Yuki’s Weather – Privacy Policy & Terms of Use

Privacy Policy

YUKI'S WEATHER - PRIVACY POLICY

Last updated: December 9th, 2025

Yuki's Weather is a weather and chat app created by Living Companions. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, and share information when you use the Yuki's Weather iOS app. By using the App, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

1. DATA WE COLLECT

We group the data we collect into four main categories:

  • Chat content you send to Yuki

  • Location and weather data

  • Identifiers, usage data, and notification preferences

  • Purchase and subscription information

We do not collect your name, email address, or a login/password from inside the app. There is no in-app user account system.

1.1 Chat Content

When you chat with Yuki, we process the messages you send in order to generate responses.

On your device - iOS:

  • Your chat history is stored locally on your device in Apple's UserDefaults storage

  • The app keeps a rolling history of up to 200 messages - user plus Yuki messages

  • When this limit is reached, the oldest messages are deleted and only the most recent messages are kept

  • You can clear your local chat history at any time using the Clear Chat button inside the app

  • This deletes the locally stored chat history for that device

On our servers - backend:

  • When you send a message, the App sends a chat history window of recent messages to our backend so we can generate a reply

  • We forward that history to our AI provider - Google Generative AI / Gemma 3 - and return the AI's reply

  • To provide continuity in your conversations with Yuki and to support optional good-morning / good-night notifications, we also store a limited window of recent chat history per device on our servers

  • This history is stored in either a JSON file or a Postgres database and is capped so that older messages are pruned over time

  • In some configurations, we may also apply automated cleanup to delete older entries after a set period

  • We do not store chat history in our HTTP access logs

  • We do not use your chat messages for advertising or cross-app tracking

1.2 Location and Weather Data

To show local weather and make Yuki's responses feel grounded in your day, the App may use location and weather data.

On your device:

  • With your permission, the App uses Apple's CoreLocation to access your location while the app is in use in order to:

    • Fetch local weather from Apple WeatherKit

    • Show a city/region name using MapKit / reverse geocoding

  • The current location and weather are held in memory and used to display forecasts in the App

  • You can optionally save manual locations and favorites - for example Denver CO - on your device

  • These are stored in UserDefaults and are not sent to our backend

On our servers / AI side:

  • Our backend itself does not call your GPS or WeatherKit

  • The App may send a weather JSON summary - for example forecast information - as context for Yuki's reply

  • This may include coarse location context such as city or region, but we do not store raw GPS coordinates on our servers

  • Any weather summary you send with a chat is processed alongside your chat content and not stored in our database or long-term logs

At Apple:

  • Apple processes location and WeatherKit requests according to Apple's own privacy policy and developer terms, which we do not control

You can disable location access for the App at any time in iOS Settings. If you do, you can still use manual locations inside the App.

1.3 Identifiers and Usage Data

To enforce free-tier limits, keep the service stable, and understand how much of our AI free pool is being used, we use the following identifiers and usage data.

On your device:

Anonymous Device ID - on iOS:

  • The App creates a random UUID and stores it in the iOS Keychain under a key like yukiDeviceId

  • This ID is anonymous - does not include your name or email - and is used as a stable identifier for that installation of the App

Free message counter - on device:

  • The App tracks how many free messages you have used on that device - for example 40 free messages before requiring a subscription - using local App Storage / UserDefaults

  • This count is stored only on your device

On our servers:

Device identifier and subscription tier:

  • Each chat request includes:

    • deviceId - the anonymous ID described above

    • subscriptionTier - free or pro, derived from your StoreKit 2 entitlement status on the device

Free usage counters:

  • We store per-device free usage and a global monthly free usage pool in server-side storage - for example JSON files and/or Postgres tables

  • For each device we store:

    • freeMessagesUsed - how many free server-side requests that deviceId has used, including both regular chats and, when enabled, good-morning / good-night notifications

  • For each month we store:

    • the total number of free tokens/messages used by all devices, so we can cap our total free AI spend

Notification tokens and preferences:

  • If you enable notifications for Yuki's Weather, the App sends:

    • an Apple Push Notification service - APNs - device token that lets Apple deliver notifications to your device

    • your notification preferences - for example whether good-morning or good-night notifications are enabled and your local time preferences

