- App: Om Mani - Global Buddhism (Vietnamese name: Om Mani - Phật giáo; Android, package:
com.phatgiao.cdg) - Developer: Nguyen Tien Duoc / Nguyễn Tiến Được (display name on Google Play: Được Tiến Nguyễn)
Scope: This page applies to the Android version of Om Mani, distributed on Google Play.
1. Introduction
This privacy policy applies specifically to the Android version of Om Mani - Global Buddhism (Vietnamese name: Om Mani - Phật giáo) on Google Play. We, the developer Nguyen Tien Duoc, respect your privacy. The app is built on one principle: collect as little as possible, and keep what belongs to you on your own device. This document explains exactly which data stays on your device, which data is sent out, to whom, for what purpose, and how you can delete it.
2. Quick summary
- The app has no accounts and requires no sign-up or sign-in.
- The data you create in the app (dharma name, profile photo, events, meditation history, settings) stays on your device only, and in a private backup within your own Google account if you have Android backup enabled (see section 3). The app never sends it anywhere.
- The only data sent off your device is the technical data described in section 4: usage statistics, crash reports, a random installation identifier, and an approximate city-level location that Google derives from your IP address.
- No advertising. The app also does not use the advertising ID (the identifier Android provides to apps for tracking users for advertising purposes).
- We do not sell or share your data with any other party.
- The app does not request location, contacts, camera or microphone permissions.
3. Data stored only on your device
As you use the app, you may create the following data. All of it is stored in the app's private storage, on your device:
- Dharma name or preferred name (optional);
- Profile photo (optional);
- Events, memorial days and holidays you create yourself;
- Your meditation session history;
- Notification settings, sutra reading preferences and other settings.
The app never sends this data off your device. We operate no server that stores users' personal data, so we cannot see it either.
About Android automatic backup: Android includes a feature that automatically backs up app data to your own Google Drive, in a private folder tied to your Google account, so your data is restored when you change phones or reinstall the app. This is an operating-system feature, not a feature of the app. We cannot read this backup. On Android 9 and above, if your device has a screen lock, the backup is additionally end-to-end encrypted: only your device can decrypt it, and not even Google can read it. You can turn backup off at any time in Android Settings, under Google > Backup.
4. Data collected automatically (Google Firebase services)
The app uses Firebase, a set of tools provided by Google that lets developers see whether an app is running reliably and which features are used most, and receive a report when the app fails. While you use the app, the following information is sent to Google:
- In-app interactions: how often the app is opened, session length, and other events the Firebase SDK records automatically. The app logs no custom events of its own;
- Crash logs: when the app fails or closes unexpectedly, a technical error report is sent so that we can fix the problem;
- Diagnostics: device model, Android version, app version;
- Installation identifier: a random string tied to this installation of the app. This is not the advertising ID and is not linked to your identity;
- Approximate location: at city or country level, derived by Google from your masked IP address. The app neither requests nor uses your device's location permission.
In addition, the app downloads configuration settings from Google (Firebase Remote Config) in order to operate. Those requests carry only the random installation identifier and the basic device information listed above.
Important points to be aware of:
- As with any internet connection, requests sent to Google include your IP address. Google masks or removes this information during processing, and the approximate location above is derived from the masked IP address.
- The data above does not directly identify you: it contains no name, email address or phone number.
- This data is necessary to operate the app and fix errors, so the app provides no separate switch to disable it.
- All data is encrypted in transit (HTTPS).
- Google processes this data on the developer's behalf, acting as a service provider. We do not share or sell the data to any other third party.
- These are exactly the five data types declared in the app's "Data safety" section on Google Play.
You can read how Google protects data at Google Privacy Policy and Firebase Privacy.
5. Downloading content from the internet
The app downloads some content to your device, such as temple photographs, images of the Buddha, wallpapers and meditation music. Content flows in one direction, from the server to your device.
The app attaches none of the data you create in the app (dharma name, events, meditation history) to these requests. As with any ordinary internet connection, the server providing the content receives your IP address and standard technical information about the request. Our content servers only serve files; they hold no accounts and store none of your personal data.
6. Permissions the app uses, and why
- Notifications: to remind you of holidays, observance days and events you have set. These notifications are generated on your device. You may decline or turn them off at any time in Android Settings or in the app's own settings.
