Welcome to Bhakti - Devotional Music & Hindu Panchanga ("we", "our", or "the App"), developed by Srivatsa Malali. This Privacy Policy explains our practices regarding the processing, local storage, and protection of information when you install and use our Android application distributed via the Google Play Store.
By installing and using Bhakti, you acknowledge the terms described in this policy. If you have questions regarding this document or our privacy practices, you may contact the developer directly at the contact details provided in Section 10.
We respect the sacred nature of your devotional time:
To provide a tailored devotional experience without requiring a central user account or cloud user profile, the App stores preferences locally on your device:
Note: This data is stored strictly on your local device and is removed when you clear the App's storage via Android Settings or uninstall the application.
We use Google Firebase Analytics to measure aggregate application usage, evaluate feature adoption, and improve streaming stability. Analytics collection helps us understand:
All analytics telemetry is processed in aggregate and is not linked to personal identifying information. Firebase Crashlytics is not currently integrated into the application.
Current Status — Free & Ad-Free: Bhakti is currently completely free to use and ad-free. Users do not need a subscription, paid plan, or payment to access any existing features.
Google Mobile Ads (AdMob) Integration: The Google Mobile Ads SDK is present within the application codebase for planned future monetization after an initial ad-free period. In the current release:
adsFeatureFlag = 'N').If and when advertisements are introduced in a future release, they will be strictly family-friendly and contextual, and this Privacy Policy will be updated to describe the active ad request behavior and consent mechanisms before ads are served.
The application interacts with the following trusted third-party services. The table below details their role, privacy documentation, and classification under Google Play's Data Safety taxonomy:
| Service Provider | Role & Function | Google Play Data Safety Classification | Privacy Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Play Services & In-App Updates | Essential application runtime support, secure app delivery, and automated in-app updates. | App Functionality: Core OS runtime services; allows devotees to update the app directly with one tap. | Google Privacy Policy |
| Google Firebase (Firestore & Cloud Storage) |
Cloud infrastructure used to host and deliver devotional audio tracks, track metadata, high-resolution sacred artwork, and stotra lyrics. | Neither Collected nor Shared: Content delivery network streaming data to device. No personal user data stored. | Firebase Privacy & Security |
| Google Firebase Analytics | Collects anonymous, aggregate usage statistics and performance diagnostics to improve application stability. | Data Collected (Not Shared): • App interactions (song views, audio starts/completions, language selection) • In-app search query (voluntary search terms) • Device or other IDs (pseudonymous Firebase App Instance ID, App Set ID) Purpose: Analytics, App functionality. Encrypted in transit via HTTPS/TLS. |
Firebase Analytics Policy |
| Google Mobile Ads (AdMob) | Integrated SDK for planned future monetization; currently inactive with zero ad requests made during the initial ad-free period. | Data Declared in Google Play Data Safety: • Device or other IDs (Google Advertising ID - AAID) SDK is compiled in the application build package and declared in Data Safety for Advertising & Marketing compliance under Google Play policy. |
Google Ads Privacy |
Bhakti requests only the permissions necessary to deliver its core audio, Panchanga, and reminder features:
android.permission.INTERNET & ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE: Required to stream devotional music, fetch sacred lyrics, verify connectivity status, and retrieve catalog updates from cloud storage.android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE & FOREGROUND_SERVICE_MEDIA_PLAYBACK: Required to maintain uninterrupted devotional playback when your screen turns off, when you navigate to other apps, or when controlling playback via the lock-screen media notification.android.permission.WAKE_LOCK: Ensures the device CPU does not prematurely terminate audio during lengthy stotra recitations, meditation sessions, or continuous chanting.android.permission.RECORD_AUDIO (Voluntary Voice Search / Bhakti AI): Requested ONLY if you explicitly choose to tap the microphone icon to search for songs or ask devotional queries via voice. Speech recognition is processed transiently via Android's built-in speech recognition framework. Your voice is never recorded to an audio file, stored on device disk, or uploaded to our servers.android.permission.POST_NOTIFICATIONS: Used to display daily sacred shloka notifications, festival reminders, and media playback control notifications. You can enable or disable notifications at any time in Android Settings.READ_MEDIA_IMAGES). Administrative image selection uses Android's modern system Photo Picker.Bhakti contains sacred spiritual and cultural content appropriate for families and audiences of all ages. We do not knowingly collect, solicit, or store personal information from children under the age of 13 (or 16 in applicable jurisdictions). If a parent or guardian discovers that a child has provided us with personal information, please notify us and we will promptly delete it.
All communication between the App and cloud services uses industry-standard HTTPS/TLS transport layer encryption. Because regular users do not create profiles or store personal identifying data on our backend servers, we do not retain personal user records. Local device preferences remain on your device until cleared or until the app is uninstalled.
You have direct control over data stored on your device:
For questions, privacy inquiries, or feedback regarding this Privacy Policy or the Bhakti application, please contact:
com.bhakti.devotional