Privacy Policy — कथा सागर (KathaSagar)

📅 Last Updated: April 26, 2025 · Effective immediately upon download

🙏 1. Introduction

Welcome to कथा सागर (KathaSagar), a Hindu devotional application offering religious stories (kathas), the Bhagavad Gita, aarti collections, mantra mala, and festival calendars. We are committed to protecting your privacy and being transparent about the minimal data we collect.

This Privacy Policy explains what information is collected, how it is used, and your rights as a user. By using KathaSagar, you agree to the practices described here.

        KathaSagar does not require account registration. The app works fully
        without creating a profile or submitting any personal information.
      

📋 2. Information We Collect

We collect the absolute minimum data required to operate the app's features:

Data	Purpose	Where Stored	Type
FCM Device Token	Deliver push notifications (Gita, Mantra, Aarti, new Kathas)	Our backend server	Technical
Anonymous Device ID	Associate FCM token with a device (no user identity)	Device (AsyncStorage) + backend	Technical
Saved Kathas	Remember your bookmarked stories	Device only (AsyncStorage)	Local only
Mantra Count / Streak	Track your daily practice and visit streak	Device only (AsyncStorage)	Local only
Crash Reports	Diagnose and fix app crashes (via Firebase Crashlytics)	Firebase (Google)	Technical
Device Platform	Identify iOS vs Android for notification delivery	Our backend server	Technical

        We do not collect your name, email address, phone number, location,
        contacts, photos, or any other personally identifiable information unless you explicitly
        choose to register (optional feature).
      

⚙️ 3. How We Use Your Information

Push Notifications: We use your device token to send relevant devotional notifications — daily shlokas, new kathas, aarti reminders, and mantra alerts. You can disable notifications at any time from your device settings.
App Stability: Crash data collected via Firebase Crashlytics helps us identify and fix bugs to improve your experience.
Local Features: Your saved kathas, mantra count, and streak are stored only on your device and are never transmitted to our servers.
Content Delivery: We fetch kathas, Gita chapters, aarti, and festival data from our server based on your in-app navigation. No personal data is sent with these requests.

🔔 4. Push Notifications

KathaSagar may send you push notifications for:

Daily Bhagavad Gita shloka
Mantra and aarti reminders
Newly added kathas
Festival and puja alerts

Notifications use Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) provided by Google. Your FCM token is stored on our backend server solely for the purpose of delivering notifications to your device.

How to opt out: Go to your device's Settings → Apps → KathaSagar → Notifications and disable them at any time. This will not affect any other app functionality.

🔗 5. Third-Party Services

KathaSagar uses the following third-party services:

Service	Provider	Purpose	Privacy Policy
Firebase Cloud Messaging	Google LLC	Push notification delivery	policies.google.com
Firebase Crashlytics	Google LLC	Crash reporting & stability	policies.google.com

These services may collect certain device information as part of their operations. We encourage you to review their respective privacy policies.

🔒 6. Data Storage & Security

On-device data (saved kathas, mantra count, streak, device ID) is stored using React Native AsyncStorage on your device and is never shared externally.
Server data (FCM token, anonymous device ID, platform) is stored on our secure backend server hosted on Render (render.com) and is used solely for notification delivery.
We do not sell, rent, or share your data with any third party for marketing or advertising purposes.
All communication between the app and our backend uses HTTPS encryption.

👶 7. Children's Privacy

KathaSagar is a devotional app suitable for all ages. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13. Since we do not require registration and collect no personal identifiers, the app is safe for family use.

If you believe a child has inadvertently provided personal information, please contact us and we will promptly delete it.

⚖️ 8. Your Rights

You have the following rights regarding your data:

Opt out of notifications: Disable via device settings at any time.
Delete local data: Uninstalling the app removes all locally stored data (saved kathas, streak, mantra count, device ID).
Request server data deletion: Email us at kathasagar1234@gmail.com with your anonymous device ID (found in app settings) and we will delete all associated server records within 7 business days.
Data portability: Since we store no personal data, there is no personal data export to provide.

🗓️ 9. Data Retention

FCM tokens are retained on our server as long as you have the app installed. If the token becomes invalid (app uninstalled or token rotated), it is automatically removed during the next token refresh cycle.
Crash reports are retained by Firebase Crashlytics for 90 days per Google's standard policy.
Local data persists on your device until you uninstall the app or manually clear app data.

📝 10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. For significant changes, we may notify you via a push notification or an in-app message.

Continued use of the app after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

📬 11. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your data, please reach out:

Email: kathasagar1234@gmail.com
App: कथा सागर (KathaSagar)
Package: com.kathasagar.application

We aim to respond to all privacy-related inquiries within 5 business days.