Last Updated: December 25, 2025
Welcome to Messages: SMS & Chat, developed by Hades Strom (“we,” “our,” or “us”).
This Privacy Policy explains how our SMS messenger app — which provides fast messaging, scheduling, archives, and chat messaging — handles your information and protects your privacy.
We respect your privacy and are committed to complying with the Google Play Developer Policy, General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA/CPRA), and California Online Privacy Protection Act (CalOPPA).
This Privacy Policy applies to all users of our app (“you”) who download, install, or use Messages: SMS & Chat on Android devices.
Our app is designed to work primarily on your device and does not collect or store any personally identifiable information (PII) on our servers.
We do not collect, share, or sell any personal or sensitive user data.
However, the app may access certain system-level data and permissions solely to provide features such as sending/receiving SMS, calling contacts, displaying messages, and showing notifications — all handled locally on your device.
Under the GDPR, we rely on the following legal bases to process limited data (if any):
Performance of Contract: To provide the app’s core features such as sending and receiving messages.
Consent: When you grant permission requests within the app.
Legitimate Interest: To ensure the proper functionality, improvement, and security of the app.
We only process the minimal data needed and never process data beyond what is required to provide functionality.
The following Android permissions are required for the app’s core features:
Notification Access (POST_NOTIFICATIONS): Sends message-related notifications to inform you about incoming SMS or chat updates.
SMS Access (READ_SMS, WRITE_SMS, SEND_SMS, RECEIVE_SMS, RECEIVE_MMS, Telephony.SMS_RECEIVED): Enables sending, reading, writing, and receiving SMS/MMS messages and delivery reports.
Contacts Access (READ_CONTACTS): Allows displaying your local device contacts (names and numbers) in the app. No contact data leaves your device.
Phone Call Access (CALL_PHONE, READ_PHONE_STATE): Lets you make phone calls directly from message screens.
Network Access (INTERNET, ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE): Used to load ads, connect to Firebase, and check network status.
Wake Lock (WAKE_LOCK): Keeps your screen awake temporarily when showing message notifications.
System Alert Window (SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW): Displays overlays for important alerts/messages when needed.
All permissions are used strictly for the purpose described and only after your consent.
All personal and message-related data (SMS, Contacts, Call Info) remain stored locally on your device.
We do not transfer or store this data on our servers.
We use Android’s built-in encryption and Google Play’s security infrastructure to protect your data from unauthorized access.
The following third-party libraries or SDKs help deliver a better user experience, analytics, and app performance:
Firebase Analytics, Firebase Firestore, Firebase Performance: Anonymous analytics, crash reporting, and performance monitoring.
Google AdMob / AdX / Facebook Ads Mediation: Display advertisements to support free features.
Google User Messaging Platform (UMP): Collects user consent for ads and privacy compliance.
AndroidX Room, DataStore: Local database and data storage.
Glide, Lottie, Shimmer: UI animations and smooth image rendering.
LibPhoneNumber, EventBus, Multidex, Gson: Functional, performance, and compatibility improvements.
Each third-party service handles its own data according to their respective privacy policies, which we encourage you to review.
We use:
Firebase Analytics for anonymous usage analysis (no personal identifiers).
Google AdMob, Facebook Ads Mediation, and AdX to serve ads that may use cookies or device identifiers to deliver relevant ads.
You can manage your ad preferences through Google Ad Settings on your device.
Our app itself does not use cookies. However, third-party SDKs (like AdMob or Firebase) may use identifiers or local storage for analytics and advertisement performance. You can restrict these in your device’s privacy settings.
SMS and Contacts: Accessed locally to display and send messages; never stored or shared remotely.
Crash and Performance Logs: Anonymous and used solely to diagnose issues.
Ad Data: Managed by Google and Facebook SDKs for ad personalization (if consented).
We do not build user profiles or track activity beyond necessary app functionality.
All SMS, contacts, and chat records remain on your device until you manually delete them.
If you uninstall the app, all associated local data is automatically removed.
We hold no copy of your data on remote servers.
Our app offers optional in-app purchases and subscriptions:
Subscriptions: Weekly, monthly, or yearly plans to unlock premium features. They renew automatically unless canceled 24 hours before the period ends.
In-App Purchases: One-time options such as removing ads or unlocking lifetime premium access.
All payments are processed through Google Play Billing, and we do not collect or store any payment details.
If you are in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have the right to:
Access data we may hold about you (if any).
Request rectification or erasure of your data.
Withdraw consent at any time by revoking app permissions or uninstalling the app.
Lodge a complaint with your local Data Protection Authority.
If you are a California resident, you have the right to:
Request details about data collected (if any).
Request deletion of data you provided (note: we store nothing remotely).
Opt out of the use of personal data for targeted advertising by adjusting permissions or preferences within the app.
Our app does not support browser-based “Do Not Track” signals because it does not track users online.
However, you may adjust ad preferences in your Google Account or device settings.
We do not transfer any data internationally since no personal data is stored or transmitted outside your device.
Third-party services like Google and Firebase may process anonymous analytics data on servers located globally according to their own privacy practices.
We continuously monitor and test the app to ensure it remains secure, free from malware, and compliant with Google Play’s security standards.
Advertisements or third-party links within the app may direct you to external websites.
We are not responsible for their privacy practices. Please refer to their respective Privacy Policies before sharing any information.
Messages: SMS & Chat is not designed for or targeted at children under 18.
We do not knowingly collect any data from minors. If you are under 18, please do not use this app.
We may disclose limited information (if available) to comply with legal obligations or valid legal requests by public authorities, but as we store no personal user data, such disclosure is typically not applicable.
We may occasionally update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our app or legal requirements.
The updated policy will always be posted within the app and on our official page with a new “Last Updated” date.
If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact:
Developer Name/Company: Hades Strom
Email: connect.hadesstrom@gmail.com
Address: Gujarat, India