Privacy
Last updated 16 September 2026.
What heytao is
heytao is a mobile app that lets you talk to the Bittensor network. The app holds a self-custodial wallet on your device and connects to our server (api.heytao.lol) and to OpenAI's realtime speech service.
What we store
- Your wallet's public address (SS58). It is public on the blockchain anyway and is the only identifier we use.
- Talk-time balance, the start and end time of each voice session, and the on-chain hash of TAO payments you make to top up.
- Pending unsigned transactions for up to 13 minutes while you decide whether to confirm them.
- The IP address from which a wallet received its free trial minutes, kept for 2 days to limit abuse of the free tier. It is not linked to sessions or payments.
- Short notes Tao keeps about you between conversations, only things you tell it (for example your language, experience level or which subnets you follow), stored under your wallet address. You can read and delete them any time in the app under Wallet.
We do not store your voice, transcripts, recovery phrase, private key, name, email, device identifiers or location. There are no accounts and no analytics SDKs in the app.
What leaves your phone
- Voice audio streams directly from the app to OpenAI (api.openai.com) over WebRTC and is processed under OpenAI's privacy policy. heytao never receives the audio.
- Tool requests (for example "balance of address X") go to our server, which queries public Bittensor nodes.
- Signed transactions go to our server, which broadcasts them to the Bittensor network. Signing happens on your device.
Your keys
The recovery phrase is generated on your device and kept in the iOS Keychain or Android Keystore behind your biometric or device unlock. It never leaves the device unless you export it yourself. If you lose the phrase and the device, nobody, including us, can restore the wallet.
In the browser version (app.heytao.lol) the phrase is encrypted with a password you choose and stored in your browser's local storage. It is decrypted only in memory while you use the page. Browser storage is less protected than a phone's secure hardware: keep larger amounts in the mobile app or a hardware wallet.
Payments
Talk time is paid in TAO by an on-chain transfer from your wallet to our treasury address. Transfers are public and irreversible by nature of the blockchain.
Deletion
Deleting the app removes the wallet and all local data. To have your address and session records removed from our server, write to realtalk@heytao.lol with the address.
Who runs heytao
Artur Markus
Brotkorbstrasse 30
4332 Stein, Switzerland
arturmarkus.com