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Privacy-First Design

Off Grid is built with privacy as the core principle. All AI inference happens entirely on your device with zero network activity after initial model downloads.

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Zero Network Activity After Download

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What Requires Network

From ARCHITECTURE.md:1036-1042: During setup only:
  • HuggingFace API (model metadata browsing)
  • HuggingFace CDN (model file downloads)
  • xororz HuggingFace repos (image model listings)
Optional network features:
  • Web Search tool (requires explicit user enablement)
  • Brave Search scraping (only when web search tool is used)

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What Works Offline

From ARCHITECTURE.md:1044-1047: After model download:
  • ✅ Zero network activity
  • ✅ All inference happens on-device
  • ✅ Enable airplane mode and use indefinitely
  • ✅ All conversations, images, and data stay local
You can verify this yourself: Download a model, enable airplane mode, and use Off Grid normally. Everything works except model downloads and the optional web search tool.

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On-Device Storage

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Where Your Data Lives

From ARCHITECTURE.md:1027-1033: All data is stored in the app’s private internal storage, inaccessible to other apps:
Data TypeStorage LocationEncryption
ConversationsAsyncStorageOS-level encryption
ModelsInternal app files directoryOS-level encryption
Generated ImagesInternal app files directoryOS-level encryption
SettingsAsyncStorageOS-level encryption
ProjectsAsyncStorageOS-level encryption
Android sandboxing: All app data is isolated in the app’s private directory (/data/data/ai.offgridmobile/). Other apps cannot access this directory. iOS sandboxing: All app data is in the app’s container, protected by iOS app sandbox.

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Data Persistence

From src/stores/appStore.ts:280-283 and other stores: All stores use Zustand’s persist middleware with AsyncStorage: 
persist(
  (set, get) => ({ /* state */ }),
  {
    name: 'local-llm-app-storage',
    storage: createJSONStorage(() => AsyncStorage),
  }
)
What’s persisted:
  • Downloaded models metadata
  • Active model IDs
  • All settings (temperature, context, GPU config)
  • Conversations and message history
  • Projects (custom system prompts)
  • Generated images gallery
  • Background download state
Persistence behavior:
  • Automatic save on every state change
  • Automatic rehydration on app launch
  • Survives app restarts and device reboots

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Passphrase Lock Feature

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Overview

From ARCHITECTURE.md:260-269 and src/stores/authStore.ts: Protect your conversations with an app-level passphrase lock:
  • App-level security layer on top of OS encryption
  • Locks on app backgrounding (configurable timeout)
  • Failed attempt lockout (5 attempts = 5 minute lockout)
  • Biometric unlock (planned feature)

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Setting Up Passphrase Lock

1

Navigate to Security Settings

Settings → Security → Passphrase Lock
2

Enable Lock

Toggle “Enable Passphrase Lock” on
3

Create Passphrase

Enter a strong passphrase (minimum length enforced)
4

Confirm Passphrase

Re-enter to confirm
5

App Locks Immediately

App is now locked and requires passphrase on next launch
There is no passphrase recovery. If you forget your passphrase, you’ll need to uninstall and reinstall the app, which will delete all conversations and downloaded models.Choose a passphrase you can remember!

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How Passphrase Lock Works

From src/stores/authStore.ts:1-98: Lock behavior:
  • App starts locked when passphrase is enabled (isLocked: true)
  • Lock screen shown on app launch
  • Lock triggers when app goes to background
  • Unlock required to access any app features
Failed attempt protection:
  • Maximum 5 failed attempts before lockout
  • Lockout duration: 5 minutes
  • Failed attempts counter resets on successful unlock
  • Lockout timer shown in lock screen
Implementation details:
  • Passphrase stored securely in Android Keystore
  • No biometric data stored on device (biometric unlock is planned)
  • Lock state persisted across app restarts
Refer to src/stores/authStore.ts:22-85 for the complete implementation.

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Use Cases for Passphrase Lock

Privacy-sensitive conversations: Legal consultations, personal journals, health discussionsShared devices: Prevent others from accessing your AI conversationsSecurity compliance: Meet organizational security requirements for sensitive dataPeace of mind: Extra layer of protection if device is lost or stolen

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No Telemetry or Analytics

Off Grid collects zero telemetry or analytics:
  • ❌ No usage tracking
  • ❌ No crash reporting (unless you opt-in via OS settings)
  • ❌ No analytics SDKs
  • ❌ No phone-home behavior
  • ❌ No A/B testing
  • ❌ No user profiling
What this means:
  • Your prompts never leave your device
  • Your conversations are never uploaded
  • Your model usage is never tracked
  • Your generated images are never seen by anyone else
  • No third-party services ever see your data
The only time Off Grid communicates with external servers is during model downloads from HuggingFace CDN. Once downloaded, all AI inference is 100% offline.

