Stolo is an encrypted mesh communications app made by Stolo Systems Inc. (“Stolo,” “we,” “us”). This policy explains, in plain language, what information we handle when you use the Stolo app and this website — and, just as important, what we never handle.
Stolo is designed so that we cannot read your messages or see your location. That is how the system is built, not just a promise we make. The one thing our infrastructure touches is encrypted mail we cannot open — explained under “Our relay” below.
What we collect, and why
The Stolo app is free and has no accounts. Messages travel encrypted from device to device across the mesh, so there is no Stolo server holding your messages, your contacts, or your history, and nothing for you to sign up for. The only information we collect is what you send us directly:
- If you contact us through the form on our website, we receive what you enter there — your name, email address, organization (if you provide one), the type of use you select, and your message — so that we can reply.
That is the complete list of what we collect about you.
What stays on your device
Everything the app itself creates — your identity keys, your messages, your media, and your history — is stored on your own device and stays under your control. On your device this data is encrypted at rest (AES-256 for the message database and its contents, with the key held in the device keychain), so a lost or stolen phone does not hand over your history. You can export an encrypted backup of your identity, and you can permanently delete your profile and wipe this data from within the app at any time.
Our relay (store-and-forward)
So that a message still arrives when the recipient is temporarily offline, Stolo operates a relay (propagation) node on the mesh. By default a fresh install can use it with no setup. You should know exactly what it does:
- It holds end-to-end-encrypted message data that we cannot decrypt until the recipient’s device collects it, or for up to 30 days, whichever comes first — then it is deleted. We never have the keys to read this content.
- To route that mail it necessarily sees technical delivery metadata, such as destination identifiers and timing. It does not see message content, your name, or your location.
- You can turn the relay off in the app, or point the app at your own relay node instead of ours. With it off, messages are delivered only while both devices can reach the mesh directly.
Location
GPS positions are shared peer-to-peer only with the peers you choose, at approximate precision by default, and position sharing is off until you turn it on for a conversation. Positions are never transmitted to or stored on our servers.
What we never collect
- Message content. Messages are end-to-end encrypted from device to device. We cannot read them — not in transit, not on our relay, not ever.
- Your location. As above, it never reaches us.
The app contains no analytics SDK, no advertising SDK, and no tracking, and we do not sell or share personal information for advertising. This website contains no analytics, tracking scripts, or third-party embeds.
Third parties we rely on
We keep outside services to a minimum, and each processes data only to provide its service to us:
- Cloudflare — serves this website and runs the contact form. Like any network provider, it processes technical connection data (such as IP addresses) to deliver and protect the site.
- Resend — delivers the email generated by the contact form to us. It handles what you type into that form so the message can reach our inbox.
- Google — hosts the mailbox that receives contact-form messages.
- Apple — distributes the app through the App Store. Any information Apple collects when you download the app is governed by Apple’s privacy policy, not ours.
None of these receive message content or location data from us — we never have it to give.
Retention
There are no accounts and no usage records for us to keep. Encrypted mail on our relay is deleted once collected, or after 30 days at the latest. If you have contacted us, we keep that correspondence only as long as we need it to help you, and we delete it sooner if you ask. Everything the app stores lives on your device and is deleted when you delete it there.
Your rights and choices
You can ask us at any time to access, correct, or delete anything we hold about you — in practice, any message you have sent us through the contact form. Use the contact form on our website and we will respond to reasonable requests regardless of where you live. Everything the app itself stores stays on your own device, under your control, and can be deleted from within the app.
Children
Stolo is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has provided us personal information, contact us through the website and we will delete it.
Changes to this policy
If we change this policy, we will post the new version here and update the effective date at the top of this page.
Questions?
Questions about privacy or this policy → use the contact form on our website.