Terms of Service

These Terms of Service ("Terms") constitute a legally binding agreement between you ("User," "you," or "your") and TheNyota.app ("Nyota," "we," "our," or "us") governing your access to and use of the Nyota mobile application, website at thenyota.app, and all related services (collectively, the "Service").

By downloading, installing, registering for, or using the Nyota app, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated herein by reference.

Nyota (न्योता) — meaning "invitation" — is a mobile application designed to help families digitize the traditional "Red Notebook" used to organize family events, manage guest lists, record gifts, and preserve relationship memories. Originally built for Indian families and the global South Asian diaspora, Nyota is now available worldwide to anyone who wants to organize events and preserve gift records and relationship history.

Nyota is a personal family organization tool. It is not a payment processing platform, financial services provider, social network, or marketplace. Any gift amounts recorded in the app are informational records maintained by the user — Nyota does not facilitate, process, or transmit monetary transactions.

The Service is available globally. Where local laws impose specific requirements on the use of this Service, those requirements apply in addition to these Terms.

To use Nyota you must:

• Be at least 18 years of age. This minimum age applies globally to comply with India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 and to align with international best practices.
• Have a valid mobile phone number capable of receiving OTP messages.
• Have the legal capacity to enter into a binding agreement in your jurisdiction.
• Not be barred from using the Service under applicable law in your country of residence.

By using the Service, you represent and warrant that you meet all eligibility requirements. If you are using Nyota on behalf of a family or organization, you represent that you have the authority to bind them to these Terms.

Nyota uses phone number + OTP (One-Time Password) authentication. There are no traditional passwords. When you register, a one-time code is sent to your phone number via SMS, which you use to verify your identity and create your account.

You are responsible for:

• Keeping your phone number and device secure to prevent unauthorized access.
• All activity that occurs under your account, whether or not you authorized it.
• Notifying us immediately at support@thenyota.app if you suspect unauthorized access to your account.
• Maintaining accurate and up-to-date account information.

Each phone number may be associated with only one Nyota account. You may not create multiple accounts for the same individual or operate accounts on behalf of others without their knowledge and consent.

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that we reasonably believe are being used fraudulently, abusively, or in violation of these Terms.

Subject to these Terms, Nyota grants you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to use the Service for your personal, non-commercial family event management purposes.

Permitted uses include:

• Creating and managing personal family events such as weddings, ceremonies, birthdays, and anniversaries.
• Building and managing a personal guest list and contacts directory.
• Recording gift information for personal family record-keeping.
• Sending digital event invitations to your guests via shareable links.
• Managing RSVPs and event attendance tracking.
• Maintaining personal relationship and event history records.
• Importing contacts from your device phonebook, one at a time, using the native system picker.

You agree that you will not use Nyota for any of the following:

• Uploading, storing, or sharing the personal data of third parties without their knowledge or consent.
• Using the app to scrape, harvest, or aggregate personal data for any commercial or non-personal purpose.
• Attempting to gain unauthorized access to other users' accounts, data, or Nyota's systems.
• Reverse engineering, decompiling, or attempting to extract the source code of the Nyota app.
• Using automated bots, scripts, or tools to access or interact with the Service.
• Transmitting malware, viruses, or any other harmful software through the Service.
• Using the Service in any way that violates applicable local, national, or international law or regulation.
• Impersonating another person or entity, or falsely stating your affiliation with any person or entity.
• Using the Service for any commercial purpose without our prior written consent.
• Conducting any activity that could damage, disable, overburden, or impair Nyota's infrastructure.

Violation of these prohibitions may result in immediate termination of your account and, where applicable, legal action.

All data you enter into Nyota — events, contacts, gift records, and other content ("Your Content") — belongs to you. Nyota does not claim any ownership rights over Your Content.

By using the Service, you grant Nyota a limited, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to store, process, and display Your Content solely for the purpose of providing the Service to you. This licence ends when you delete your account.

You are solely responsible for the accuracy, legality, and appropriateness of Your Content. You confirm that you have the right to enter contact information and other personal data belonging to third parties into the app, and that you are doing so for legitimate personal family management purposes consistent with the privacy expectations of those individuals.

Nyota does not review, moderate, or take responsibility for Your Content. We reserve the right to remove any content that we reasonably believe violates these Terms or applicable law.

Nyota takes the privacy of contact information with the utmost seriousness. The following rules govern how contact data is handled:

For full details on how we handle all personal data, please review our Privacy Policy.

Termination by You: You may delete your account at any time, without reason, directly from within the app:

Account deletion permanently removes your profile, all contacts, all events, all gift records, uploaded images, guest lists, and any other data associated with your account. This action cannot be undone.

Termination by Nyota: We reserve the right to suspend or permanently terminate your account, with or without notice, if we determine in good faith that you have:

• Violated any provision of these Terms.
• Engaged in fraudulent, abusive, or harmful behaviour.
• Used the Service in a way that poses a legal or security risk to Nyota or other users.

