Privacy policy
This policy explains what the Sharanam app for Android ("Sharanam", "the app", "we") does with information about you. Sharanam is a devotional audio app. It has no account or sign-in, no ads, and no analytics or crash-reporting tools.
1. Information stored only on your phone
The app keeps the following in its private storage on your device. It is not sent to us or to anyone else:
- Your app language (English or Hindi).
- Your first name, if you choose to enter it during setup. It is used only for the greeting on the home screen.
- Your answers to the setup questions (what you would like to focus on, your experience, when you like to listen). They are used only to suggest audios.
- Whether the daily reminder is on, and its time.
- Listening progress: where you stopped in each audio, which audios you finished, the last audio you played, and the programs you started.
- Whether your Premium subscription was last seen as active, so the app works when you are offline.
- A copy of the audio catalog (titles, descriptions and links), so the app opens quickly.
Android backup. If backup is turned on for your Google account, Android may include these settings in your device backup and when you move to a new phone. Google stores that backup under its own terms; we cannot read it. You can turn backup off in your phone's settings.
2. Playing audio and loading the catalog
The app streams audio, artwork and the catalog from our content server (hosted by Cloudflare). Like any web server, it receives your IP address, the file requested, the time, and basic device information such as the app's user agent. We use this only to deliver the files and keep the service working and secure. We do not use it to identify you, build a profile, or work out where you are. Our hosting provider may keep short-lived logs of these requests under its own privacy policy.
What you listen to is not reported to us: listening progress is stored on your phone only (section 1).
3. Purchases through Google Play
Sharanam Premium is sold through Google Play Billing. Google handles the payment, and we never see your card, UPI or bank details. Google tells the app whether you have an active subscription, and the app checks this on your phone. The app does not send your purchase details to our servers.
Google processes your payment and subscription information under the Google Privacy Policy. The Google Play Billing library in the app may send diagnostic information about billing to Google.
Access codes. If you enter an access code, the app sends the code to our server only to check it. Nothing else is sent with it, and the server does not store it. If the code is valid, the date until which Premium is unlocked is kept on your phone.
4. Notifications
- Daily reminder (optional). If you turn it on, the reminder is scheduled on your phone. No server is involved and nothing is sent to us. On Android 13 and later the app asks for permission to show notifications. You can turn the reminder off in the app's settings, or block notifications in your phone's settings.
- Playback notification. While audio plays, Android shows a notification with play and pause controls. This is required for background playback and shares nothing with us.
5. What the app does not do
- No account, sign-in, phone number or e-mail is asked for.
- No ads and no advertising ID.
- No analytics, tracking or crash-reporting tools.
- No access to your location, contacts, photos, camera or microphone.
- We do not sell or share your information.
6. Permissions the app uses
| Permission | Why |
|---|---|
| Internet and network state | Stream audio and load the catalog. |
| Notifications | Show the optional daily reminder. |
| Foreground service (media playback) and wake lock | Keep audio playing with the screen off. |
| Run at startup | Keep the daily reminder scheduled after the phone restarts. |
| Google Play billing | Buy and check the Premium subscription. |
7. Deleting your information
Everything the app stores is on your phone. To delete it, clear the app's storage (Settings > Apps > Sharanam > Storage > Clear storage) or uninstall the app. We hold no account or profile about you to delete. To cancel a subscription, see Subscription and cancellation; Google keeps its own purchase records.
8. Children
Sharanam is meant for adults (18 and over) and is not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect information from children.
9. Changes to this policy
If the app starts handling information differently (for example by adding a new service), we will update this page and the effective date before that version of the app is released.
10. Contact
Questions about privacy: contact@sharanam.app. See also the contact page.