Last updated: 24 July 2026
Xelvo is a private messaging app. This policy explains, in plain English, what we collect, why, where it's kept, and the choices you have. No jargon, no fine print, nothing hidden.
Your messages are locked away from other people — no one else using Xelvo can open your chats. But they are not yet end-to-end encrypted, which means we, the people who run Xelvo, could technically read them on our server if we chose to. We don't, and we never will — but we'd rather tell you straight than pretend. Treat Xelvo as private from other people, but not as a place for secrets you couldn't bear anyone ever seeing. Full end-to-end encryption is planned.
Only what the app needs to work:
We do not collect advertising identifiers, we run no ads and no analytics or tracking, we never sell or share your data, and we do not upload your phone's contacts.
The app only ever sees a photo or video you personally pick or capture — it never scans your gallery or storage. Photos and videos are cleaned on your device before sending: we strip the hidden data cameras add, including where a photo or video was taken, so that information never reaches us.
Files on your phone are private to Xelvo — other apps can't read them, and they don't appear in your gallery. When you log out, that on-device copy is wiped; your messages remain safe on the server and return when you log back in. Messages are not set to disappear — they stay until you clear them or delete your account. Data is stored on servers in the United States.
Calls are end-to-end encrypted — the audio and video travel directly between the two phones, sealed, so even we cannot listen to or watch them. When a direct connection isn't possible, the call is passed through a relay (Cloudflare), but it remains sealed the entire way — the relay only forwards it and cannot open it. We keep a record that a call took place (participants, time, duration) so it can appear in your chat, but never the call's content.
In a group, everyone in it can see the messages. Anything you create in the "Us" space or a group — events, lists, milestones, a shared mood, a countdown — is visible only to the people in that chat. Location you share and check-ins are visible only to the people in that chat, and live location stops automatically when the time you set runs out.
In the app's profile settings you can turn off read receipts and last-seen/online (each is mutual — turn yours off and you stop seeing the other person's), as well as notifications, per-chat muting, and optional extras like the mood strip and daily question.
People connect with you by entering your phone number; we check whether that number is on Xelvo and, if so, connect you. We never upload or scan your phone's contact list — the only number ever checked is one someone types in to reach you.
If you turn notifications on, the alert (including message preview text) is delivered through Google's (FCM) or your browser/Apple's push service so your phone can display it — this is how notifications work on every app. You can turn notifications off in your profile at any time.
Xelvo uses a small number of outside services to function. Each sees only what it needs to do its job:
None of these are given your data for their own purposes.
If someone reports you for abuse, we keep a copy of what you sent them as evidence — and that copy stays even if you delete your account, so abuse can't be erased by deleting an account. If law enforcement is investigating an account, we're also required to preserve its data. This applies only to content that has been reported or is under a legal order; everything else really is deleted. The less we hold, the safer you are.
You must be 18 or older to use Xelvo. Xelvo is not directed to children.
If we make material changes, we'll update the date at the top and, where appropriate, let you know in the app.