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Privacy Policy

Last updated: May 11, 2026

Overview

Hymn Harbor ("we", "our", or "the app") is a community-driven hymn catalog that preserves and makes discoverable a living collection of hymns rooted in oral tradition. We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your data responsibly.

Information We Collect

Account Information

  • Phone number — Used as your login identifier. Stored in E.164 format.
  • Display name — The name shown to other community members alongside your contributions.
  • Password — Securely hashed; we never store or have access to your plaintext password.

Content You Contribute

  • Hymn submissions — Text, stanzas, and metadata for hymns you submit to the catalog.
  • Audio recordings — Voice recordings you upload tied to specific hymns.
  • Proposed edits — Corrections or improvements you suggest to existing hymns.
  • Flags — Reports you submit about content issues.

All hymn contributions are offered freely to the community. Once submitted and approved, hymn content becomes part of the shared catalog and is not owned by any individual.

Automatically Collected Information

  • Session data — Authentication tokens to keep you logged in.
  • Device platform — Used to serve the appropriate download and provide platform-specific functionality.

How We Use Your Information

  • Authentication — Your phone number and password verify your identity when you log in.
  • SMS verification — We send SMS codes via Twilio Verify for account setup and password recovery. Your phone number is shared with Twilio solely for this purpose.
  • Community participation — Your display name appears alongside your contributions so the community can see who submitted or recorded a hymn.
  • Content moderation — Moderators review submitted content for quality and guideline compliance.
  • Catalog improvement — Contributions are used to build and maintain the shared hymn catalog.

Microphone Access

The app requests microphone permission solely to allow you to record hymn audio. Microphone access is used only when you explicitly initiate a recording. We do not access your microphone in the background or for any purpose other than hymn audio recording.

Data Storage and Security

  • Identity data is managed by Ory Kratos, a dedicated open-source identity management system, with encrypted storage.
  • Application data (hymns, audio metadata, community memberships) is stored in PostgreSQL with row-level security enforcing community isolation.
  • Audio files are stored in S3-compatible object storage, accessible only via time-limited signed URLs.
  • Local data — The mobile app caches hymn catalog data locally on your device for offline access. Authentication tokens are stored in your device's secure storage (Keychain on iOS, Keystore on Android).

Data Sharing

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. Your data is shared only in these limited circumstances:

  • Twilio — Your phone number is shared with Twilio for SMS verification during account setup and password recovery.
  • Community members — Your display name and contributions (hymns, audio, edits) are visible to other members of your community.
  • Public hymn pages — Approved hymn text is publicly accessible on the web without login. Contributor display names may appear alongside contributions.

Multi-Community Isolation

Hymn Harbor supports multiple independent communities. Your membership, contributions, and data within one community are completely isolated from other communities. You may belong to multiple communities, each with its own membership and catalog.

Data Retention

  • Account data — Retained as long as your account is active.
  • Contributions — Approved hymns and audio recordings remain in the catalog as community resources, even if your account is deactivated.
  • Original audio uploads — Temporarily retained for 7 days after server-side processing, then permanently deleted. Only the processed version is kept.
  • Rate limit records — SMS verification attempt records reset daily.

Your Rights

  • You may update your display name at any time through the app.
  • You may request deletion of your account by contacting us.
  • Note that approved hymn content contributed to the catalog is a community resource and may be retained even after account deletion, consistent with the community-driven nature of the platform.

Children's Privacy

Hymn Harbor is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us so we can delete it.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the updated policy on this page with a revised "Last updated" date.

Contact

If you have questions about this privacy policy or your data, contact us at:

Email: privacy@hymnharbor.com