Legal
Privacy Policy
How we collect, use and protect your information on our website and in our apps — in plain English.
This Privacy Policy explains how Alphabates (“Alphabates”, “we”, “us” or “our”) collects, uses, shares and protects personal information when you:
- visit our website, www.alphabates.com (the “Website”), or contact us, and
- download and use the Android apps that Alphabates publishes on Google Play (our “Apps”).
It also explains the choices and rights you have. If you have any questions, email us at info@alphabates.com.
Privacy at a glance
- We collect as little personal information as possible — only what we need to run our Website and Apps and to reply to you.
- We never sell your personal information.
- Our Website does not use advertising or analytics cookies.
- Information you create in our Apps stays on your device unless an App clearly tells you otherwise.
- You can ask us to access, correct or delete your information at any time.
1. Who we are
Alphabates is an independent studio that designs and publishes apps for Android. Our apps are published on Google Play under the developer name Alphabates.
For the purposes of data protection laws — such as the EU and UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) — Alphabates is the “controller” of the personal information described in this policy. You can contact us at info@alphabates.com.
2. Information we collect on our Website
Information you give us
- Contact form and email. When you contact us, we collect your name, your email address and your message, plus anything else you decide to include.
Please don’t send us sensitive information — such as health details, passwords or financial information — through our contact form or by email.
Information collected automatically
- Server logs. Like almost every website, our hosting provider automatically records basic technical information when you visit, such as your IP address, browser and device type, the pages you request, the page you came from, and the date and time. This is used to keep the Website secure, prevent abuse and fix problems.
- Spam protection. When you send a message, we create a temporary, scrambled (“hashed”) code from your IP address and browser details. It’s used only to limit how many messages can be sent in a short time, it can’t be used to identify you, and it’s deleted automatically — usually within a day.
- Cookies. See section 6 below and our Cookie Policy.
3. Information our Apps use
Our Apps are designed to work with as little personal information as possible. This section explains what applies to all of our Apps. Each App’s listing on Google Play — including its Data safety section — shows what that App collects and shares.
- Information stored on your device. Content and settings you create in our Apps (for example, your preferences) are stored on your device. Unless an App clearly tells you otherwise, we don’t receive or have access to this information. You can delete it at any time by clearing the App’s storage or uninstalling the App.
- Device permissions. If an App needs access to something on your phone — such as your camera, photos or notifications — Android asks for your permission first. We only ask for permissions that a feature needs, and you can allow or deny them, or change your mind later in your phone’s settings. Some features may not work without the related permission.
- Information from Google Play. When you download, buy or review an App, Google provides us with information through Google Play Console — for example, the number of installs, approximate country, device models and Android versions, and your review (which is public, together with your Google Play display name). If you’ve chosen to share usage and diagnostics information with app developers in your device or Google settings, Google also gives us crash and performance reports so we can fix problems. This information doesn’t include your name or email address, and Google handles it under the Google Privacy Policy.
- Purchases. If an App offers in-app purchases or subscriptions, payments are handled entirely by Google Play. We never see or store your card or bank details. We receive only the information needed to confirm and support your purchase, such as an order number, the product, the date and the country.
- Messages you send us. If you contact us about an App — through our Website, by email or through the App — we receive the information described in section 2.
- Features that need more information. If an App ever offers a feature that requires additional personal information — such as an account, cloud backup, location, advertising or analytics — we’ll explain it clearly in the App and in its Google Play listing, and we’ll update this policy before the feature is released.
4. How we use your information
We use your information to:
- read and reply to your messages, and provide support for our Apps,
- provide, maintain and improve our Website and Apps — for example, by fixing crashes and bugs,
- confirm and support purchases made through Google Play, where an App offers them,
- keep our Website and Apps secure, prevent spam, fraud and abuse, and fix technical problems,
- meet our legal obligations and protect our rights.
We do not use your information to make automated decisions that have legal or similarly significant effects on you.
5. Our legal reasons for using your information
If you’re in the European Economic Area (EEA) or the United Kingdom, we rely on the following legal bases:
| Purpose | Legal basis |
|---|---|
| Replying to your messages and providing support | Our legitimate interests in running our business and helping our users, and taking steps you’ve asked us to take |
| Providing our Apps and supporting purchases | Performance of a contract with you — for example, our Terms of Use |
| Fixing crashes and improving our Website and Apps | Our legitimate interests in offering reliable, working products |
| Security, spam prevention and server logs | Our legitimate interests in keeping our Website and Apps safe |
| Keeping records required by law | Legal obligation |
6. Cookies, advertising and analytics on our Website
Our Website does not currently set any cookies of its own, and we do not use advertising or analytics cookies. You can browse the Website and contact us without any cookies being stored on your device.