  • We store these values keyed by your deviceId in server-side storage - JSON files and/or Postgres tables - so we can schedule and send notifications correctly and respect your choices

Notification scheduling logs:

  • To avoid sending duplicate notifications and to understand whether notifications are working, we keep simple logs of when a good-morning or good-night notification was last sent to a deviceId - for example a date and time and the type of notification

Logs and technical data:

  • Our backend logs technical metadata, such as:

    • Token usage counts - prompt / completion token counts

    • The length of chat histories - as a number, not the text itself

    • Device IDs involved in rate-limit and usage-limit events

    • Notification send results - for example whether APNs accepted the notification for a given deviceId

  • Our hosting provider may collect standard HTTP-level metadata such as IP addresses, request timestamps, and user-agent strings as part of normal server operation

  • We do not use this for advertising

We do not use your identifiers or usage data for cross-app tracking or third-party advertising.

1.4 Purchases and Subscriptions

We use StoreKit 2 to manage in-app purchases and subscriptions - Yuki Pro.

  • All billing details - payment methods, Apple ID, receipts - are handled directly by Apple, according to Apple's own terms and privacy policy

  • Our servers receive only:

    • the anonymous deviceId

    • a simple subscriptionTier flag - free or pro - so we can apply the correct messaging limits and features

  • We do not receive or store your card details, Apple ID email, or full purchase history

2. HOW WE USE YOUR DATA

We use the data described above for the following purposes:

To provide and improve the core App features:

  • Show local weather forecasts and location names

  • Let you chat with Yuki and maintain continuity across messages

To operate our AI-powered chat:

  • Your chat messages are sent to our backend and then forwarded to Google Generative AI - Gemma 3 - to generate Yuki's replies

  • We apply a fixed Yuki persona on the server so Yuki speaks as a consistent character

To provide optional notifications:

  • If you choose to turn on good-morning or good-night notifications, we use your deviceId, your notification preferences, a limited window of recent chat history, and your APNs device token to generate and deliver those notifications at appropriate local times

To enforce free-tier and subscription limits:

  • Enforce per-device free message limits - for example a fixed number of free server-side messages per device

  • Enforce a global monthly free message/token budget so we can safely offer a free tier without overspending

To maintain security and reliability:

  • Detect and prevent abuse - for example scripts attempting to spam our API

  • Monitor performance and errors using logs with minimal necessary data

We do not use your data for third-party advertising or sell your data to data brokers.

3. THIRD-PARTY SERVICES AND DATA SHARING

We share data with a small number of third-party providers solely to run the App:

3.1 Google Generative AI - Gemma 3

We use Google's Generative AI service - Gemma 3 27B - to generate Yuki's chat replies and, when enabled, personalized good-morning and good-night notifications.

For each chat turn or notification we generate on your behalf, we send:

  • Your recent chat messages - a limited window of recent context

  • Optional weather summary context

  • Persona and prompt instructions that define Yuki's behavior

Google processes this data to generate a reply. Google's handling of this data - including retention and training use - is governed by Google's own privacy terms, which we do not control.

3.2 Apple Services

WeatherKit / CoreLocation / MapKit:

  • Used to fetch weather, determine your location when permitted, and derive city/region names

  • Handled under Apple's own privacy policy and platform terms

App Store / StoreKit:

  • Used for purchasing and managing subscriptions as described in section 1.4

Push Notifications - Apple Push Notification service / APNs:

  • If you enable notifications, Apple receives your device's notification token and each notification payload - for example the title, message body, and small pieces of metadata - so it can deliver notifications to your device

  • This is handled under Apple's own privacy policy and platform terms

3.3 Hosting and Infrastructure

Our backend runs on a third-party hosting provider.

As part of normal operation, they may process:

  • IP addresses

  • request timestamps

  • error logs

  • minimal identifiers such as a pseudonymous device ID when needed for debugging, rate limiting, or notification delivery

We configure our backend to minimize logged content and do not log full chat texts in HTTP logs.

We do not share your data with advertising networks, social networks, or data brokers.

