AnahadBhakti — Privacy Policy
- You can use the app without an account. Chanting, aarti, and katha work as a guest.
- We collect only what we need to run the app: a random device identifier, your chant activity, and, if you sign in, your phone number or Google or Apple account details.
- We do not collect the text of chants you chant or create for analytics, your contacts, your location, your microphone, or your photos (other than a profile photo you choose to upload).
- We do not sell your personal data, and we do not use it for advertising by third parties.
- You can delete your account and all its data from inside the app at any time.
The rest of this policy explains this in detail.
2. Who we are
AnahadBhakti is operated by Aman Gupta, an individual based in Gurugram, India, decides why and how your personal data is processed. In the language of India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 ("DPDP Act"), we are the Data Fiduciary.
Contact for privacy questions: anahadbhakticc@gmail.com. See section 13 for our grievance officer.
This policy is part of our Terms and Conditions.
3. What we collect
3.1 Information you give us
| Data | When | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile number | You sign in with phone OTP | To sign you in, send the one-time password, and identify your account |
| Name and email | You sign in with Google or Apple, or edit your profile | To identify your account and personalise the app. Apple may give you a private relay email. |
| Profile photo (optional) | You upload one | To show on your profile. We ignore the picture from your Google or Apple account. |
| Custom chants | You create them | To store and sync your chants: chant text (Hindi or Roman), label, tag, and count per mala |
| Messages to support | You email us | To reply to you |
3.2 Information created as you use the app
| Data | Details |
|---|---|
| Guest identifier | A random identifier generated on your device on first launch. It links your guest data without an account. |
| Chant activity | Chant chosen, mala counts completed, session start and end, duration and pauses, and your in-progress session so you can resume it |
| Favourites and reading | Aarti you favourite or play, katha you read, used for your library and for the aggregate "Most Played" and "Most Read" rankings |
| Preferences | Script (Hindi, English, both), reading theme and font size, sound and haptics settings, saved on your device |
| Sign-in and security data | Tokens that keep you signed in, sign-in and OTP attempts, and timestamps, used to protect accounts from abuse |
3.3 Information collected automatically
- Device and app data: device model, operating system and version, app version, language, and crash or error reports.
- Network data: IP address and request logs recorded by our servers and content delivery network when the app fetches content, audio, or banners.
- Usage analytics: events such as chant started or completed, aarti or katha played, banner tapped, and sign-in completed. We use these to understand how the app is used and to fix problems. We do not record the text of chants, and we do not record your specific chant content in analytics.
3.4 What we do not collect
We do not ask for your precise or approximate location, contacts, calendar, microphone, camera, or files. The app asks for permissions only for what it needs: for example, notifications if you turn on reminders in future, and access to your photos only when you choose to upload a profile picture.
3.5 Sensitive information
The chants and religious content you use may indicate your religious belief. We treat this as private. It stays linked to your guest identifier or account, is not shared for advertising, and is never shown to other users. Custom chants are private to you.
4. Why we use your data, and our legal basis
We process your data only for purposes you have agreed to or that the law permits.
| Purpose | Basis |
|---|---|
| Create your guest profile, run the counter, sync and restore your chants and history | Your consent, given when you use the app and accept these terms |
| Sign you in and prevent misuse (OTP, tokens, rate limits) | Your consent, and legitimate uses such as preventing fraud |
| Serve aarti, katha, chant library, and banners | Your consent |
| Understand usage, improve the app, and fix crashes | Your consent (you can withdraw it, see section 9) |
| Rankings such as "Most Played" and "Most Read" | Aggregate counts only. They do not identify you. |
| Answer support requests and grievances | Your request |
| Comply with law, resolve disputes, and enforce our terms | Legal obligation and legitimate uses permitted by law |
We do not use your data for behavioural advertising, profiling, or automated decisions that significantly affect you.
5. Who we share it with
We do not sell your personal data. We share it only with the providers who help us run the Service, and only what they need:
| Provider type | Purpose | Data involved |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud hosting: Amazon Web Services [REGION, e.g. Mumbai] | Servers, database, file storage, content delivery | All data described above, stored on our behalf |
| SMS provider: [MSG91 / TWILIO / OTHER] | Send OTP messages | Your mobile number and the OTP message |
| Google and Apple | Sign in with Google and Sign in with Apple | Sign-in tokens, name and email you choose to share |
| Crash and analytics provider: [FIREBASE CRASHLYTICS / OTHER] | Crash reports and usage analytics | Device data, app version, crash details, anonymous usage events |
| App stores (Apple, Google) | Distribution and their own analytics and payments in the store | Governed by their own privacy policies |
We may also share data:
- If the law requires it, for example under a valid order from a court or government authority.
