PRIVACY POLICY

PRIVACY POLICY FOR PDF Tools: Editor & Converter

Last Updated: October 02, 2026

PDF HUB ("we", "our", or "us") is dedicated to protecting the privacy and security of our users. This Privacy Policy outlines exactly how we handle your files, documents, and personal information when you use the PDF HUB mobile application.

By installing and utilizing the PDF HUB application, you agree to the processing and use of information in accordance with this policy.

1. CORE PRIVACY PRINCIPLE: ON-DEVICE PROCESSING FIRST

We believe that your personal and business documents should remain strictly private. To enforce this, the vast majority of PDF HUB features run entirely offline and process files directly on your physical mobile device.

The following processing operations are executed completely offline, inside your device's sandbox, and never transmit file data to external servers:

- Local PDF Operations: PDF Merging, Page Splitting, Visual Page Cropping, Drag-and-Drop Page Reordering, Bates Numbering, and Grayscale conversion.

- Batch Operations Center: Multi-file PDF compression, batch encryption/protection, batch grayscale conversion, and batch metadata scrubbing process multiple selected files simultaneously 100% locally on your device.

- Smart Watermark Removal & Image Optimization: Erasing text watermarks while preserving page backgrounds, as well as image resolution scaling and JPEG re-encoding for PDF compression, execute entirely on-device without cloud server assistance.

- Security and Document Edits: User/owner password protection, document unlocking (password removal), interactive form field creation, signature stamping, PDF flattening, metadata scrubbing (Privacy Scrubber), search-and-replace text execution, and coordinate-based text redactions.

- On-Device OCR and Document Scanning: Document scanning, image perspective corrections, and Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to create searchable PDFs are processed locally on your hardware utilizing Google ML Kit APIs. No raw image data or recognized text is sent to Google's or our servers.

- Local Offline Document Viewer: Converting and viewing Word (.docx), Excel (.xlsx, .xls), and PowerPoint (.pptx) documents offline utilizes on-device JavaScript parsers (Mammoth.js, SheetJS, pptx2html) executing securely inside a local WebView sandbox without network access.

- Built-In File Manager ("My Saved Files"): The in-app file manager scans and organizes PDF documents saved in your local application directory (`getApplicationDocumentsDirectory()`). It allows you to search, open, rename, share, and delete files directly on your device. No file directory metadata or catalog data is sent to external servers.

- Preferences & Localization: Language selections (English, Spanish, French, German, Hindi, Arabic) and app theme preferences are saved locally in your device's `SharedPreferences`.

2. TEMPORARY CLOUD RENDERING (ONLINE OFFICE VIEWER)

To provide accurate visual layout rendering for complex spreadsheets (.xlsx), presentations (.pptx), and advanced document templates (.docx), PDF HUB incorporates an optional Online Viewer utility.

How the Online Transit Works:

1. Explicit User Initiation: When you select the "View Online" preview option for an Office document, the application requests transit processing.

2. Secure HTTPS Tunnel: The document is uploaded over a highly secure, encrypted HTTPS tunnel to a temporary, anonymous file hosting API (tmpfiles.org).

3. Google Docs Viewer Integration: The file's temporary direct download URL is passed securely to the Google Docs Viewer API (docs.google.com/gview) to render a visual representation inside a secure in-app WebView.

4. Instant and Automatic Erasure: Files uploaded during transit are treated as ephemeral. They are automatically deleted from the transit hosting servers shortly after rendering (within 24 hours). No metadata, device IDs, or personal identifying info are ever linked or saved to these files.

Important Security Note:

We do not collect, view, index, or monitor the contents of these documents. You will always be asked for explicit confirmation before any file is uploaded to the cloud for online rendering.

3. PERMISSIONS REQUESTED AND RATIONALE

PDF HUB requests the absolute minimum system permissions required to execute its core operations. We do not collect, store, or transmit any data accessed through these permissions.

• Internet Permission (android.permission.INTERNET):

  Rationale: Used strictly to support the optional "Online Office Viewer" (uploading complex .xlsx, .pptx, or .docx files ephemerally for rendering) and the "HTML-to-PDF Converter" (to fetch user-requested web pages). No internet connection is initiated or used during offline PDF operations.

