Before you speak to a conversational AI, check what it sends to the cloud, what it keeps on your device, and how you can remove it. Those three settings decide where your words may go and how much control you keep after the conversation ends.
This matters for ordinary conversations as much as sensitive ones. A voice note about a prescription, a draft message to family, or a question asked in a mix of Twi and English can contain more detail than you intended to share. Ghana’s nationwide privacy campaign connects AI adoption with public trust for good reason: people need clear choices before they start talking.
Know what “cloud consent” means
Cloud consent is your permission for an app to send part of your interaction to online services so it can provide its response. The exact details vary by product, so avoid treating a privacy policy as a blanket promise. Look for a control that tells you when the app asks and what your choice means.
Nkomo offers three cloud-consent options:
- Never means the app will not send your conversation to the cloud under that setting.
- Ask each time means you decide before each cloud use.
- This session means you give permission for the current session, then make the choice again later.
“Ask each time” takes an extra tap. That is the tradeoff. It also gives you a useful pause when the subject changes from a harmless translation request to something personal.
Before using voice mode, open the privacy controls and choose the setting that fits the conversation ahead. If you are unsure, start with “ask each time.” You can make a more informed choice after seeing the prompt in context.
Treat voice input like a message you are sending
Speaking can feel casual, especially when your hands are busy and you are holding the microphone to talk. Yet a spoken request may include names, phone numbers, health details, location, or family news before you have had time to edit yourself.
Pause for a second before you hold to speak. Ask: “Would I be comfortable sending these exact words outside my phone if the app asks for cloud permission?” If the answer is no, change the request, remove identifying details, or decline consent for that moment.
Keep the request focused. Instead of saying, “Help me reply to Auntie Efua about her clinic appointment at 3:30 at…” you could say, “Help me write a warm Twi and English message asking an auntie how her appointment went.” You still get a useful draft while sharing less personal detail.
Natural code-switching does not require you to put everything into formal English first. You can speak or type as you normally would, then decide what information belongs in the prompt. For examples of why that language mix matters, see What Happens When an AI Rejects an English Word in a Twi Question?.
Decide whether to keep on-device history
Conversation history is separate from cloud consent. History is the record kept on your device so you can return to earlier chats. It can be useful when you are refining a message, checking a previous explanation, or continuing a task later in the day.
It also means someone with access to your device may be able to see those earlier conversations, depending on your device security and how the app is used. A screen lock remains important. So does checking the history setting before you hand your phone to someone else.
In Nkomo, you control on-device history. Turn it off and the history is purged immediately. That choice may make follow-up conversations less convenient because you lose the earlier context. Make the decision based on the task:
- Keep history on for low-risk work you expect to revisit, such as practising a phrase or refining a general announcement.
- Turn it off before discussing personal matters, or once you have copied out the result you need.
- Check it again after an update or when you begin using the app in a new situation.
“On-device” describes where the history is kept. It does not mean the app works offline, and it does not replace the need to review your cloud-consent setting.
Check whether deletion is real and reachable
A privacy control only helps when you can find and use it. Before investing time in any conversational AI, locate its export and deletion options. You should be able to understand the difference between deleting a single conversation, clearing local history, exporting your data, and deleting your account.
Nkomo provides one-tap data export and account deletion. Exporting lets you review or keep a copy of your data before you remove an account. Account deletion is a bigger step than clearing history because it ends the account itself.
Take a moment to confirm which action you want. If you only need to remove a chat from your phone, turn off history. If you want a record for yourself, export first. If you no longer want the account, use account deletion and follow the confirmation steps shown in the app.
Do not assume an action happened because a button disappeared. Look for a clear confirmation. A good app should show errors instead of swallowing them silently, so you know when an export, deletion request, or sign-in step needs your attention.
Make privacy settings part of your first-use routine
The best time to check these controls is before your first meaningful conversation, when there is no pressure to send a reply quickly. You need a signed-in account for account-level controls, and Nkomo uses a magic link rather than a password to sign in. Keep access to the email inbox that receives that link.
Set aside two minutes. Choose your cloud-consent preference, decide whether you want on-device history, and find the export and deletion controls. Then try one low-risk prompt in the languages you actually use.
Your next action is simple: open the settings before tapping the microphone, choose “ask each time” if you want the most control per conversation, and turn history off when you do not need a record.
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