4. COOKIES AND TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES

  • The iOS App itself does not use cookies or web beacons

  • Our backend may use standard server logs and similar technologies for security and debugging only

  • We do not use IDFA or similar ad identifiers inside the App for cross-app tracking

5. RETENTION AND DELETION

5.1 On Your Device

Chat history:

  • Stored in UserDefaults as a rolling window of up to 200 messages

  • Stays on your device until:

    • you tap Clear Chat in the App

    • you uninstall the App

    • the App prunes older messages automatically when the limit is exceeded

Local settings and favorites:

  • Stored in UserDefaults until you change them or uninstall the App

Notification settings:

  • If you turn certain in-app notification options on or off - for example good-morning or good-night notifications - those preferences are stored in the App so you can review and change them later

Anonymous Device ID:

  • Stored in the Keychain until the App is uninstalled and the Keychain entry is removed or overwritten

5.2 On Our Servers

Chat history:

  • To maintain continuity in your conversations with Yuki and to support optional notifications, we keep a limited window of recent chat messages per device in server-side storage - JSON files and/or a Postgres database

  • This history is capped so that older messages are pruned, but the remaining messages may be retained for as long as we operate the service or until we actively delete or reset the relevant records

  • Where we use a database backend, we may also configure automated cleanup to delete older entries after a set period of time

Usage and rate-limit data:

  • We keep per-device and monthly usage counters in server-side storage - for example JSON files and/or Postgres tables - as long as needed to enforce free-tier limits, apply subscription features, and protect our free-pool budget

  • These counters may include usage from both regular chats and optional notifications

Notification tokens, preferences, and scheduling logs:

  • If you enable notifications, we keep your APNs device token, your notification preferences - such as whether good-morning or good-night notifications are turned on and your local time settings - and simple logs of when we last attempted to send you a notification

  • We keep this data so we can send notifications at appropriate times, avoid duplicates, and troubleshoot delivery issues

Server logs:

  • Technical logs - for example token usage counts, notification send results, error logs, and infrastructure logs - are retained by us and/or our hosting provider for a limited time consistent with operational needs

When reasonably feasible, we may periodically prune or aggregate old device records, usage entries, and logs that are no longer needed to operate the service.

5.3 At Third-Party Providers

Google Generative AI:

  • Google may store and use prompts - your chat messages, weather summaries, and related context used for both chats and optional notifications - according to its own AI service terms and privacy policy

Apple:

  • Apple may retain data related to location, WeatherKit, purchases, and push notifications per its privacy policy

Because we don't maintain a separate, full conversation log outside of the limited rolling windows described above, we generally cannot reconstruct complete past conversations for you.

6. YOUR CHOICES AND CONTROLS

You have several ways to control how data is used:

Clear chat history:

  • Use the Clear Chat option to delete local chat history on your device

Location permissions:

  • Grant or revoke location access at any time in iOS Settings - Privacy and Security - Location Services - Yuki's Weather

Favorites and manual locations:

  • Add or remove manual locations and favorites in the App UI to control what is stored locally

Notifications:

  • You can adjust notification permissions for the App in iOS Settings - Notifications - Yuki's Weather if enabled on your device

  • Within the App, you can also turn specific notification types - such as good-morning or good-night notifications - on or off in the settings screen

7. CHILDREN'S PRIVACY

  • Yuki's Weather is not directed to children under 13 and is intended for a general audience

  • We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13

8. INTERNATIONAL TRANSFERS

  • Our servers and third-party providers may be located in countries other than your own

  • By using the App, you understand that your information may be transferred to and processed in these countries, which may have different data protection laws than your jurisdiction

  • We take reasonable steps to protect your information in accordance with this Privacy Policy regardless of where it is processed

9. CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

  • We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time

  • If we make material changes, we will update the Last updated date at the top of this page and may show a notice in the App

  • Continued use of the App after changes take effect means you accept the revised Privacy Policy

10. CONTACT US

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

Email: robert@robertpatricktiernan.com



Terms of Use

Last updated: November 29th, 2025

These Terms of Use (“Terms”) govern your use of the Yuki’s Weather iOS application (the “App”), provided by Mercury Direct. By downloading, installing, or using the App, you agree to be bound by these Terms.

If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not use the App.

1. Eligibility & Account-Free Use

  • The App is intended for individuals who are at least 13 years old (or the minimum age of digital consent in your jurisdiction).

  • We do not require you to create a user account or provide your name or email to use the App.

  • Access to certain features may require an active internet connection and a compatible Apple device running a supported version of iOS.

2. License to Use the App

Subject to your compliance with these Terms, we grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to:

  • download and install the App on a device you own or control; and

  • use the App solely for your personal, non-commercial use.

You may not:

  • reverse engineer, decompile, or attempt to extract the App’s source code (except where permitted by law);

  • copy, modify, or create derivative works based on the App;

  • remove or alter any copyright, trademark, or other proprietary notices;

  • use the App for any illegal, harmful, or abusive purpose.

All rights not expressly granted to you in these Terms are reserved by us and our licensors.

3. Subscriptions, Purchases & Free Tier

3.1 Free tier

  • The App offers a free tier of 40 lifetime messages in Yuki Chat

  • We may impose other usage limits in order to manage costs and maintain the service of Yuki chat.

  • We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue the free tier (in whole or in part) at any time.

3.2 Yuki Pro subscription

  • The App offers a paid subscription (“Yuki Pro”) that unlocks additional usage and/or premium features.

  • Subscriptions are billed through Apple’s App Store / StoreKit and are subject to Apple’s terms and your App Store account settings.

  • Pricing, billing frequency, and trial terms (if any) are displayed in the App at the time of purchase.

3.3 Trials, renewals & cancellations

  • If a free trial is offered, it will convert to a paid subscription unless cancelled before the end of the trial period as described in the App or App Store.

  • Subscriptions auto-renew by default at the end of each billing period unless you cancel in your Apple ID / App Store account settings.

  • To avoid future charges, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the current billing period ends.

  • We do not manage billing directly and cannot adjust or cancel subscriptions on your behalf; all billing matters are handled by Apple.

3.4 Refunds

  • Any refund requests for in-app purchases or subscriptions must be submitted through Apple’s refund process, subject to Apple’s policies.

  • We do not control Apple’s refund decisions.

4. AI Chat & Weather Information

4.1 AI character and limitations

  • Yuki’s Weather includes an AI-powered chat companion (“Yuki”), a fictional character powered by a third-party generative AI service.

  • Yuki’s responses are generated automatically and may be incomplete, outdated, inaccurate, or inappropriate in some contexts.

  • Yuki is not a person and does not have real-world awareness or professional qualifications.

You understand and agree that:

  • Yuki’s chat may not always reflect real-world conditions or events accurately.

  • You are solely responsible for any decisions you make based on Yuki’s responses.

4.2 No professional or emergency advice

The App and Yuki’s responses are for informational and entertainment purposes only. They do not constitute:

  • medical, mental health, or psychological advice;

  • legal, financial, investment, or tax advice;

  • safety, emergency, or crisis counseling;

  • official weather alerts, warnings, or emergency guidance.

You must not rely on the App as a substitute for:

  • a doctor, therapist, lawyer, financial advisor, meteorologist, emergency services, or other qualified professionals;

  • official weather warnings and emergency instructions from government agencies or local authorities.

In an emergency, call your local emergency number or follow official guidance. Do not rely on the App.

4.3 Weather information and accuracy

  • Weather data is provided via Apple WeatherKit and is subject to the limitations of that service.

  • Forecasts, current conditions, and other weather information may be incomplete, inaccurate, or delayed.

  • We do not guarantee that any weather information shown in the App will be correct, up-to-date, or suitable for any particular purpose (including travel, outdoor activities, or safety-critical decisions).

You acknowledge that you use the App and any weather information at your own risk.

5. Your Responsibilities & Acceptable Use

When using the App, you agree that you will not:

  • use the App for any unlawful, harmful, fraudulent, or malicious purpose;

  • attempt to interfere with or disrupt the operation of the App or its servers;

  • try to circumvent usage limits, security features, or subscription gating;

  • use automated tools (bots, scripts, scrapers) to access or interact with the App without our permission;

  • submit content that is illegal, harassing, defamatory, hateful, or otherwise objectionable under applicable law.

6. Intellectual Property

6.1 Our rights

The App, including but not limited to all:

  • software code, design, artwork, characters, graphics, audio, and animations;

  • text, prompts, and persona designs (including the Yuki character);

  • logos, trademarks, and trade dress,

are owned by Mercury Direct or our licensors and are protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.

6.2 Your content

When you submit content to Yuki via chat (such as messages you type):

  • you retain any rights you may have in that content;

  • you grant us and our service providers a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, process, transmit, and store that content as needed to:

    • operate and provide the App;

    • generate AI responses; and

    • maintain logs and usage controls.

We do not claim ownership of your text inputs, but we must be able to process and transmit them to deliver the core functionality of the App.

7. Third-Party Services

The App integrates with and depends on several third-party services, including:

  • Apple services (e.g., WeatherKit, CoreLocation, App Store / StoreKit, MapKit);

  • Generative AI services (e.g., Google Generative AI models such as Gemma 3);

  • Hosting and infrastructure providers.

Your use of these components may also be subject to the third parties’ own terms and privacy policies. We do not control and are not responsible for:

  • the availability, accuracy, or performance of third-party services; or

  • any changes they make to their APIs, pricing, features, or policies.

If a third-party service becomes unavailable or changes materially, we may modify or discontinue certain features of the App without liability.

8. Termination & Suspension

We may, at our sole discretion, with or without notice, and without liability to you:

  • suspend or terminate your access to the App (or any part of it);

  • disable the App on your device through technical means; or

  • modify or discontinue the App altogether.

Common reasons include (without limitation):

  • violation of these Terms;

  • abuse of free-tier usage or attempts to bypass limits;

  • technical, security, or legal issues.

You may stop using the App at any time by uninstalling it from your device and discontinuing use.

9. Disclaimers

The App is provided “AS IS” and “AS AVAILABLE.”

To the maximum extent permitted by law, we and our affiliates, licensors, and service providers:

  • disclaim all warranties, whether express, implied, or statutory, including any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement;

  • do not warrant that:

    • the App will be accurate, reliable, error-free, or uninterrupted;

    • weather information or AI responses will be correct or complete;

    • the App will meet your requirements or be available at all times and in all locations;

    • any defects or errors will be corrected.

You are solely responsible for:

  • your use of the App;

  • any decisions or actions you take based on weather information or AI-generated responses.

10. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law:

  • we and our affiliates, officers, employees, licensors, and service providers will not be liable for any:

    • indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages;

    • loss of profits, revenue, data, or goodwill;

    • damages relating to personal injury or property damage arising out of or in connection with your use of (or inability to use) the App;

even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages.

Our total liability for all claims arising out of or relating to the App or these Terms will not exceed, in the aggregate:

  • the greater of (a) the amount you have paid (if any) for subscription access to the App in the three (3) months immediately preceding the event giving rise to the claim, or (b) USD $10.

Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations of liability, so some of the above limitations may not apply to you. In those cases, our liability will be limited to the minimum extent permitted by law.

11. Indemnification

To the extent permitted by law, you agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless us and our affiliates, officers, employees, and service providers from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or related to:

  • your use of the App;

  • your violation of these Terms; or

  • your violation of any third-party rights.

12. Changes to the App and These Terms

We may update the App and these Terms from time to time. For example, we may:

  • add, modify, or remove features or functionality;

  • adjust free-tier limits or subscription offerings;

  • update these Terms for legal, technical, or business reasons.

When we make material changes to the Terms:

  • we will update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page; and

  • we may notify you through the App or other reasonable means.

By continuing to use the App after the updated Terms become effective, you agree to be bound by them. If you do not agree to the updated Terms, you must stop using the App and uninstall it.

13. Governing Law & Dispute Resolution

These Terms and your use of the App will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Iowa, United States, without regard to its conflict-of-laws principles.

Any disputes arising out of or relating to these Terms or the App will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located in Iowa, United States, and you consent to the personal jurisdiction of such courts.

If you are a consumer in a jurisdiction that requires different dispute resolution rules or does not allow certain forum selection clauses, the mandatory rules of your jurisdiction will apply to the extent required.

14. Severability & Entire Agreement

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, that provision will be enforced to the maximum extent permissible, and the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.

These Terms constitute the entire agreement between you and us regarding your use of the App and supersede any prior or contemporaneous understandings.

15. Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about these Terms or the App, please contact us:

  • Email :robert@robertpatricktiernan.com