Privacy Policy

Effective Date: September 12, 2025

Scan2Hear (“we”, “us”, “our”) is committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect information when you use the Scan2Hear – Book to Audio application (the “App”).

1. Contact

2. Overview

The App requests Camera permission only when you use the scan feature; this permission enables you to take pictures of pages from books that you own.
The App requires Internet access for displaying ads and possibly for updates or feature delivery.
We do not provide copyrighted books; you must have legal ownership or permission for any content you scan.
Scanned images and OCR text are stored **locally** on your device under normal use. Use of file storage tied to Installation ID may be used to identify content per app installation.
We do not upload or share your scanned images / OCR text with our servers by default. If you enable a feature (if added) for backup or sync, uploading will occur only after you explicitly consent.
Advertisements are served using Google AdMob. We may collect Advertising ID and ad interaction data. You may opt out of personalized ads via your device settings.

3. What Information We Collect

3.1 Device & Installation Identifier

Firebase Installation ID: a unique identifier for your app install. Used to associate content created by that install.

3.2 User-Generated Content

Scanned page images and OCR text extracted from those images, stored locally on your device and associated with the Installation ID.
No content is uploaded to our servers under default mode; if backup/sync features are enabled in future, they will require explicit consent.

3.3 Technical & Device Data

Crash reports, diagnostics, performance logs via Firebase / other service providers.
Advertising ID and ad interaction metrics via Google Mobile Ads SDK for serving ads and personalization.

4. How We Use the Information

Core features: scanning, OCR, converting to audio (TTS).
Managing content stored on your device.
Analyzing and improving app performance and fixing bugs.
Serving advertisements through AdMob; showing personalized or non-personalized ads based on settings.
Security, abuse detection, integrity.

5. Copyright & Usage

This App does not distribute copyrighted books or materials. You must only scan content you own or have permission to use. We are not responsible if you scan or share content that violates copyright or third-party rights.

6. Data Storage & Retention

Scanned images and OCR text remain on your device. They will be tied to your app installation via Installation ID for your convenience, but are not automatically uploaded to our servers, unless you explicitly opt into backup/sync.
Diagnostic / crash logs and ad-related data may be transmitted to service providers and stored under their policies.
Temporary data is kept only as long as needed for its purpose; typical diagnostic retention might be ~90 days, after which data is deleted or anonymized where possible.

7. Your Rights: Access & Deletion

You have rights to access, correct, or delete your content/data stored locally or tied to your Installation ID. To request deletion:

Use in-app Settings (Privacy / Data Deletion) to delete content tied to your Installation ID on your device.
Or contact us via scan2hear@gmail.com describing which content you want removed and the Installation ID if known.

We will respond within 30 days of your request, per applicable laws.

8. Advertising & Personalization

The App uses Google Mobile Ads SDK (AdMob) to show advertisements. We may collect Advertising ID and ad interaction data. If you prefer not to receive personalized ads, you can disable personalized ads in your device’s Google Ads settings.

9. Camera Permission & Usage

We require Camera permission only when you activate the scan feature:

The app will request camera permission at runtime when scanning is used.
If you decline permission, scanning will be disabled; other functionality remains available.
Scanned images / text are stored locally and tied to the Installation ID; no content is uploaded without your consent.

10. Security

Transmission of diagnostic/ad data is encrypted using HTTPS / TLS.
Backend or third-party services (for ads, diagnostics) are protected by authentication and internal access controls.
We will respond promptly to any vulnerability discovered.

11. Third-Party Sharing

We may share diagnostic or ad-related data with third-party providers (e.g. Firebase, AdMob). This is limited to only what is necessary (Advertising ID, ad interaction, crash logs). Content images / OCR text are not shared.

12. Children

This App is not intended for use by children under 13. If you believe data was collected from a child under 13, contact us via scan2hear@gmail.com to request deletion of associated data.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time; the Effective Date at top will be updated. If changes are material, we may notify you via in-app message.