RELAY · PRIVACY NOTICE
Clear about the information that makes chat work.
This notice explains what Relay currently stores and uses. Relay is a web chat application with a local-first browser cache and optional cloud sign-in. It is written for the service as it exists today—not for features that may be added later.
Information Relay handles
Relay handles the information needed to identify participants, run rooms, and deliver messages.
- Profile information: a short Relay Unique ID, your display name, selected message color, account type, account and activity timestamps, and prior display names when you change your name.
- Chat and room information: message text, message time, author display name and Unique ID, room names, room access settings, membership and moderation records, and room roles.
- Account information: if you choose to upgrade from a guest, Supabase Auth processes your email and password or the Google identity information used for sign-in. Relay may show the email associated with a signed-in account inside your account area.
- Service activity: a short-lived presence signal and recent activity time so Relay can show aggregate online counts and keep active sessions working.
Browser storage and temporary identities
Relay stores a local cache of your profile, rooms, messages, and unsent-message queue in this browser using IndexedDB. The cloud sign-in session is also persisted by the authentication client so that the same browser can resume the same identity.
Choosing “Continue as guest” creates an anonymous cloud identity rather than requiring an email address. Clearing browser data, using a different browser profile, or signing out can prevent that browser from returning to the same locally cached session.
How rooms and profiles are visible
Public room names are listed in Relay’s Discover view and can be joined by people using the service. Private room names are not listed there and require the exact name and password to join. A private-room password is sent to the service for access checking and is stored as a bcrypt password hash, not as readable plain text.
People in a room can see the display name and Unique ID attached to messages and membership. Relay also supports profile choices that can make account-creation information or previous display names available on a profile. Do not put sensitive information into a public room name, display name, profile, or chat message.
Private access is an access-control feature. Relay does not currently offer an end-to-end encryption feature, so do not use Relay for information that requires that level of protection.
How the information is used and hosted
Relay uses this information to create and join rooms, synchronize messages, apply room roles and bans, operate friends for signed-in accounts, keep an offline queue, and calculate limited aggregate service metrics.
The Relay web application is hosted on Vercel. Cloud authentication, database records, real-time message delivery, and service functions are provided through Supabase. Google is involved only when you choose the Google sign-in path. Those services process information as needed to provide their parts of the service.
Retention and room cleanup
Messages are retained with their chat history. When a room becomes empty, Relay removes it from the active product and archives it. When a host deletes a room, Relay marks it deleted and archived; the current application does not promise immediate erasure of every historical record.
Relay has a scheduled cleanup that ends active room memberships for anonymous guests after about 30 days without activity. This cleanup is intended to stop inactive guests from continuing to occupy rooms. It does not erase the chat history already associated with those rooms.
Browser-cached information remains on your device until you clear the relevant browser storage or it is replaced by normal app use.
AI features today
Relay includes controls for a site assistant and room AI users, but no AI provider is connected today. Those controls do not send chat history to an AI service, and Relay does not currently generate summaries or automated AI replies.
Security and changes
Relay uses authenticated cloud requests and access checks to limit room data to the appropriate participants. No online service can guarantee absolute security, so keep your password private and avoid sending information you would not want other room participants or the service to retain.
If Relay’s data practices materially change—for example, by connecting an AI provider or changing retention behavior—this notice will be updated before or when the change is made available. The current version is always posted at this address.