- Exact alarms: so reminders arrive at exactly the time you chose.
- Run after device restart: to re-establish your reminder schedule after you restart your phone.
- Network access and network state: to download content (section 5) and to send usage statistics and crash reports (section 4).
- Vibrate: to vibrate for notifications and the meditation bell.
- Keep the screen awake briefly: to display notifications at the right moment.
- Write to external storage: on Android 9 and below only, to save files you choose to download (section 7).
The app does not request location, contacts, camera or microphone permissions. The advertising ID permission has been removed entirely from the app.
7. Files you choose to save to your device
When you tap download or save, the app writes files to your own device storage: meditation music is saved to the Music folder, images to the Pictures folder, and sutra text files you export to the Downloads folder. These files reside on your device, and you are free to manage or delete them as you wish.
8. Children
The app is intended for a general audience of all ages. The app does not ask for and does not receive any identifying information (real name, email address, phone number) from you or from children, because it has no accounts and offers no field through which information could be submitted to us.
Please note that the technical data described in section 4, namely usage statistics, crash reports, the random installation identifier and approximate location, is collected automatically from all users, regardless of age. That data does not directly identify users and is not used for advertising purposes.
9. Data retention and deletion
- Data on your device: you can delete it yourself via Android Settings > Apps > Om Mani - Global Buddhism > Storage > Clear data, or by uninstalling the app. All locally stored data is erased.
- Backup in Google Drive: you can turn backup off in Android Settings, or delete the app's backup data in the backup management section of your Google account.
- Technical data sent to Google (section 4): please note that uninstalling the app does not delete data already sent to Google's servers. Crash reports are retained by Firebase for approximately 90 days. Analytics data tied to the installation identifier is retained according to the retention setting in our Firebase console (Firebase allows a choice of 2 months or a maximum of 14 months), after which it is deleted automatically; aggregated, non-identifying reporting data may be retained longer. Details at the Firebase Privacy page. Because this data does not directly identify you, we are unable to isolate the portion belonging to any individual user.
- If you have questions or requests regarding privacy, please contact us at the address in section 14. We will assist to the extent we are able.
10. Your rights (EEA/UK, California)
If you are in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or California, local law grants you certain rights over personal data: the right to know what is collected, the right to request access or deletion, and the right to object to processing. The app collects no name, email address or other directly identifying information, and we do not sell personal data. For the technical data described in section 4, you may send a request to the email address in section 14. We will assist to the extent technically possible, subject to the limitation noted in section 9: this data is not linked to an identity and therefore cannot be isolated per individual.
11. Security
The data you create in the app never leaves your device, so the risk of exposure through the app is very low. The technical data sent to Google (section 4) is encrypted in transit (HTTPS/TLS). On devices running Android 9 and above with a screen lock, the Android backup is end-to-end encrypted: only your device can read it, not even Google. We operate no server that stores users' personal data; our content servers only serve files and hold no accounts or personal data.
12. External links
The app contains links that take you elsewhere: our support and information website (https://ommani.web.app/), our Zalo community group, our Facebook group and page, our TikTok and YouTube channels, and the app's App Store page. When you tap directions to a temple, the app opens Google Maps with that temple's coordinates, never your own location.
When you open any of these links, the app attaches none of your data. When you choose to send feedback by email, the app simply opens your own email application, and sending the message is an action you take yourself. Some link destinations, for example the support page, are configured remotely through Firebase Remote Config so that we can update them when needed, and always point to our own official channels. Once you leave the app, the privacy policy of the platform you visit (Zalo, Facebook, YouTube, Google Maps and so on) applies.
13. Changes to this policy
When this policy changes, the new version will be published at the address given at the top of this page, with the update date shown. For significant changes, we will provide notice within the app or on the app's Google Play page. We encourage you to review this page from time to time to stay aware of any changes.
14. Contact
For any question, suggestion or privacy request, please contact:
- Support email: ommani.global@gmail.com
- Developer: Nguyen Tien Duoc / Nguyễn Tiến Được (display name on Google Play: Được Tiến Nguyễn)
- App: Om Mani - Global Buddhism (
com.phatgiao.cdg) on Google Play