Effective date: 21 March 2026
Last updated: 08 April 2026
SMS Expense Tracker is a personal expense tracking application designed to help users monitor spending by detecting eligible bank transaction SMS messages and converting them into expense records inside the app.
This Privacy Policy explains what information the app accesses, why it is needed, how it is used, and how it is stored.
What the app does:
SMS Expense Tracker helps users:
detect expense-related bank transaction SMS messages
automatically create expense records from eligible debit SMS alerts
manually add, edit, and delete expenses
view dashboard summaries such as today’s spending and monthly spending
set and track a monthly budget
view smart summaries such as monthly spending trends and category split
receive a local reminder notification to review and update expenses
What information the app accesses:
Depending on the feature used, the app may access:
SMS messages
the app may access SMS message body, sender/address, and date/time
this is used to identify eligible bank transaction alerts related to debit spending
this is used to extract details such as amount, merchant or payee, date, and transaction reference when available in the SMS
Locally stored expense records
this may include amount, merchant or payee label, date, category, transaction reference, and related expense history
this includes records created automatically from eligible SMS messages and records manually entered or edited by the user
Locally stored app settings and learning data
this may include budget values, reminder settings, SMS scan preferences, last scan time, and user correction mappings used to improve future transaction labeling
the app may also store the original text of eligible transaction SMS messages locally on the device to support parsing, duplicate detection, and improved transaction matching
Notification and reminder permissions
the app may request notification permission to display local reminder notifications
on supported Android versions, the app may also request exact alarm-related access so reminders can be delivered at the scheduled time
Why SMS access is needed:
The core purpose of the app is to help users track expenses from bank transaction SMS alerts.
SMS access is used to:
read eligible bank transaction SMS messages
detect debit expense events
extract available transaction details
create expense entries automatically for the user
During setup, users may choose whether the app should scan a selected amount of recent SMS history or track only new messages going forward.
The app is not intended to read personal conversations for unrelated purposes. SMS access is requested only because SMS-based expense tracking is the main function of the app.
How SMS data is used:
SMS content is used only for expense tracking features, including:
identifying whether a message is a real debit expense, a promo or offer, a refund, a statement, a request, or another non-expense message
extracting the amount
extracting merchant or payee details when available
extracting transaction reference numbers when available
suggesting categories where possible
improving future matching when users correct merchant names or categories
Some bank and UPI messages do not contain complete merchant information, so automatic merchant detection and categorization may not always be perfect. Users can review, edit, and correct transactions inside the app.
Learning from user corrections:
When a user edits certain transactions, the app may store that correction locally on the device so that future similar transactions can use the improved merchant name or category automatically.
This learning behavior is stored locally for app functionality only and is not used for advertising or marketing.
What the app does not do:
SMS Expense Tracker does not:
use SMS data for advertising
use SMS data for marketing
sell personal data
use SMS content for personal chat analysis
share SMS content with third parties for unrelated purposes
upload expense data or SMS content to a remote server unless a future feature clearly states otherwise
use analytics SDKs or advertising SDKs at this time
Data storage:
Expense data is stored locally on the user’s device as part of the app’s normal functionality.
This may include:
automatically detected expenses from eligible SMS alerts
manually added or edited expenses
locally saved budget values
locally saved reminder settings
locally saved SMS scan preferences and last scan time
locally saved correction-learning mappings for future similar transactions
locally stored original text of eligible transaction SMS messages used for app functionality
At this time, the app is designed for local personal use. Unless a future feature clearly states otherwise, the app does not upload expense data or SMS content to a remote server.
Notifications:
The app may request notification permission to send local reminder notifications, such as reminding the user to open the app and review expenses.
These notifications are generated locally by the app and are used only to support expense tracking usage.
The app may schedule a daily reminder using Android alarm and notification features. On supported devices, reminders may also be restored after device restart or app update so the reminder feature continues working as expected.
User control:
Users remain in control of their data and app usage. Users can:
grant or deny SMS permission
grant or deny notification permission
choose whether to scan recent SMS history or track only new SMS going forward
review transactions in the app
edit or delete expense entries
manually add expenses
stop using the app at any time by uninstalling it
If a user denies SMS permission, automatic SMS-based expense detection may not work properly. Manual expense entry can still be used.
Data accuracy:
The app attempts to detect and extract expense information from bank and payment SMS messages automatically. However:
some SMS messages may not provide enough detail
some UPI transactions may not contain a clear merchant name
categorization may require user review and correction
Users are encouraged to review their transactions and update merchant names or categories when needed.
Children’s privacy:
The app is intended for general personal finance use and is not specifically designed for children under 13.
Changes to this Privacy Policy:
This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time to reflect feature changes, legal requirements, or improvements in transparency. Updated versions should be published at the same public privacy policy URL.
Contact:
For questions about this Privacy Policy or the app, contact:
Developer name: N Sandeep Prabhu
Email: Sandeep.appdev3@gmail.com