The Short Version
- Content processed by our apps (media, vaults, notes, scans) is stored locally on your device only.
- We do not sell your data. Ever.
- Where our apps offer encrypted vaults, only you hold the key (AES-256).
- Free tiers in some apps may show ads via Google AdMob. Pro removes all ads.
- Contact form submissions go to us only via our form provider.
1 Who We Are
13 Halos Group ("we", "us", "our") operates the website at 13halos.com and the 13 Halos family of mobile applications (including Meet Lingo, ZapBee, Halo Scanner, and Halo Player). We are the data controller for information collected through these platforms.
If you have any questions about this policy, contact us at: 13halos.com/#contact
2 Information We Collect
2.1 Information You Provide Directly
- Contact form: Name, email address, and message content submitted through our website. This is processed via our contact form provider.
- Partner programme: If you apply to become an affiliate partner, your name, email, and chosen products may be collected via our partner platform.
2.2 Information Collected Automatically (Apps)
- Crash reports and diagnostics: Anonymous crash data may be collected to improve stability. This does not include personally identifiable information.
- Pro upgrade status: Pro upgrade payments are processed via PayPal. We receive only your upgrade status — not your payment details, which are handled entirely by PayPal.
- Advertising (free tier only): Google AdMob may collect and use data for personalised advertising in the free tier of applicable apps. You can opt out via your device settings. Pro users see no ads.
2.3 Information We Do NOT Collect
- Your photos, videos, audio files, or documents are never uploaded to our servers.
- Encrypted vault contents and locked notes stored by our apps never leave your device.
- Scanned receipts, QR scan history, and OCR results are stored locally only.
- Your PIN, pattern lock, or vault credentials are never transmitted. They are stored as SHA-256 hashes on-device only.
- We do not build behavioural profiles or sell data to third parties.
3 Device Permissions
Our apps request device permissions only as needed for their specific features — never for background data collection. The following permissions are examples from across our app suite:
Used for QR code scanning, document scanning, receipt scanning, OCR text extraction, and image capture features.
Required to read, compress, organise, encrypt, and manage files, photos, and videos on your device.
Used only for in-app audio features (recording or live transcription). Never accessed in the background.
Used to send optional local reminders. No remote push notifications without explicit opt-in.
Required by storage management features to measure app cache sizes via Android StorageStatsManager.
Required for ad serving (free tier), Pro upgrade verification via PayPal, and connectivity status detection.
4 How We Use Your Information
We use the limited information we collect solely for the following purposes:
- To respond to enquiries submitted via the contact form.
- To verify and manage your Pro upgrade status across our apps.
- To display relevant advertising in free tiers via Google AdMob.
- To improve app stability using anonymous crash diagnostics.
- To send you launch notifications or updates if you opted in via the contact form.
- To administer the affiliate partner programme if you choose to join.
5 Data Storage & Security
On-device data — Content stored or processed by our apps (media files, vault contents, notes, receipts, QR history) stays exclusively on your device. Where encryption is used, our apps apply AES-256-CBC with Android Keystore integration. Credentials are stored as SHA-256 hashes on-device only.
Website data — Contact form data submitted via 13halos.com is processed and stored by our contact form provider. We retain this data only as long as necessary to respond to your enquiry.
Retention — We do not retain personal data beyond what is necessary. Contact enquiries are reviewed and deleted once resolved. We do not maintain databases of user emails without explicit opt-in consent.
Breach notification — In the unlikely event of a data breach affecting your personal information, we will notify affected users within 72 hours where required by applicable law.
6 Third-Party Services
Our apps and services integrate the following third-party services. Each has its own privacy policy which we encourage you to review:
Used to process Pro upgrade payments. We do not receive or store your payment card details. PayPal Privacy Policy →
Used to serve ads to free-tier users in applicable apps. May collect device identifiers and usage data for ad personalisation. Pro users are not served ads. Google Privacy Policy →
Used on-device for OCR (optical character recognition) in applicable apps. Processing occurs locally — no data is sent to Google's servers via ML Kit. ML Kit Terms →
Used to process contact form submissions on 13halos.com. Data submitted via the contact form is stored by our form provider and subject to their privacy policy.
Used locally on-device for video compression and trimming in applicable apps. FFmpeg does not collect or transmit any data.
7 Children's Privacy
Our apps and services are not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately and we will delete it.
8 Your Rights
Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:
- Right of access — Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- Right to rectification — Request correction of inaccurate data.
- Right to erasure — Request deletion of your personal data.
- Right to object — Object to processing of your data for direct marketing.
- Data portability — Request your data in a portable format.
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at 13halos.com/#contact. We will respond within 30 days.
For users in the EU/EEA, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.
9 Cookies & Tracking
The 13 Halos website (13halos.com) uses localStorage solely to remember your light/dark mode preference. No tracking cookies, analytics pixels, or third-party tracking scripts are used on this website beyond our contact form provider's embed.
Our apps do not use cookies. Local preferences are stored using Android SharedPreferences or equivalent, which remains on your device.
10 Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. If we make significant changes, we will notify users via the app or a notice on our website. Your continued use of our apps and services after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.
11 Contact
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy, please contact us: