Terms of Service

Last updated: January 19, 2026

1. Acceptance of Terms

By downloading, installing, or using Inner Circle ("the App"), you agree to these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you don't agree, please don't use the App.

These Terms constitute a legal agreement between you ("User," "you," or "your") and Synthesist Ventures (Pty) Ltd, a South African company and the developer of Inner Circle ("we," "us," or "our").

2. Description of Service

Inner Circle is a personal relationship management application built on Dunbar's Number research that helps you:

• Organize your personal contacts into relationship tiers (Inner Circle, Close Friends, Good Friends, Wider Network)
• Log and track interactions with people (calls, coffee, meals, hangouts, messages, etc.)
• Receive smart reminders when relationships need attention
• Capture notes, photos, memories, and context about your relationships
• Never miss birthdays with customizable reminder notifications
• Use AI-powered voice capture to log interactions hands-free (Pro)
• Back up your data securely to your personal Google Drive with end-to-end encryption (Pro)
• Track life events and receive follow-up reminders (Pro)

The App is designed for personal, non-commercial use to help you maintain meaningful relationships with friends, family, and personal connections.

Service Availability: Inner Circle is currently available in South Africa, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. We may expand to additional regions in the future.

3. Eligibility

You must be at least 13 years old to use Inner Circle. By using the App, you represent that:

• You are at least 13 years of age
• You have the legal capacity to enter into these Terms
• You will use the App in compliance with these Terms and all applicable laws

4. Account and Subscription

4.1 Free Version

The basic version of Inner Circle is free forever and includes core functionality for managing up to 15 people across 2 relationship tiers (Inner Circle and Close Friends), with quick logging, health scores, birthday reminders, and local encrypted storage.

4.2 Pro Subscription

Inner Circle Pro is available as a monthly subscription at $4.99/month, including:

• Unlimited people and all 4 relationship tiers
• AI-powered voice logging and transcription
• Encrypted Google Drive cloud backup
• Weekly Review system for relationship reflection
• Smart Moments and life event detection
• Holding Close feature for supporting people through difficult times
• Advanced birthday nudges and reminders

Billing: Subscriptions are billed through Google Play Store. Charges recur automatically on a monthly basis until you cancel.

Free Trial: New Pro subscribers receive a 14-day free trial. No credit card is required to start. You won't be charged until the trial ends. Cancel anytime during the trial to avoid charges.

Cancellation: Cancel your subscription through your Google Play account settings (Google Play Store → Profile → Subscriptions → Inner Circle → Cancel). You'll retain Pro access until the end of your current billing period.

Refunds: Refund policies are governed by Google Play Store's terms. Contact Google Play support for refund requests.

5. User Conduct

You agree to use Inner Circle responsibly. You will NOT:

• Violate Privacy: Add people to the App without their knowledge in ways that violate their privacy or applicable laws
• Illegal Activity: Use the App for any illegal purpose or in violation of any laws
• Harassment: Use the App to stalk, harass, or harm others
• Commercial Use: Use the App for commercial relationship management without proper business licensing
• Reverse Engineer: Attempt to decompile, reverse engineer, or extract source code from the App
• Abuse Services: Overload, attack, or attempt to gain unauthorized access to our systems
• Automated Access: Use bots, scrapers, or automated tools to interact with the App
• Resell or Transfer: Resell, rent, lease, or transfer your subscription to others

6. Your Data and Privacy

Your relationship data belongs to you. Please review our Privacy Policy for details on how we handle your information.

Key Points:

• Your data is stored locally on your device by default
• Cloud backup is optional and encrypted
• We don't sell your data or show ads
• You can export or delete your data at any time

7. Backup and Data Loss

Your Responsibility: You are responsible for backing up your data. While we offer encrypted cloud backup as a feature, we are not responsible for data loss due to:

• Device loss, damage, or malfunction
• App deletion without backup
• Failed backup attempts due to storage limits or connectivity
• Loss of your backup passphrase (we cannot recover encrypted backups)

Recommendation: Enable cloud backup and store your passphrase securely.

