Mushi Privacy Policy
Last updated: 1 November 2026.
Contact: mushi.insect.app@gmail.com
Mushi is an Android app that helps you collect and recognise invertebrates (insects, arachnids, molluscs and others) as collectible cards.
1. Summary
- You can use Mushi without an account. Without an account, your cards, photos and settings are stored only on your phone and are not sent to any Mushi server.
- With an (optional) account, your collection and a reduced copy of your photos are stored on Mushi's server (on Cloudflare) so you can get them back on another phone and use the social features (following others, News, sharing).
- Your password is never stored: only an encrypted digest used to check it.
- No ads and no analytics. Mushi shows no advertising and collects no usage statistics.
- To identify bugs you can use Google's AI with your own key; your photos are only sent to Google if you use it.
2. What data is processed and why
On your phone (always)
| Data | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Your cards: species, photos, videos, place (text you type), date and card settings | Making the app work: viewing, editing, downloading and printing your cards |
| Photos analysed by BioCLIP | Identifying the bug on your phone, without sending them anywhere |
| AI key (Gemini API key), if you add one | Using Gemini. It is stored encrypted (Android Keystore) and is never sent to Mushi |
| For offline sign-in: your username and an encrypted digest of your password (never the password itself) | Signing in without internet on a phone where you have signed in before |
Mushi does not use GPS or read the location of your photos: the place is text you type yourself. The app only receives the photos you pick in the system picker or take with your phone's camera.
On Mushi's server (only if you create an account)
| Data | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Username | Identifying you and letting others find you |
| Encrypted password digest (salted PBKDF2) | Checking your password when you sign in. The password itself is not stored |
| Encrypted digest of the recovery code | Recovering your account if you forget your password (without asking for your email). The code itself is not stored |
| Open sessions (only a digest of each) and failed sign-in attempts | Keeping you signed in and stopping anyone trying to guess your password |
| Your collection: species and the data of each card (place you typed, date, mode, photo settings) | Cloud copy and use on several phones |
| Reduced copy of your photos (up to 1.5 MB), their thumbnails and your cards' videos (about 2 MB, no sound); profile photo | Cloud copy and showing them to whoever is allowed to see them |
| Who you follow, who follows you, requests, blocks, ladybirds you give and receive, notifications and what you share | Social features |
| Whether your profile is public or private, and whether cloud sync is on | Deciding who can see your cards |
| Reports you make (whom, which card and the reason) and moderation sanctions | Moderating content and enforcing the rules of use |
Who can see your cards: with a public profile, any Mushi user; with a private profile, only people who follow you (with your permission). If you turn cloud sync off, nobody sees your cards: only your profile with your medals is visible. Anything you share via a link can be seen by whoever has the link. Cloud photos are served from public addresses that are hard to guess: anyone with the exact address of a photo could see it.
Shared species catalogue: species profiles generated by the AI (name, habitat, fun facts, risks…) are stored in a common catalogue so other users don't need to generate them again. It contains no personal data and none of your photos.
Sent to third parties (only if you use those features)
| Data | Where it goes | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Bug photos (cropped), text you type, place and date | Google Gemini, with your own key | Identifying the bug and filling in its profile |
| Scientific names (never your photos) | iNaturalist public API | Reference photos and species data |
3. Providers and third-party services
- Cloudflare (Mushi's server: Workers, D1 database and R2 storage). It stores account data on Mushi's behalf. Its network is spread around the world, so data may be processed outside the European Union; Cloudflare relies on the European Commission's standard contractual clauses. Privacy policy: https://www.cloudflare.com/privacypolicy/.
- Google Gemini API (with your own key). If you use a free-tier key, ⚠️ Google may use what you send to improve its products and humans may review it; paid keys have different terms. Do not send photos of people or personal data. Terms: https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/terms.
- iNaturalist: scientific-name lookups and reference photos, which belong to their authors and are shown with their licence (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA) and attribution. Terms: https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/terms.
Mushi does not sell or share your data with anyone.
4. Legal basis
- With an account: processing is necessary to provide the service you ask for when creating it (cloud copy and social features).
- Moderation and reports: the legitimate interest of keeping the app safe and enforcing the rules of use.
- Sending data to Google Gemini: your choice, when you add your key and use the AI.
5. Retention and deletion
- Without an account: data stays on your phone while the app is installed. You can delete cards in the app, the key in Settings, and everything else by uninstalling the app.
- Deleted cards stay in the bin for 15 days and are then deleted for good, from the cloud too.
- Sessions expire after 60 days without use.
- Delete from the cloud (Settings): deletes all your photos and videos from the cloud and turns sync off; your cards stay on the phone.
- Delete my account (in your profile): deletes your account and everything of yours from the server (collection, photos, videos, followers, ladybirds, notifications…) and from the phone, immediately and permanently. Reports you made are kept without your name, for moderation.
6. Your rights
You can request access to your data, correct it, delete it, restrict its use, object to it or take it with you by writing to mushi.insect.app@gmail.com. You can do many of these things yourself in the app (edit or delete cards, change your name, delete your account). If you believe your rights have not been respected, you can complain to the Spanish Data Protection Agency (https://www.aepd.es) or your local authority.
7. AI-generated content
Identification (by Gemini or BioCLIP) and species profiles (danger, habitat, diet…) are generated by artificial intelligence and may contain mistakes. They are not medical or professional advice. In case of a sting, an allergic reaction or poisoning, see a doctor or call emergency services.
8. Children
You must be at least 14 to create an account, or have your parents' or guardians' permission. If you are a minor, use the app with an adult's help. Using Google's AI also requires Google's minimum age.
9. Security
All connections (to Mushi's server, Gemini and iNaturalist) are encrypted (HTTPS). Passwords are only stored as salted PBKDF2 digests and sessions only as digests; after several failed attempts the account is locked for a few minutes. Every request to the server checks who you are and what you are allowed to see. The AI key is stored encrypted on the device and never leaves it except to Google.
10. Changes
If this policy changes, I will publish the new version at this same address and update the date above. If the change is significant, I will also announce it in the app.
11. Contact
Manuel García · mushi.insect.app@gmail.com