reflection of myself: Privacy Policy

Last Updated: December 17, 2025

1. Introduction

Balance Buddy ("we," "our," or "us") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your data when you use our mobile application ("Balance Buddy" or "the App").

By using Balance Buddy, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our App.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Account Information

When you sign in with Google, we collect:

Profile Information: Your name, email address, and profile picture from your Google account
Google Account ID: A unique identifier used for authentication
Authentication Tokens: Secure tokens to verify your identity

2.2 Financial Data You Provide

You voluntarily provide financial information when using Balance Buddy's features:

Budget categories and allocated amounts
Transaction records (date, amount, description, category)
Investment tracking data (portfolio details, performance metrics)
Account balances and financial goals
Notes and custom categories

2.3 Automatically Collected Information

Device Information: Device type, operating system version, app version
Usage Data: Features used, crash reports, performance metrics
Log Data: Timestamps of actions, error logs for troubleshooting

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following purposes:

3.1 Core App Functionality

Authenticate your identity and manage your account
Store and retrieve your budget and transaction data
Sync your data across multiple devices
Provide investment tracking and analysis features
Generate reports and insights about your finances

3.2 App Improvement

Analyze app usage patterns to improve user experience
Identify and fix bugs and technical issues
Develop new features based on user needs
Monitor app performance and stability

3.3 Communication

Send important service announcements
Respond to your inquiries and support requests
Notify you of app updates (if you opt-in)

4. Data Storage and Security

4.1 Where Your Data is Stored

Your data is stored using Google Firebase services, a secure cloud platform:

Firebase Authentication: Manages your login credentials
Firebase Firestore: Stores your financial data in a NoSQL database
Firebase Cloud Storage: Stores any uploaded files or backups (if applicable)

All data centers are operated by Google and comply with industry security standards.

4.2 Security Measures

We implement industry-standard security practices to protect your data:

Encryption in Transit: All data transmitted between your device and our servers uses TLS/SSL encryption
Encryption at Rest: Your data is encrypted when stored in Firebase databases
Secure Authentication: We use OAuth 2.0 for Google Sign-In, never storing your Google password
Access Controls: Strict database rules ensure you can only access your own data
Regular Security Updates: We keep all dependencies and libraries up-to-date

5. Data Sharing and Disclosure

5.1 We Do NOT Sell Your Data

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing or any other purposes.

5.2 Third-Party Service Providers

We share data only with trusted service providers necessary to operate the App:

Google Firebase/Cloud Platform: For authentication, database, and hosting services
Google Play Services: For Google Sign-In functionality

These providers are contractually obligated to protect your data and use it only for providing services to us.

5.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to:

Valid legal requests from government authorities
Court orders or subpoenas
Protection of our legal rights or property
Prevention of illegal activities or suspected fraud
Protection of the safety of our users or the public

5.4 Business Transfers

If Balance Buddy is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred. We will provide notice before your data is transferred and becomes subject to a different Privacy Policy.

6. Your Rights and Choices

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

6.1 Access and Portability

Access all personal data we hold about you
Export your data in a machine-readable format
Request a copy of your data

6.2 Correction and Updates

Update your profile information at any time within the App
Correct any inaccurate data
Complete incomplete information

6.3 Deletion (Right to be Forgotten)

Delete your account and all associated data at any time
Request immediate deletion by contacting us
All data will be permanently deleted within 30 days

Note: Some data may be retained for a limited period to comply with legal obligations or resolve disputes.

6.4 Withdraw Consent

Revoke app permissions through your device settings
Sign out to stop data synchronization
Uninstall the app to stop all data collection

6.5 How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at gvpraveen.ravi@gmail.com. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

7. Data Retention

We retain your data as follows:

Active Accounts: We retain your data for as long as your account remains active
Deleted Accounts: Upon account deletion, all personal data is permanently deleted within 30 days
Legal Requirements: Some data may be retained longer if required by law (e.g., tax records)
Anonymized Data: We may retain anonymized, aggregated data for analytics indefinitely

8. Children's Privacy

Balance Buddy is not intended for use by individuals under 13 years of age (or 16 in the European Economic Area). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under these ages.

If we discover that we have inadvertently collected information from a child under the applicable age, we will delete that information immediately. If you believe we may have collected information from a child, please contact us immediately.

9. International Data Transfers

Your data may be transferred to and stored on servers located outside your country of residence, including in the United States where Google's Firebase servers are located.

By using Balance Buddy, you consent to the transfer of your information to countries that may have different data protection laws than your country. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your data in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

10. Google API Services User Data Policy

Balance Buddy's use and transfer of information received from Google APIs adheres to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.

Specifically:

We only request access to data necessary for Balance Buddy's functionality
Data obtained from Google APIs is used solely to provide and improve features within the App
We do not transfer this data to others unless necessary for app functionality, legal compliance, or with your explicit consent
We do not use this data for serving advertisements

11. Third-Party Links

Balance Buddy may contain links to third-party websites or services (e.g., privacy policy generators, help resources). We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these third-party sites.

We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

12. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

Right to Know: Request disclosure of personal information we've collected
Right to Delete: Request deletion of your personal information
Right to Opt-Out: Opt-out of the sale of personal information (Note: We do not sell personal information)
Right to Non-Discrimination: You will not receive discriminatory treatment for exercising your rights

To exercise these rights, contact us at gvpraveen.ravi@gmail.com.

13. European Privacy Rights (GDPR)

If you are in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

Legal Basis for Processing: We process your data based on your consent and to fulfill our contract with you (providing the App)
Data Protection Officer: You may contact us for data protection concerns
Right to Lodge a Complaint: You have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority

14. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors.

We will notify you of any material changes by:

Updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
Posting a notice in the App
Sending you an email notification (for significant changes)

Your continued use of Balance Buddy after changes to this Privacy Policy constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

15. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

Email: gvpraveen.ravi@gmail.com

Developer: Balance Buddy Team

We will respond to your inquiry within 30 days. For urgent matters related to data breaches or security concerns, please include "URGENT" in your email subject line.

16. Consent

By using Balance Buddy, you hereby consent to our Privacy Policy and agree to its terms.

This privacy policy is effective as of December 17, 2025.

reflection of myself

Privacy Policy