Privacy First
Your contacts. Your notes. Your iCloud. Never our servers.
Last Updated: February 25, 2026
Our Privacy Philosophy
Nexus Contacts is built on a simple principle: your data belongs to you. We don't want your data. We don't need your data. We built Nexus to prove that powerful apps don't require privacy compromises.
What We Don't Collect
- Contacts - Your iOS contacts stay in Apple's Contacts framework — Nexus never copies them to our servers
- Photos - Selfies stay in your photo library and your iCloud
- Notes - Your private notes sync to your iCloud, never to our servers
- Location - GPS data stays on-device and in your iCloud, never transmitted to us
- Usage data - We don't track how you use the app
How Your Data Is Stored
All Nexus data is stored using Apple's SwiftData framework on your device and syncs to your personal iCloud account via Apple's CloudKit. Your data is encrypted by Apple and stored in your iCloud — we have no servers and never see it.
No Account Required
Nexus Contacts works without creating an account. There's no email signup, no login, no profile. Just download and start using.
Support Emails
When you email us at any @commonnexus.com address (support inquiries, privacy requests), we receive your email address, name, and message. This data is processed by Microsoft (Microsoft 365) and used only to respond to your inquiry. We do not add you to any mailing list or share your information.
Backup & Export
You can export all your Nexus data at any time. The backup file stays on your device or wherever you choose to save it. We never have access to your backups.
Third-Party Processors
Nexus relies on a small number of trusted processors. No user data is sold or shared for marketing purposes.
| Processor | What They Handle |
|---|---|
| Apple (iCloud/CloudKit) | Syncs your Nexus data between your devices via your private iCloud account |
| Apple (App Store) | App distribution and subscription billing |
| Microsoft (Microsoft 365) | Processes email sent to @commonnexus.com addresses (support inquiries, privacy requests) |
| Cloudflare | Hosts this website |
App Permissions — What We Ask For and Why
Nexus Contacts requests only the permissions it needs to function. Each one is used entirely on your device — nothing is sent to our servers or any third party.
Contacts
Why: Nexus reads your iOS contacts to detect duplicates, find incomplete entries, identify formatting issues, and display contact details. When you share your info or merge duplicates, Nexus writes changes back to your local contacts database.
How it stays private: Contact data is processed on-device using Apple's Contacts framework. It is never uploaded, synced to our servers, or shared with any external service.
Camera
Why: When you meet someone new, Nexus lets you take a selfie together to help you remember the moment. The camera is only activated when you start the Share Me + Photo flow.
How it stays private: Photos are captured and stored locally on your device. They are never transmitted anywhere. You control whether they are saved to your photo library.
Photos
Why: Nexus saves selfies to a dedicated "Nexus Contacts" album in your photo library so you can find them easily. It also reads from your library when you attach a photo to a contact exchange.
How it stays private: Photo access uses Apple's PhotoKit framework. Images remain in your on-device photo library and are never uploaded or analyzed by external services.
Calendar
Why: When you share contacts during an event, Nexus checks your calendar to auto-fill the event name and context. This saves you from typing "Tech Conference" every time. Calendar access also powers automatic interaction tracking, which logs meetings as interactions with your contacts.
How it stays private: Event names are read locally using Apple's EventKit framework. Calendar data is never stored in Nexus beyond the event name you associate with a contact exchange. No calendar details are sent anywhere.
Location
Why: When you meet someone, Nexus can tag the location to help you remember where you met. This is optional and only used during the contact exchange flow.
How it stays private: Location coordinates are stored locally in your Nexus data on-device. They are never transmitted to our servers, used for tracking, or shared with anyone.
Notifications
Why: Nexus sends local notifications for follow-up reminders and relationship drift alerts — helping you stay in touch with the people who matter. All notifications are scheduled locally on your device.
How it stays private: Notifications are managed entirely by iOS on your device. No push notification server is involved for reminders. We do not see when or why you are notified.
In summary: Every permission Nexus requests is used on your device, for your benefit, under your control. Your Nexus data syncs to your iCloud account — not to our servers. We have no servers collecting your data, no analytics tracking your behavior, and no third parties receiving your information.
Regulatory Compliance
Nexus complies with GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, and India's DPDP Act by design. Our no-server architecture means most regulatory requirements are satisfied automatically — we can't misuse data we never have. For full details including processor certifications and regulation-by-regulation coverage, see our Compliance page.
Questions?
If you have any questions about privacy, reach out at privacy@commonnexus.com.