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Offline Verification (Airplane Mode Test)

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How to Verify Privacy

Prove to yourself that Off Grid works completely offline:
1

Download a Model

Download any text model (e.g., Qwen 3 0.6B)
2

Wait for Download to Complete

Ensure model is fully downloaded
3

Enable Airplane Mode

Turn on airplane mode on your device
4

Use Off Grid Normally

  • Load the model
  • Start a conversation
  • Send messages
  • Generate images (if you have an image model)
  • Create projects
  • Change settings
5

Verify Everything Works

All features work except:
  • Model downloads (requires network)
  • Web search tool (requires network)
Advanced verification: Use a network monitoring tool (like Charles Proxy or Wireshark) to confirm zero network traffic during inference.

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Data Encryption (OS-Level)

From ARCHITECTURE.md:1027-1033:

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Android Encryption

File-based encryption (Android 7.0+):
  • All app data encrypted with unique key
  • Encryption key protected by device PIN/password
  • Data inaccessible when device locked
  • AsyncStorage uses encrypted storage backend
Keystore protection:
  • Passphrase stored in Android Keystore
  • Hardware-backed key storage (if available)
  • Keys never exposed to app code

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iOS Encryption

Data Protection API:
  • All files encrypted by default (iOS 8+)
  • Encryption key derived from device passcode + hardware UID
  • Data inaccessible when device locked
  • AsyncStorage uses encrypted NSUserDefaults
Keychain protection:
  • Passphrase stored in iOS Keychain
  • Hardware-backed secure enclave (iPhone 5s+)
  • Biometric protection (planned)
Off Grid relies on OS-level encryption rather than implementing custom encryption. This is more secure than custom implementations and benefits from regular OS security updates.

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Privacy Features Summary

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What Off Grid Does

✅ 100% on-device inference - No cloud API calls ✅ Local storage only - All data in app’s private directory ✅ OS-level encryption - Leverages platform security features ✅ Optional passphrase lock - Extra security layer ✅ No telemetry - Zero usage tracking ✅ Open architecture - Review ARCHITECTURE.md for full technical details

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What Off Grid Doesn’t Do

❌ Never uploads prompts - All prompts stay on device ❌ Never syncs conversations - No cloud sync (planned as opt-in) ❌ Never phones home - No background network activity ❌ Never shares data - No third-party SDKs or analytics ❌ Never uses cloud APIs - No OpenAI, Anthropic, or other API calls

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Security Best Practices

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For Maximum Privacy

1

Enable Passphrase Lock

Set a strong passphrase in Security Settings
2

Use Strong Device PIN

Ensure your device has a strong PIN/password (OS encryption relies on this)
3

Download Models Over Secure Network

Use trusted Wi-Fi or VPN when downloading models
4

Disable Web Search Tool

Settings → Model Settings → Enabled Tools → Disable “web_search”
5

Verify Offline Mode

Periodically test airplane mode to confirm no network dependency

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For Sensitive Use Cases

Legal/medical/personal sensitive data:
  1. Enable passphrase lock (mandatory)
  2. Disable web search tool (prevents any network requests)
  3. Use airplane mode during sensitive conversations
  4. Regularly review generated images gallery and delete as needed
  5. Consider device encryption status (should be enabled by default on modern devices)
Corporate/organizational use:
  1. Verify compliance with org security policies
  2. Test offline mode in controlled environment
  3. Document data flow (all local, no cloud)
  4. Review model sources (HuggingFace public repos)
  5. Consider MDM integration (for enterprise deployment)

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Comparison to Cloud AI Services

FeatureOff GridCloud AI (OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.)
Data leaves device❌ Never✅ Always
Requires internet❌ After setup only✅ Always
Prompts stored remotely❌ Never✅ Usually (30+ days)
Subject to ToS changes❌ No✅ Yes
Usage limits❌ Unlimited✅ Rate limits, costs
Telemetry❌ None✅ Extensive
Third-party access❌ Impossible✅ Possible (subpoenas, breaches)
Works offline✅ Yes❌ No
Privacy audit✅ Self-verifiable❌ Trust-based

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Frequently Asked Questions

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Can Off Grid see my conversations?

No. All conversations are stored locally on your device in encrypted storage. Off Grid has no servers, no cloud sync, and no telemetry.

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What happens to my data if I uninstall?

All data is permanently deleted. Conversations, models, settings, and generated images are removed when you uninstall the app.

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Can I export my data?

Conversation export/import with encryption is planned. Currently, all data stays on device.

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Is my data backed up?

Only if your device’s OS backup is enabled (iCloud for iOS, Google Drive for Android). Backups are encrypted by the OS.

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Can I use Off Grid in a corporate environment?

Yes, if your organization allows offline AI tools. All data stays on device, making it suitable for sensitive corporate use cases.

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What about the web search tool?

The web search tool is optional and requires explicit user enablement. When used, it makes network requests to Brave Search. You can disable it in Settings → Model Settings → Enabled Tools.

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How can I verify privacy claims?

Enable airplane mode after downloading a model and use the app normally. Everything works except model downloads and web search (if enabled).

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Additional Resources

  • Technical Architecture: Review ARCHITECTURE.md in the source repository for complete technical details
  • Store Implementation: See src/stores/ for data persistence implementation
  • Security Implementation: See src/stores/authStore.ts for passphrase lock details

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