- To protect rights, safety, or the security of the Service, or to prevent fraud.
- In a business transfer, such as a merger or sale, where the new owner must honour this policy. We will tell you if the entity responsible for your data changes.
Banners on the home screen are chosen by us and delivered from our own servers. We do not use third-party ad networks and do not use your advertising ID.
6. Where your data is stored and transferred abroad
Your data is stored on servers in Asia. Some providers (for example Google, Apple, or our SMS and analytics providers) may process data in other countries. The DPDP Act allows transfer of personal data outside India except to countries the Government of India restricts. We use providers that protect data with reasonable safeguards and contractual commitments.
7. How long we keep it
| Data | Retention |
|---|---|
| Account, custom chants, favourites, chant history | Until you delete your account |
| Guest data | Until you delete your data or the app, or 12 months of inactivity, whichever comes first |
| OTP codes | Minutes, then discarded. OTP attempt counters last up to an hour. |
| Sign-in tokens | Until they expire, you sign out, or you delete your account |
| Server and network logs | About [30–90 DAYS] |
| Crash reports and analytics | [6 MONTHS], stripped of direct identifiers where possible |
| Support emails | Until the issue is resolved, then [6 MONTHS] |
| Records we must keep by law | As long as the law requires |
When you delete your account, we delete your account and its data immediately and revoke your sign-in sessions. Uploaded profile photos are removed from storage shortly after. Backups may hold copies for up to [X DAYS] before they are overwritten. Aggregate or anonymous data, such as total play counts, may remain because it does not identify you.
8. Security
We use reasonable technical and organisational measures, including encrypted connections (HTTPS/TLS), hashed and rotated refresh tokens, secure storage for tokens on your device (Keychain on iOS, Keystore on Android), access controls, rate limiting on sign-in, and separation of admin access. No system is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.
If a personal data breach affects you, we will notify you and the Data Protection Board of India as the law requires.
Please protect your device with a lock and do not share your OTP with anyone. We will never ask you for it.
9. Your choices and rights
Under the DPDP Act, you have the right to:
- Access: get a summary of the personal data we hold about you and how it is used.
- Correction and completion: correct or complete inaccurate or incomplete data. You can edit your profile in the app.
- Erasure: delete your data. Use Profile → Delete account in the app, or email us.
- Withdraw consent: at any time. This does not affect processing done before, and we may then no longer be able to provide features that need the data. To turn off analytics or crash reporting, use [SETTING NAME] in the app. [CONFIRM THIS SETTING EXISTS]
- Grievance redressal: contact us first (section 13).
- Nominate: name another person to exercise your rights if you die or become incapacitated.
To make a request, email anahadbhakticc@gmail.com from the address or number linked to your account, or use in-app options. We may verify your identity first. We aim to respond within [15] days.
If you are not satisfied with our response, you may complain to the Data Protection Board of India once it is operational, after first raising the issue with us.
You may also manage permissions in your device settings and clear cached content by clearing app data.
10. Children
If you are under 18, please use the Service only with a parent or guardian's consent. Where the law requires it, we ask for verifiable parental consent before processing a child's personal data. We do not track or monitor children's behaviour, and we do not show targeted advertising to children.
A parent or guardian who believes a child has given us data without consent can contact us at anahadbhakticc@gmail.com, and we will delete it.
11. Cookies and the website
The mobile app does not use browser cookies. The website [uses only essential cookies / uses cookies and similar technologies for analytics]. [If analytics cookies are used: You can accept or reject non-essential cookies in the banner shown on the site, and change your choice later.] Most browsers also let you block or delete cookies, though some site features may stop working.
The in-app Terms and Contact pages may open in an in-app view or your email app. Emails you send to support are handled by your email provider as well as by us.
12. Third-party links
The Service may link to third-party websites, for example from a banner. Their privacy practices are their own. Please read their policies.
13. Grievance officer and contact
For any privacy question, request, or complaint:
- Email: anahadbhakticc@gmail.com
We acknowledge complaints within 24 hours and aim to resolve them within 15 days.
14. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as the app or the law changes. We will change the "Last updated" date and, for material changes, notify you in the app or by other suitable means. Where the law requires fresh consent, we will ask for it. Older versions are available on request.
15. Governing law
This policy is governed by the laws of India, and the courts described in our Terms and Conditions have jurisdiction, without limiting any right you have under the DPDP Act or consumer law.
🙏 Your practice is yours. We collect only what is needed to keep your count safe.