Privacy Policy
Call from Santa · last updated 22 September 2026
This app is made by Flying Dutchman Studios. We keep it simple: we ask for as little as possible, and we never sell anything about you or your child.
What we use data for, and what we never use it for. Everything listed below is kept for one of two reasons: the app has to work, and misuse has to be stopped. That is all. We never use it for advertising, never to build a profile of you or your child, never to create audiences, and we never hand it to anyone who wants it for something else.
What we collect
- What you type. The first name you enter, the compliment, the task, the question and any optional fields. We need these to create the message.
- A device code. On first launch the app creates a random number that stays on the phone. It is what the count of remaining messages is attached to. There is no name, email address or account behind it; we cannot look up a person from it.
- Your IP address. Our server counts how many messages come from one internet connection per day. That is a technical brake against misuse, so that a single person cannot make the app unaffordable for everyone else. The IP address is not linked to your messages and is not used to follow you.
- Purchases. Which package you bought, so the app knows how many messages you have. Payment itself is handled by Apple or Google; we never see your card details.
- Promotional codes. If you redeem a code, we record that this code was used on this device and from this network. That is the only way one code cannot be redeemed a hundred times.
- Technical error reports. If something breaks on our server, a line is written to an error log: what failed and how often. It contains no message content.
What we do not collect
No account, no login, no email address, no phone number, no location, no contacts, no photos. We cannot tell who you are, and we do not try to.
Advertising, and the difference between iPhone and Android
There is no advertising on iPhone or iPad. No advertising system is started, no request goes to Google, and no advertising identifier is used or requested.
On Android you can choose to watch a video for an extra message. If you do, Google AdMob uses your device's advertising identifier to show it. This happens with child-directed treatment enabled and without personalised advertising. If you do not choose the video, nothing happens.
Voice messages
The sentences that Santa speaks are generated by a text-to-speech service (ElevenLabs) and stored so the same sentence does not have to be generated twice. That saves cost and waiting time for everyone. Those recordings are not linked to you or your child.
Reminders
If you switch on a reminder for the start of the season or for Christmas Eve, your own phone schedules it. No message travels through us, Apple or Google to make that happen, and we do not know whether you have them on or off.
Checking the app is genuine (Android only)
On Android the app asks Google Play whether this is a genuine, unmodified app. We only receive that yes or no. Without that check, someone could drain our speech budget with forged requests. This check does not exist on iOS, so it does not happen there.
Parental responsibility
The parent or guardian writes what Santa says and is fully responsible for the content of the message created for their child. To prevent misuse, every free text field is automatically checked for profanity, hateful terms and other inappropriate language; anything recognised is not recorded.
We work continuously to keep the app safe and enjoyable for every family, and improve that filter as needed. At the same time we value freedom of expression, and we trust that a parent knows best what suits their own child. We do not read along or judge messages on their content: the parent sets the tone, and keeps control over their child's experience.
Children and privacy
This app is meant to be used together with a parent or guardian. We do not ask children for personal details directly; all input is entered by the parent.
Who we share with
Only the services that make the app work: Supabase (storage and processing), ElevenLabs (the voice), RevenueCat (purchases), Google Play Integrity (the genuineness check on Android), Google AdMob (the reward video, Android only), and Apple and Google for the payment itself. Each of them receives only what it needs for its own part. We never sell data to anyone, and nothing goes to ad networks or data brokers beyond the video described above.
How long we keep it
Created messages stay on your own phone for 120 days and are then removed automatically. You can delete one earlier yourself from the Messages screen.
On our server we keep the generated sentences so the same sentence does not have to be made again. The counters for the daily limit, the per-device quota and redeemed codes are kept for as long as that limit runs, and cleared afterwards.
Your rights
You can ask us what we hold about you and ask us to delete it. Because we have no accounts, it helps if you include the first name you used and the date of the message; otherwise we cannot find the right entry.
Contact
Email hello@flyingdutchmanstudios.app and we will get back to you.