8. Intellectual Property

8.1 Our Property

Inner Circle, including the App, design, code, features, and branding, is owned by us and protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. You receive a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to use the App for personal purposes.

8.2 Your Content

You retain all rights to the content you create in Inner Circle (names, notes, photos, etc.). By using cloud backup features, you grant us a limited license to store and process your encrypted data solely to provide backup services.

9. Third-Party Services

Inner Circle integrates with third-party services (Google Drive, transcription APIs). Your use of these services is subject to their respective terms:

• Google Services: Google Terms of Service
• Google Play: Google Play Terms of Service

We are not responsible for third-party services or their terms.

10. Disclaimers and Limitations

10.1 "As Is" Provision

Inner Circle is provided "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to:

• Accuracy, reliability, or availability of the service
• Fitness for a particular purpose
• Non-infringement
• Error-free or uninterrupted operation

10.2 Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Synthesist Ventures and its affiliates shall not be liable for:

• Data Loss: Loss of your relationship data, even if backup features are used
• Damages: Any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages
• Lost Profits: Any loss of revenue, profits, or business opportunities
• Third Parties: Actions or omissions of third-party services

Maximum Liability: Our total liability for any claim shall not exceed the amount you paid for the App subscription in the 12 months prior to the claim (or $50 if you used only the free version).

10.3 No Relationship Advice

Inner Circle is a tool for tracking interactions, not a substitute for professional relationship counseling, therapy, or advice. We make no guarantees about the quality or outcome of your relationships.

11. Termination

11.1 By You

You may stop using Inner Circle at any time by:

• Uninstalling the App from your device
• Canceling your Pro subscription (if applicable)
• Deleting your cloud backup data

11.2 By Us

We may suspend or terminate your access to Inner Circle if:

• You violate these Terms
• You engage in fraudulent or abusive behavior
• Required by law or legal process
• We discontinue the service (with reasonable notice)

If we terminate your account for cause, you will not receive a refund for any prepaid subscription fees.

12. Changes to the Service

We reserve the right to:

• Modify, suspend, or discontinue any feature of Inner Circle
• Change subscription pricing (with advance notice for existing subscribers)
• Update the App to fix bugs, improve performance, or add features

We'll notify you of significant changes through the App or via email.

13. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. If we make material changes, we'll notify you through:

• An in-app notification
• Email (if you've provided one)
• A notice on our website

Continued use of Inner Circle after changes constitutes acceptance of the new Terms.

14. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Synthesist Ventures, its officers, employees, and affiliates from any claims, damages, losses, or expenses (including legal fees) arising from:

• Your use of the App
• Your violation of these Terms
• Your violation of any rights of another person

15. Governing Law and Disputes

Governing Law: These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa, without regard to conflict of law principles.

Dispute Resolution: Any disputes arising from these Terms or your use of Inner Circle shall be resolved through:

1. Informal Resolution: Contact us first at admin@synthesistventures.com. We'll work in good faith to resolve your concern within 30 days.
2. Mediation/Arbitration: If informal resolution fails, disputes will be resolved through arbitration in accordance with the Arbitration Act 42 of 1965 (South Africa). Arbitration will be conducted remotely to the extent possible.

International Users: If you are accessing the App from the United States, United Kingdom, or Australia, you agree that disputes will still be governed by South African law, but nothing in these Terms limits your statutory consumer rights under your local laws.

Class Action Waiver: To the extent permitted by applicable law, you agree to resolve disputes individually, not as part of a class action, collective action, or representative proceeding.

16. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.

17. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Inner Circle regarding the App and supersede any prior agreements.

18. Contact Information

Questions about these Terms? Reach out to us:

• Email: admin@synthesistventures.com
• Support: Visit our support page