Questions

The short answers to what people ask first. The privacy policy has the long ones.

Can Noo read my photos?

In a circle, no. Your photos are locked before they leave your phone, and only the circle’s members have the key. Noo’s server stores them but can’t open them.

In a place, like your building’s noticeboard, yes: Noo’s server can read what’s posted there, and the screen says so.

Can people take screenshots?

Yes. Anyone who can see a photo can take a screenshot of it, as in any app.

For a photo you’d rather not leave lying around, send it View once. On Android, screenshots of it are blocked. On iPhone they can’t be, but you’re told when someone takes one.

What does Noo’s server know?

To deliver your posts, it has to know a few things: which account is in which circle, when a post was sent and how big it is, and the last day each phone used Noo.

It doesn’t know what’s in your circle posts. It doesn’t keep your email address, only a code made from it that can’t be turned back into it. And it keeps no record of what you look at or tap. The privacy policy lists everything, with who can read it and when it’s deleted.

Can I leave and take my things with me?

Yes. Export everything makes a file on your phone with all Noo holds about you: photos as JPEG or HEIC, videos as MP4, the rest as JSON.

When you delete your account, it’s gone from Noo’s server within 24 hours and from the backups within 30 days. Lost your phone? You can delete your account from the web: it happens after 7 days, in case it wasn’t you.

Is Noo on Android?

Yes, on Android 9 and later, and on iPhone with iOS 17 or later.

While Noo is being tested, you install it through Apple’s TestFlight app on iPhone, and through a Google Play test or the APK file on Android. On Android, notifications come through ntfy, a small free app, from Noo’s own server. There’s no Google code in Noo.

How much does it cost?

Nothing while Noo is being tested. The plan is to charge later for extras, like more storage for a family, and keep the app itself free. Nothing is priced yet. Ads and your data will never pay for it.

Where is my data?

Noo’s server is in Amsterdam, run by Scaleway, a French host.

I was invited. What now?

Open the link on your phone, straight from the message. Here’s what happens next.