key safe: without it and without a signed-in device, we can’t recover your old messages.
Children
Karnex Chat is not for children under 16. If you believe a child has an account, contact us and we will delete it. See our child safety standards.
Businesses
When a business uses Karnex Chat to talk with its customers, the business can see what is said in its groups, like any other member. Features for businesses that process more information (such as an AI assistant) will be described here before they are switched on.
Changes
If we change this policy, we will update the date above, and tell you in the app if the change is significant.