Privacy policy

The short version

Talky has no accounts and no servers of its own. Walkie-talkie voice goes straight from your device to the devices on your channel and is never sent to us. On iPhone and iPad the free version shows Google ads and sends anonymous usage statistics and crash reports to Google Firebase. The Mac app has no ads and no statistics.

Microphone

Talky uses the microphone only while you hold the talk button, to send your voice to the devices connected on your channel. On the HF, CB and POC bands the microphone is never used and nothing is transmitted.

Local network and Bluetooth

To find nearby devices running Talky and talk with them, the app uses the local network and Bluetooth. The other devices on your channel see the name of your device. Voice travels directly between devices on your network and is not always encrypted: do not use Talky for confidential conversations.

A private channel only connects devices that typed the same password. The password stays on your device and is used only to find the others.

Recordings

With Talky Pro you can record the transmissions you send and receive. Recordings are saved only on your device, up to the latest 100, and you can delete them from the app at any time. They are never uploaded.

Live radio and internet stations

The HF and CB bands connect to public KiwiSDR receivers, whose list comes from rx.linkfanel.net. The POC band reads the public list of Mumble servers from mumble.info and joins a public channel muted, under a random name. These receivers and servers are run by independent volunteers. Internet radio stations are streamed directly from their broadcasters.

Like any website, they see your IP address and what you are listening to, under their own policies. Talky sends them no account, no name and no identifier of yours. The receiver is chosen from your time zone and region, never from GPS: Talky does not use your location.

Advertising (iPhone and iPad, free version)

The free version shows ads from Google AdMob. In the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom and Switzerland, Google's consent form asks for your choice before ads are personalised, and you can change it later from Settings, Manage privacy preferences. The advertising identifier of your device is used only if you allow it in Apple's tracking prompt. Talky Pro and Talky Pro forever show no ads.

Statistics and crash reports (iPhone and iPad)

Talky sends Google Firebase Analytics anonymous events about how the app is used, such as app opened, a station played, how long a transmission lasted or a setting changed, together with device model, system version and language. Firebase Crashlytics receives the technical report of a crash. They contain no name, no email, no voice and no names of the devices you talk with. Google processes them under its own privacy policy.

Purchases

Talky Pro and the Themes Pack are bought inside the app through the App Store. Apple handles the payment and does not share your card or your identity with us: we receive only anonymous sales totals. The app checks your purchases on the device.

Widgets and Live Activities

Widgets, the Lock Screen and the Dynamic Island show the station, band and state of Talky using data that stays on your device. The widgets about the sun and band conditions download solar data (solar flux, Kp index, X-ray flux) from the public service of NOAA SWPC, which sees your IP address like any website; the height of the sun where you are is worked out from your time zone, not from your location.

Settings

Your preferences, favourites and history are stored in the app on your device.

Children

Talky is not directed at children under 13.

Your rights

We hold no data that identifies you. The statistics and ad data processed by Google are linked to an anonymous app identifier, not to your name. Under the GDPR you can ask for access, correction or deletion by writing to us, change your ad choice from Settings, or delete the app to remove everything stored on your device. You can also complain to the Spanish data protection authority (AEPD) or to the one of your country.

Changes

If this policy changes, the new version will be published on this page with a new date.

Who is responsible

Andrea Piani, NIE Z2331796-S, Tijarafe, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Islas Canarias, Spain. Write to andreapiani.dev@gmail.com for any question about privacy.