This Privacy Policy explains how DhanLekha (the “App”, “we”, “us”, or “our”) collects, uses, stores, and protects your information when you use the DhanLekha personal finance and expense-tracking application on Android and iOS. The App is developed and operated by Swarjun Tech, the developer of DhanLekha, who is responsible for how your personal data is collected and handled in the App. By using the App, you agree to the practices described in this policy. Your use of the App is also subject to our Terms of Service.
1. Information We Collect
a) Information you provide
- Account information — when you create an account, we collect your name, email address, phone number, and a password (handled securely via Firebase Authentication; we do not store your raw password).
- Financial entries — transactions, amounts, categories, notes, budgets, reminders, and custom rules that you create in the App.
- Friends & group ledgers — names, phone numbers, and split details of people you add to shared ledgers, trips, or group splits.
b) SMS messages (Android only, optional)
With your explicit permission, the App reads SMS messages to automatically identify financial transactions (e.g., bank debit/credit alerts). This is described in detail in the SMS Data section below.
c) Contacts (optional)
With your permission, the App can access your device contacts solely to let you quickly select friends or members when creating a ledger or group split. Contacts are used on-device for this purpose and are not uploaded in bulk.
d) Information collected automatically
- Device & usage data — basic device and app information needed to operate the App and deliver notifications and ads.
- Push notification token — a Firebase Cloud Messaging token used to send you reminders and updates.
- Advertising identifier — used by our advertising partner to show ads (see Advertising). On iOS, this is only used if you allow tracking via the App Tracking Transparency prompt.
2. How We Use Your Information
- To provide core features: recording, categorizing, and displaying your transactions.
- To create and synchronize shared friend/group ledgers so all participants can see balances and settle up.
- To authenticate you and keep your account secure.
- To send reminders, budget alerts, and relevant notifications.
- To display advertising (for free users) and to offer optional premium upgrades.
- To respond to support requests and to maintain, troubleshoot, and improve the App.
3. SMS Data (Android) — How We Handle It
- The
READ_SMSpermission is requested only after you tap to enable SMS import and accept an in-app explanation. The App does not read SMS in the background without your action, and never requests the permission silently. - Messages are parsed entirely on your device. The extracted transaction details are stored in the App's local on-device database.
- Your SMS content is never transmitted to our servers, never uploaded to the cloud, never sold, and never shared with third parties.
- You can decline or revoke this permission at any time in your device settings; the App remains fully usable with manual entry.
- This feature is not available on iOS, where apps cannot access SMS.
4. Permissions We Request
| Permission | Why we use it |
|---|---|
| SMS (Android) | Optional. To auto-detect transactions from bank SMS, processed only on your device. |
| Contacts | Optional. To let you pick friends/members when creating ledgers and splits. |
| Notifications | To deliver reminders, budget alerts, and shared-ledger updates. |
| Network / Internet | To sync shared ledgers, authenticate, and load ads. |
5. How Your Information Is Stored
- On your device: Your personal (non-shared) transactions and any SMS-derived data are stored only in a local database on your device (offline-first), so the App works without a connection. This local database is deliberately excluded from cloud and device backups — including Android Auto Backup and Apple iCloud / iTunes backups — so no copy of your personal transactions leaves your phone through the operating system's backup. On Android, it is also excluded from device-to-device transfers. As a result, this data is not recoverable by us or by you if you lose your device, reset it, or uninstall the App; only your account profile and shared ledgers (stored in the cloud, described below) can be restored.
- In the cloud: Your account profile and any shared data (friend ledgers, group splits, and the transactions within them) are stored using Google Firebase (Authentication and Cloud Firestore) so that participants can see and sync balances. Data is transmitted over encrypted connections (HTTPS/TLS).
- A limited public profile (your display name and phone number used for look-up) is stored so that friends can identify you when adding you to a shared ledger. Your email, authentication details, and personal (non-shared) transactions are kept private and are not exposed to other users.
6. How Your Information Is Shared
- With other participants: When you take part in a shared ledger, trip, or group split, the relevant transactions, amounts, names, and balances are visible to the other members of that ledger.
- With service providers: We use trusted third parties to operate the App (see Third-Party Services). They process data only to provide their services to us.
- For legal reasons: We may disclose information if required by law or to protect rights, safety, and the integrity of the App.
- We do not sell your personal information.
7. Advertising
For free users, the App may display ads through Google AdMob. AdMob may use an advertising identifier to serve and measure ads. On iOS, ads use your identifier only if you grant permission through the App Tracking Transparency prompt; you may decline. You can limit ad personalization in your device settings, and you can remove ads entirely by upgrading to a premium plan within the App. Learn more in Google's Advertising policy.
8. Third-Party Services
The App relies on the following providers, each governed by its own privacy policy:
- Google Firebase (Authentication, Cloud Firestore, Cloud Messaging) — Firebase Privacy / Google Privacy Policy.
- Google AdMob (advertising) — Google Privacy Policy.
- Apple (App Store, push delivery on iOS) — Apple Privacy Policy.
9. Data Retention
We retain your account and cloud-synced data for as long as your account is active. Data stored locally on your device remains until you delete it or uninstall the App. When you delete your account, we remove your account profile and associated cloud data, subject to any limited retention required for legal or operational reasons.
10. Your Rights & Choices
- Access & update: View and edit your profile and entries within the App.
- Delete your account: Use the in-app “Delete Account” option to permanently remove your account and associated cloud data.
- Manage permissions: Grant or revoke SMS, Contacts, and Notification permissions at any time in your device settings.
- Export your data: Export ledgers to PDF or Excel from within the App.
- Ad choices: Limit ad tracking via your device settings, or upgrade to remove ads.
11. Data Security
We use reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your information, including encrypted data transmission, access-controlled cloud security rules, and keeping your personal (non-shared) financial records stored only on your device and excluded from operating-system backups, so they are not copied off your phone. However, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
12. Disclaimer — Indicative Records, Not Financial Proof
DhanLekha is a personal expense-tracking and bill-splitting tool. The transactions, balances, and “who owes whom” amounts shown in the App — including shared ledgers, trips, and group splits — are indicative records based on entries made by you and other participants, kept as a mutually agreed reference of amounts the parties consider owed between them. They are not bank statements, invoices, receipts, or legally authoritative proof of any debt, payment, or financial obligation, and may be incomplete or inaccurate (for example, where details are auto-detected from SMS). Any actual transfer or settlement of money happens directly between the users involved; DhanLekha does not process, hold, or move funds, is not a party to any arrangement between users, and is not responsible for verifying balances or resolving disputes between them. The App does not provide financial, accounting, tax, or legal advice.
13. Children's Privacy
The App is not directed to children under the age of 13 (or the minimum age required in your jurisdiction), and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has provided us information, please contact us so we can remove it.
14. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be reflected by updating the “Last updated” date at the top of this page, and where appropriate, through in-app notice. Your continued use of the App after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.
15. Governing Law
This Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of India, without regard to its conflict-of-laws principles.
16. Contact Us
If you have questions, requests, or concerns about this Privacy Policy or your data,
contact us at:
Email: connect.dhanlekha@gmail.com