Privacy Policy — Lal Vakhs

Last updated: June 10, 2026

Lal Vakhs ("the App") is a free, devotional app dedicated to the teachings of Lal Ded, published by Misri Library (Sham S. Misri). This policy explains what information the App collects, how it is used, and your choices. By using the App you agree to this policy.

In short: the App works fully without an account. Most data stays on your device. If you choose to sign in, a limited set of data is synced to your account so it can move between your devices. Your date and time of birth are never uploaded.

1. Information collected

• Usage & analytics (Firebase Analytics): screen views and in-app events (e.g. opening a Vakh, playing a video, adding a tithi date), plus standard analytics data such as device/OS type, app version, a randomized app-instance identifier, and approximate region derived from your IP address. We do not use this to identify you personally.
• Account information (only if you sign in): if you choose to sign in with Google or Apple to enable cross-device sync, we receive your name and email address from that provider.
• Synced content (only if you sign in): your saved tithi dates (name, tithi, lunar month, city, and calendar system — not the date or time of birth), favorites, "Ask Lal Ded" chat history, and app preferences (theme, language, celebration city, recent cities, hidden festivals, notification settings).
• On your device only: the date/time of birth you enter for a tithi is stored only on your device and is never uploaded — it will not appear on your other devices and is not backed up. Your preferences and saved data are also cached locally.
• "Ask Lal Ded" questions: when you use the AI Q&A feature, the text of your question is sent to Google's Gemini (Generative AI) service to generate a response.

2. How information is used

• To provide core features — browsing, video playback, tithi/festival reminders, and the "Ask Lal Ded" assistant.
• To sync your saved data across your devices when you are signed in.
• To understand aggregate usage and improve the App (analytics).
• To send local reminder notifications, which are scheduled and computed on your device (we do not run a server that pushes notifications to you).

3. Third-party services

The App relies on the following services, each governed by its own privacy policy:

• Google Firebase — Analytics, Authentication, and Cloud Firestore (sync storage). See Firebase Privacy and Google Privacy Policy.
• Google Gemini (Generative AI) — processes "Ask Lal Ded" questions.
• Google / Apple Sign-In — only if you choose to sign in.
• YouTube — videos are embedded via the privacy-enhanced youtube-nocookie.com player.
• GitHub — the App downloads public content updates; no personal data is sent.

4. Data storage, security, and retention

• Synced data is stored in Google Cloud Firestore under your account and is readable/writable only by you (enforced by per-user security rules). Data is encrypted in transit (TLS) and at rest by Google.
• Chat history older than 30 days is automatically removed on your device.
• Local data persists until you clear it, sign out, or uninstall the App.

5. Your choices and rights

• Use without an account: sign-in is optional; without it, nothing is synced to the cloud.
• Stop syncing: sign out at any time (Settings → Cloud Sync). Your cloud data remains in your account until you delete it.
• Delete your data and account: in the App, go to Settings → Cloud Sync → Delete account. This permanently deletes your cloud data and your account, with an option to also remove the data from the current device.
• Clear local data: uninstalling the App or clearing its storage removes on-device data, including any date/time of birth you entered.
• Notifications: you can disable reminder categories in Settings, or revoke notification permission in your device settings.

6. Children's privacy

The App is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has provided personal information, please contact us and we will remove it.

7. International users

The App is operated from Washington, United States. Information processed by our service providers (e.g. Google) may be stored and processed in the United States or other countries where they operate.

8. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Material changes will be reflected by updating the "Last updated" date above. Continued use of the App after changes constitutes acceptance.

9. Contact

For questions about this policy or your data, contact us at: misrilibrary@gmail.com. You can also reach Misri Library via the Misri Library YouTube channel or the author's blog.