# Privacy Policy for Bill Splitter
**Effective Date:** April 12, 2026
**Developer:** Muhammad Ilyas
**Contact:** muhammadilyas15@gmail.com
## 1. Introduction
Bill Splitter ("we", "our", "the app") is a mobile application that helps you split bills and expenses among groups of people. You can create groups, add members, track expenses with equal, exact, or percentage-based splits, calculate balances, and settle debts. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your information when you use our mobile application.
By using Bill Splitter, you agree to the collection and use of information as described in this policy.
## 2. Information We Collect
### 2.1 Information You Provide
When you use Bill Splitter, you may enter the following information:
- **Group details** - group names and currency preferences
- **Member information** - member names and optional email addresses (for identification within groups)
- **Expense data** - descriptions, amounts, dates, who paid, and how expenses are split among members
- **Settlement records** - which debts have been settled between members
- **Contact form data** - subject, message, and category when you contact us through the app
All of the above data is stored **locally on your device only** and is never transmitted to our servers.
### 2.2 Information Collected Automatically
- **Device information** (model, OS version, app version) for crash reporting via Firebase Crashlytics
- **App usage analytics** (screens visited, feature usage patterns) via Firebase Analytics
- **Advertising identifiers** (for serving and personalizing ads) via Google AdMob
### 2.3 Purchase Information
If you purchase a premium subscription or lifetime upgrade, Google Play processes the transaction. We receive only your subscription status (active/inactive) to unlock premium features. We do not receive or store your payment card details.
## 3. How We Use Your Information
We use collected information to:
- Provide core app functionality (group management, expense tracking, balance calculation, settlement tracking)
- Display relevant advertisements to free-tier users
- Improve app performance and fix crashes (via Firebase Crashlytics)
- Understand feature usage to improve the app (via Firebase Analytics)
- Process premium subscription purchases (via Google Play Billing)
- Send notifications about app updates or reminders (with your permission)
## 4. Financial and Group Information
Bill Splitter handles financial and group-related data as follows:
- **Expense amounts, balances, and settlements** are stored exclusively in a local database on your device
- **Group details and member names** are stored exclusively in a local database on your device
- **Optional member email addresses** (used only for identification within groups) are stored locally and never transmitted
- **No financial data is sent to any server**, cloud service, or third party
- **No group or member data leaves your device** under any circumstance
- All financial calculations (balance computation, debt simplification, settlement tracking) are performed locally on your device
- Uninstalling the app permanently deletes all locally stored financial and group data
## 5. Data Storage and Security
### 5.1 Local Storage
- All your data (groups, members, expenses, settlements) is stored in a local Room database on your device
- App preferences (theme, currency) are stored in local SharedPreferences
- **No cloud backup or sync** is used - your data exists solely on your device
### 5.2 Security Measures
- All network communication (ads, analytics, crash reports) uses HTTPS/TLS encryption
- The app does not collect, transmit, or store passwords
- No user accounts or sign-in are required to use the app
## 6. Data Sharing
### 6.1 We Do NOT Sell Your Data
We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties.
### 6.2 Third-Party Services
We use the following third-party services that may collect data:
| Service | Purpose | Data Accessed | Privacy Policy |
|---------|---------|--------------|----------------|
| Google AdMob | Advertising | Device ID, ad interactions | [Google Privacy Policy](https://policies.google.com/privacy) |
| Google UMP | Consent management | Consent preferences | [Google Privacy Policy](https://policies.google.com/privacy) |
| Firebase Analytics | App improvement | Usage patterns, device info | [Firebase Privacy](https://firebase.google.com/support/privacy) |
| Firebase Crashlytics | Crash reporting | Crash logs, device state | [Firebase Privacy](https://firebase.google.com/support/privacy) |
| Google Play Billing | Subscriptions | Purchase/subscription status | [Google Privacy Policy](https://policies.google.com/privacy) |
### 6.3 Ad Personalization
- Free-tier users see advertisements served by Google AdMob
- AdMob may use device identifiers and usage data for ad personalization
- You can opt out of personalized ads through your device settings
- Premium subscribers see no advertisements
### 6.4 File Sharing
- The app includes a share feature (via FileProvider) that lets you share expense summaries or balance reports with others
- Sharing is initiated only by your explicit action and uses your device's standard share menu
## 7. Children's Privacy
Bill Splitter is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we discover that a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, we will delete it promptly.
## 8. Your Rights and Choices
### 8.1 Access and Control
- You can view all your data within the app at any time
- You can edit or delete any group, member, expense, or settlement record
- You can delete entire groups along with all associated expenses and settlements
### 8.2 Data Deletion
- You can delete any data from within the app at any time
- Uninstalling the app removes all locally stored data permanently
- Since no data is stored in the cloud, no additional deletion request is needed
### 8.3 Notifications
- Notifications require your explicit permission (Android 13+)
- You can disable notifications at any time through app Settings or device Settings
### 8.4 Ad Preferences
- Premium subscription removes all advertisements
- You can opt out of personalized ads via device settings (Settings > Google > Ads)
## 9. GDPR Compliance (European Users)
If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have additional rights:
- **Right to access** - request a copy of your data
- **Right to rectification** - correct inaccurate data
- **Right to erasure** - request deletion of your data
- **Right to restrict processing** - limit how we use your data
- **Right to data portability** - receive your data in a portable format
- **Right to object** - object to data processing for marketing
The app uses Google's User Messaging Platform (UMP) to obtain consent for data processing and personalized advertising in compliance with GDPR.
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at muhammadilyas15@gmail.com.
## 10. Data Retention
- Local data is retained until you delete it or uninstall the app
- Analytics data is retained per Google's standard retention policies (14 months)
- Crash reports are retained for 90 days
- No cloud data is stored, so no cloud retention policy applies
## 11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by:
- Updating the "Effective Date" at the top of this policy
- Posting a notice within the app
Your continued use of the app after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
## 12. Contact Us
If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, contact us at:
**Email:** muhammadilyas15@gmail.com
**Developer:** Muhammad Ilyas