For full details, see our Cookie Policy.
7. How we share your information
We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it for targeted advertising.
We share information only:
- with service providers that help us run our business — such as our web hosting and email provider — who may use it only to provide their services to us,
- with Google, which distributes our Apps through Google Play, processes purchases, and provides us with the statistics and reports described in section 3,
- if the law requires it, or to protect the rights, property or safety of Alphabates, our users or others, and
- if our business changes hands, for example in a merger or sale — in which case your information will stay protected and we’ll tell you about any change.
8. How long we keep your information
| Information | How long we keep it |
|---|---|
| Messages you send us | Up to 24 months after our last contact with you, then deleted — unless we need them longer to resolve a dispute or meet a legal obligation |
| Messages our email system couldn’t deliver | Stored securely on our server only until we’ve handled them, then deleted |
| Server logs | For a limited period set by our hosting provider, for security and troubleshooting |
| Spam-protection codes | Deleted automatically, usually within a day |
| Information stored by our Apps on your device | Until you delete it, clear the App’s storage or uninstall the App |
| Statistics, crash reports and purchase records from Google Play | Kept by Google in Google Play Console under Google’s own retention rules; we keep purchase records for as long as needed to support you and meet tax and accounting laws |
9. How we protect your information
We use HTTPS encryption across our Website, keep our software up to date and limit who can access your information. Messages are delivered to a private, password-protected business mailbox. If one of our Apps sends information over the internet, it uses encrypted connections. No method of storing or sending data is 100% secure, but we take reasonable steps to protect your information, and we’ll notify you and the relevant authorities of a data breach where the law requires it.
10. Your rights and choices
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:
- access the personal information we hold about you and get a copy of it,
- correct information that’s inaccurate or incomplete,
- delete your information,
- restrict or object to how we use it,
- receive your information in a portable format,
- withdraw your consent at any time, where we rely on it,
- opt out of the “sale” or “sharing” of personal information and of targeted advertising (for example, under California and other US state laws), and
- complain to your local data protection authority.
To use any of these rights, email info@alphabates.com or use our contact form. We’ll reply within one month, or sooner if the law requires, and we may ask you to confirm your identity first. We will never treat you differently for using your rights.
You can also control what our Apps can access at any time in your phone’s Settings › Apps, where you can change permissions, clear an App’s storage or uninstall it.
11. How to delete your data
You can ask us to delete the personal information we hold about you at any time:
- Email info@alphabates.com with the subject “Delete my data”, or send us a message using our contact form.
- Tell us which App or service your request is about, and include the email address you used to contact us or any order number, so we can find your information.
- We’ll confirm when your information has been deleted — usually within 30 days.
Information that our Apps store only on your device can be deleted by you directly: open your phone’s Settings › Apps, choose the App, then tap Storage › Clear storage — or simply uninstall the App. We may keep some information where the law requires it — for example, purchase records needed for tax purposes — and we’ll tell you if that applies.
12. Children’s privacy
Our Website and Apps are intended for a general audience and are not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you’re under 16 and live in the EEA or UK, please ask a parent or guardian before sending us any personal information. If we ever publish an App designed for children, it will follow Google Play’s Families policies and we’ll describe its practices in this policy. If you believe a child has sent us personal information, contact us and we’ll delete it.
13. International transfers
We and our service providers (including Google) may store and process information in countries other than the one you live in, which may have different data protection laws. Where required, we rely on appropriate safeguards — such as the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses — to protect your information when it’s transferred.
14. Links and third-party services
Our Website and Apps may link to other websites and services, including Google Play. We’re not responsible for their privacy practices, so please read their privacy policies when you use them. Google’s handling of your information — for example, when you use Google Play — is described in the Google Privacy Policy.
15. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time — for example, when we release a new App or add new features. We’ll post the new version on this page and change the “Last updated” date at the top. If the changes are significant, we’ll make that clear on our Website or in our Apps.
16. Contact us
Questions, requests or concerns about your privacy? We’re happy to help.
- Email: info@alphabates.com
- Contact form: www.alphabates.com/contact
- Website: www.alphabates.com
Questions about this page?
Email us at info@alphabates.com or use our contact form. We’re happy to help.