• Camera Permission (android.permission.CAMERA):

  Rationale: Used exclusively by the "Scan to PDF" tool to allow you to take snapshots of physical papers using your device's camera. The camera feed is processed in real-time on-device, and captured frames are stored only within your private application cache.

• Photo & Document Selection (Android System Pickers - No Media Permissions Required):

  Rationale: In compliance with Google Play's Photo and Video Permissions policy, PDF HUB utilizes the built-in Android System Photo Picker and Android Storage Access Framework (SAF) for selecting photos and documents.

  - No broad media permissions (`READ_MEDIA_IMAGES`, `READ_MEDIA_VIDEO`, `READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE`) are requested or required.

  - You maintain total privacy and explicit control, as only the specific files or photos you tap and select are accessible to the app.

  - PDF HUB does NOT request `MANAGE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE` (full device storage access).

  - All file processing occurs locally on your device inside the application sandbox.

4. THIRD-PARTY SERVICES AND APIS

The application integrates reputable, secure industry SDKs and APIs to handle advanced text recognition and document previews. These providers handle transient data in strict compliance with their respective privacy standards:

- Google Play Services (ML Kit): Used for high-speed, local on-device Text Recognition and Document Scanning. (Google Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy)

- Syncfusion PDF SDK (syncfusion_flutter_pdf, syncfusion_flutter_xlsio): Used for all local PDF processing, rendering, editing, encryption/decryption, text extraction, form creation, search, and document manipulation. All operations execute entirely on-device within the app's sandbox. No file contents, metadata, or usage data are transmitted to Syncfusion's servers. (Syncfusion Privacy Policy: https://www.syncfusion.com/legal/privacy-policy)

- Open-Source Client-Side JS Engines (Mammoth.js, SheetJS, pptx2html, JSZip): Used for local offline document viewing inside an isolated WebView sandbox. All conversions execute 100% on-device without network calls or external server communication.

- Google Docs Viewer: Ephemerally processes office file templates to render secure previews. (Google Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy)

- Tmpfiles API: Acts as an anonymous, secure transit pipeline for Office previews. Files automatically expire and are purged. (Tmpfiles website: https://tmpfiles.org)

5. SECURITY OF YOUR FILES

We implement robust, industry-standard administrative and technical security measures to safeguard your information:

- End-to-End Encryption: All network transmissions utilized for online office previews are fully encrypted using Transport Layer Security (TLS/HTTPS).

- No User Accounts: PDF HUB requires no registration, profiles, or user account creation. We do not compile databases of user emails, names, or passwords.

- Isolated File Saving: Output files created by local PDF processing are saved directly into your device's secure private app storage directory or standard system folders that you explicitly choose.

6. DATA RETENTION

- Local Files: All PDF files you create, edit, or organize via "My Saved Files" are stored exclusively on your device. You maintain full control over when they are deleted.

- Temporary Cloud Files: Files uploaded for Online Viewer rendering are automatically deleted from temporary hosting servers within 24 hours of processing completion. We do not retain copies of these files.

- Cache Files: Temporary processing files created during operations are automatically purged after each application session to minimize storage usage.

- No Backup: PDF HUB does not back up or retain copies of your files on cloud storage unless you explicitly export them to external services.

7. CHILDREN'S PRIVACY

Our services do not target, nor are they intended for use by, children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal or identifying information from children. If you are a parent or guardian and believe a child has provided us with any data, please contact us immediately so we can execute swift deletion procedures. This application is intended for users aged 18 and above.

8. CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect shifts in our features, platform guidelines, or regulatory compliance. Any updates will be published directly on this page with a revised "Last Updated" date at the top. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

9. CONTACT US

If you have any questions, feedback, or concerns regarding your privacy or how your documents are processed inside PDF HUB, please contact us at:

- Developer Email: mikedevlopr@gmail.com

10. REGIONAL PRIVACY COMPLIANCE (GDPR & CCPA)

If you are a resident of the European Economic Area (EEA) or California, you are entitled to certain privacy rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).

- No Data Collection: PDF HUB does not collect, store, or sell any personal information or document contents.

- Exercise of Rights (Access, Deletion, Portability): Because we do not store your data on external servers or maintain user accounts, your rights to access, rectify, or delete personal data are inherently respected. All your documents remain under your physical custody on your mobile device, where you can delete them at any time using the in-app file manager or your phone's system file browser.