Privacy policy for Hibbem
Last updated: 4 October 2026
In short: Hibbem collects nothing. There are no servers, no accounts, no trackers, no advertising, no analytics and no crash reports. Hibbem has no internet access at all.
What stays on your phone
Your messages, contacts, the encryption keys and your settings are stored only on your phone. The texts of encrypted messages and voice notes are additionally encrypted there. We never see any of it.
Spam filter
When the spam filter is on, Hibbem looks at the text of ordinary SMS from numbers you don't know, on your phone, for signs of a scam such as suspicious links or payment requests. If it finds them, the message is marked "Potential spam" in the chat and in its notification. The text is not sent anywhere, and nothing about the check is stored. Encrypted messages and texts from your contacts are never checked. To know which languages to look for, it uses the country of your SIM card and mobile network and your phone's language; this needs no extra permission and is not stored either.
What your mobile operator sees
Hibbem sends everything as ordinary SMS. Your operator can therefore always see who you text, when, and how many texts. For encrypted messages, it can't read the content. For ordinary SMS (to people without Hibbem), it can, as with any SMS app. What two phones side by side send each other by sound (a game move, setting up encryption) doesn't go through your operator at all; it is encrypted the same way.
Permissions and why
- SMS: to send and receive texts as your SMS app.
- Contacts: to show names instead of numbers, and so the spam filter leaves your contacts alone. This stays on your phone.
- Camera and NFC: to verify each other in person, with a QR code or by tapping phones.
- Microphone: while you record a voice note, and while two phones side by side talk by sound: after you tap "Find nearby" in a game, or "Set up by sound" when you verify in person. Then Hibbem plays sound (usually too high to hear) and listens only for the other phone's sound; nothing is recorded, stored or sent. Android asks for this the first time.
- Phone status: only to list your SIM cards when you choose which one sends a message (long press on send). Android asks for this the first time. Hibbem does not read your phone number or call status for anything else.
- Notifications: to tell you about new messages.
Backups
A backup is only made when you ask for it. It is an encrypted file that you store yourself, wherever you choose.
Children
Hibbem collects no data from anyone, including children.
Changes
If this policy changes, the new version is published with the app and on gebaksteen.nl.