Privacy Policy

Sakura (“we,” “our,” or “the app”) is a voice-first personal finance tracker designed with privacy as a core principle. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights regarding your data.

Key principle: Your financial data stays on your device. We don’t sell your data, we don’t track you across apps, and we don’t use third-party analytics.

Information We Collect

Device Identifier

We collect your device’s identifierForVendor — a unique ID assigned by iOS.

• Why: To verify subscription status and enforce free-tier usage quotas.
• Not for tracking: This ID cannot be used to track you across different apps or websites. It resets when you delete all apps from our developer account.

Audio & Voice Data

When you use voice recording, audio is processed using Apple’s Speech framework.

• On-device processing: Speech-to-text conversion happens on your iPhone or via Apple’s servers (depending on your iOS settings).
• No raw audio storage: We never store or transmit your raw audio recordings.
• Text transcripts: Only the transcribed text is sent to our backend for AI-powered transaction parsing.

Purchase History

When you subscribe to Sakura Premium, we receive StoreKit JWS (JSON Web Signature) tokens from Apple.

• Purpose: To verify your subscription status and unlock premium features.
• Managed by Apple: All payment processing is handled by the App Store. We never see your payment information.

Financial Data (Local Only)

Your transactions, wallets, budgets, and financial records are stored exclusively on your device using SwiftData.

• No cloud sync: By default, your financial data never leaves your device.
• No server access: We cannot access, view, or retrieve your financial records.

How We Use Your Information

Voice Transcript Processing. When you record a voice memo (e.g., “120 nghìn ăn phở”), the transcribed text is sent to our backend server, which then forwards it to Groq AI (Llama 3.3) for parsing into structured transaction data (amount, category, merchant, etc.).

Quota Management. Your device ID is sent to our backend to track daily AI parsing usage for free-tier users (limited to a set number of requests per day).

Subscription Verification. StoreKit tokens are validated to confirm your subscription status and unlock premium features (unlimited AI parsing, advanced analytics).

What We DON’T Do

• No cross-app tracking: We don’t use advertising identifiers (IDFA) or track your activity across other apps and websites.
• No third-party analytics: We don’t use Firebase, Mixpanel, Amplitude, or any other analytics SDKs. We don’t know how you use the app beyond what’s necessary for functionality.
• No data selling: We will never sell, rent, or share your personal data with third parties for marketing purposes.
• No cloud storage: Your financial data is not synced to any cloud service. It exists only on your device.

Data Storage & Security

On-device storage. All your financial data (transactions, wallets, budgets, categories) is stored locally on your iPhone using SwiftData, Apple’s modern persistence framework. This data is encrypted by iOS and backed up only if you enable iCloud Backup in your device settings.

Keychain storage. Sensitive credentials (such as API keys for advanced features) are stored in iOS Keychain, which provides hardware-level encryption and protection.

Backend security. Our backend server (used for AI parsing and quota management) uses HTTPS encryption for all communications. Voice transcripts are processed in real-time and not stored on our servers.

Third-Party Services

Sakura integrates with the following third-party services to provide core functionality:

• Apple Speech Framework: Used for voice-to-text conversion. Depending on your device and iOS version, speech recognition may occur on-device or on Apple’s servers. Governed by Apple’s Privacy Policy.
• Groq AI (Llama 3.3): Voice transcripts are sent to our backend, which forwards them to Groq AI for natural language processing. Groq’s privacy policy applies to the processing of these transcripts. We do not send any personally identifiable information beyond the transcript text itself.
• Exchange Rate API: For multi-currency support, we may fetch exchange rates from public APIs. These requests do not include any personal data or transaction details.

App Permissions

Sakura requests the following permissions to function:

• Microphone access: Required to record voice memos for transaction entry. You can revoke this permission at any time in iOS Settings → Sakura → Microphone.
• Speech recognition: Required to convert your voice into text. This permission is managed by iOS and can be disabled in Settings → Privacy & Security → Speech Recognition → Sakura.

Your Rights & Choices

Data deletion. Since all your financial data is stored on your device, you can delete it at any time by:

• Deleting the Sakura app from your device (this removes all local data)
• Using the “Reset All Data” option within the app settings

No account required. Sakura does not require you to create an account. You can use the app immediately after installation without providing any personal information.

Revoke permissions. You can revoke microphone and speech recognition permissions at any time through iOS Settings. Note that doing so will disable voice-based transaction entry.

Cancel subscription. You can cancel your Sakura Premium subscription at any time through the App Store. Your subscription will remain active until the end of the current billing period.

Children’s Privacy

Sakura is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us so we can delete the information.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the “Last updated” date. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically.

Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

• Developer: Khoa Truong Nguyen Anh (nhkhoa)
• Email: [email protected]
• App Store: Sakura on the App Store

TL;DR — Privacy Summary

• Your financial data stays on your device — we can’t see it
• No account required to use the app
• No third-party analytics or tracking
• Voice transcripts are processed by AI but not stored on our servers
• Delete the app to delete all your data