Privacy Policy

Last updated: 6 August 2026

Totem does not collect your data. There is no Totem server, no account to create, and no analytics or tracking of any kind. This policy is written in plain language because a security app should be understandable.

Who we are

Totem is developed by Connor Zubrecki, based in Saskatchewan, Canada. You can reach us at support@carrythetotem.com.

What we collect

Nothing.

Totem contains no analytics, no advertising SDKs, no crash-reporting services, and no third-party trackers. We do not collect personal information, usage data, device identifiers, or diagnostics. We do not build profiles, and we have no ability to identify you.

Totem does not require an account, an email address, or a sign-up of any kind.

Your accounts and secrets

When you add an account to Totem, the secret key used to generate your verification codes is stored encrypted on your device, protected by the iOS Keychain and, if you enable it, by Face ID or Touch ID.

Verification codes are generated entirely on your device, offline. Generating a code requires no internet connection and sends nothing anywhere. We never receive, transmit, or have access to your secrets, your account names, or your codes.

iCloud sync (optional)

If you turn on iCloud sync, your accounts are synchronised through your own private iCloud account using Apple's CloudKit private database. This means:

• Your data is stored in your personal iCloud, not on any server we operate. We operate no servers.
• Your accounts are encrypted on your device before they are synced. What is stored in iCloud is ciphertext.
• The encryption key is held in your iCloud Keychain, which is end-to-end encrypted by Apple. We do not have it.
• We cannot read your synced data. Neither, in encrypted form, can Apple.

Sync is off unless you turn it on, and Totem works fully without it. Your use of iCloud is also governed by Apple's Privacy Policy.

Encrypted backup files (optional)

If you export a backup, Totem creates an encrypted file protected by a passphrase or recovery kit you choose. That file is saved wherever you choose to save it. We never receive it, and we cannot decrypt it. If you lose the passphrase, the file cannot be recovered - by us or by anyone.

Purchases

Totem offers optional paid features. Purchases are processed entirely by Apple through the App Store. We never see or handle your payment information, and we receive no personal information from Apple about your purchase. Totem checks your subscription status on your device through Apple's system, and that check does not identify you to us.

Camera and photos

Totem uses your camera only to scan QR codes when you choose to add an account. Camera frames are processed on your device in real time and are never stored or transmitted. Totem does not access your camera at any other time. You can decline camera access and still add accounts manually or from a saved image.

If you import a QR code from a photo, Totem reads only the image you select, decodes it on your device, and does not store or transmit it.

Clipboard

When you tap a code to copy it, that code is placed on your device's clipboard and set to expire automatically after a short period. It is never transmitted.

Children

Totem is not directed at children and does not knowingly collect information from anyone, including children. Because we collect no data at all, there is no children's data for us to hold.

Data sharing and sale

We do not share, sell, rent, or disclose your data - because we do not have it. There are no third parties involved in Totem's operation, no data processors, and no advertising partners.

Retention and deletion

Because we collect nothing, we retain nothing. Your data lives on your device and, if you enable sync, in your own iCloud. You can delete any account inside Totem at any time, turn off iCloud sync at any time, and remove all local data by deleting the app.

Your rights

Privacy laws such as PIPEDA (Canada), the GDPR (EU and UK), and the CCPA (California) give you rights to access, correct, delete, and port your personal data.

We support these rights, and in Totem's case they are satisfied by design: since we hold no personal data about you, there is nothing for us to disclose, correct, or delete on your behalf. You have complete and direct control over your data on your own device at all times.

Security

Totem protects your secrets using AES-256-GCM encryption via Apple's CryptoKit, with keys stored in the iOS Keychain and optional biometric protection. Code generation happens entirely on-device.

No system is perfectly secure, but Totem is designed so that there is no central store of user secrets to breach - no server to attack, and no collection of user data in existence.

Changes to this policy

If we update this policy, we will revise the date above. If we ever make a material change - particularly one that would alter the "we collect nothing" commitment - we will make it clear in the app before the change takes effect.

Contact

Questions about this policy or about privacy in Totem: support@carrythetotem.com

Connor Zubrecki · Saskatchewan, Canada