If your account is terminated by Nyota for a violation of these Terms, you will not be entitled to reimbursement of any subscription fees paid, if applicable. If you believe your account was terminated in error, contact us at support@thenyota.app.

Effect of Termination: Upon termination for any reason, your licence to use the Service ends immediately and all Your Content will be deleted from our systems as described in our Privacy Policy.

The Nyota app, website, brand, logo, mascot (Niya), design, software, content, features, and all related intellectual property are owned by TheNyota.app and are protected by applicable intellectual property laws in India and internationally.

These Terms do not transfer any intellectual property rights to you. You are granted only the limited licence described in Section 5 above. You may not:

• Copy, modify, or create derivative works of the Nyota app or its content.
• Use the Nyota name, logo, or mascot (Niya) for commercial purposes without written permission.
• Remove or alter any copyright, trademark, or other proprietary notices within the app.
• Attempt to extract the source code of the Nyota app through reverse engineering or decompilation.

If you believe any content on Nyota infringes your intellectual property rights, please contact us at legal@thenyota.app.

Nyota integrates with certain third-party services to operate effectively. These integrations are governed by the respective third parties' terms and privacy policies:

Nyota is not responsible for the content, policies, or practices of any third-party services. Links to external websites within the app or website are provided for convenience and do not constitute our endorsement.

Service Provided "As Is": The Nyota Service is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement. We do not warrant that the Service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free of viruses or other harmful components.

No Financial Liability: Nyota is a personal record-keeping tool. Gift amounts entered in the app are personal informational records only. Nyota does not verify, guarantee, or take responsibility for any financial information recorded by users within the app. Any financial decisions you make based on records in Nyota are entirely at your own discretion and risk.

Data Loss: While we maintain robust backup systems, we recommend you keep your own records of critical information. Nyota is not liable for any loss of data resulting from technical failure, account deletion, or any other cause.

Limitation of Liability: To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Nyota and its team shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising out of or related to your use of the Service, even if advised of the possibility of such damages. Our total liability to you for any claims arising under these Terms shall not exceed the amount you have paid to Nyota in the twelve (12) months preceding the claim, or the equivalent of USD $10 (or the equivalent in your local currency), whichever is greater.

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of certain warranties or the limitation of certain damages. In particular, EU and UK consumer protection laws may provide you with rights that cannot be excluded by contract. Nothing in these Terms shall limit or exclude our liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or any other liability that cannot be lawfully excluded. Where applicable law in your jurisdiction prevents any of the above limitations, those limitations shall not apply to you.

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Nyota, its affiliates, officers, employees, and agents from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or in any way connected with:

• Your access to or use of the Service.
• Your violation of these Terms.
• Your violation of any applicable law or the rights of any third party.
• Any content you submit, post, or transmit through the Service.

This indemnification obligation does not apply to the extent that the claim arises from Nyota's own negligence or wilful misconduct.

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of India, without regard to its conflict of law principles.

Any dispute, controversy, or claim arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service shall first be attempted to be resolved through good-faith negotiation. You agree to contact us at support@thenyota.app and allow 30 days for resolution before initiating formal proceedings.

If the dispute is not resolved informally, it shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent courts located in Bangalore, India.

Nothing in this clause shall prevent either party from seeking urgent injunctive or equitable relief where necessary to protect its rights.

If you are located in the European Union or United Kingdom, the following additional terms apply to your use of Nyota.

• Right of Withdrawal: As a consumer, you may have a right to withdraw from any paid subscription within 14 days of purchase without giving any reason (the "cooling-off period"). During the free tier, this right is not applicable as no payment is made. Contact support@thenyota.app to exercise this right.
• Consumer Rights: Nothing in these Terms is intended to limit any rights you have as a consumer under EU or UK law that cannot be legally excluded or limited.
• Data Rights: Your data rights under GDPR and UK GDPR are set out in full in our Privacy Policy, Section 10.
• Withdrawal of Consent: Where your use of the Service is based on consent, you may withdraw consent at any time. This will not affect the lawfulness of any processing done before withdrawal but may affect your ability to continue using certain features.
• Accessibility: We are committed to making Nyota accessible. If you have accessibility requirements, please contact us at support@thenyota.app.

We reserve the right to update these Terms at any time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or the Service. When we make changes, we will:

• Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page.
• Notify you via an in-app message or push notification if the changes are material.
• For significant changes that affect your rights, we will provide at least 14 days' notice before the new Terms take effect.
• For EU/UK users, where a material change would affect your rights under GDPR, we will seek fresh consent where required.

If you disagree with the updated Terms, you may delete your account before the new Terms take effect. Your continued use of the Service after the effective date constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms, to the extent permitted by applicable law.

We encourage you to review these Terms periodically at thenyota.app/legal.

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests related to these Terms of Service, please contact us through any of the following channels: