Privacy Policy

1. About spnd.

spnd. is a privacy-first personal expense tracker for Android, designed for users in India. The app automatically detects bank transaction SMS messages and converts them into categorized expense records — giving you a clear picture of your spending without any manual effort.

spnd. is built on a core principle: your financial data belongs to you and only you. The app operates entirely offline. There are no user accounts, no registration, no login, no cloud sync, and no data collection of any kind. We do not run any servers and have no mechanism to access your data remotely.

2. Our Zero-Server Architecture

Unlike most finance apps, spnd. does not have any backend infrastructure:

• No servers — we do not operate, rent, or use any server, cloud instance, or API endpoint
• No database in the cloud — there is no Firebase, AWS, Azure, or any remote database
• No user accounts — there is no registration, login, or sign-up process
• No data transmission — the app makes zero network calls to any server owned by us
• No analytics or telemetry — we do not use Google Analytics, Firebase Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude, Crashlytics, Sentry, or any other tracking tool

The only network activity the app performs is a one-time font download from Google Fonts when the app first launches, described in detail below.

3. SMS Access — Core Functionality Restricted Permission

spnd. requests READ_SMS and RECEIVE_SMS permissions to provide its core functionality: automatic transaction tracking from bank SMS alerts.

3.1 Why SMS Access Is Required

In India, banks send transaction alerts via SMS for every debit and credit. These SMS messages are the only real-time, programmatic source of transaction data available to consumers. Indian banks do not provide open APIs, webhooks, or any other mechanism for personal finance apps to access transaction data. SMS reading is the only technically viable method to automatically track expenses without manual entry.

3.2 How SMS Processing Works

3.3 SMS Filtering — Multi-Layer Protection

spnd. applies a strict, multi-layer filter before processing any SMS:

1. OTP rejection — 20+ patterns detect and immediately skip all OTP and verification code messages
2. Spam/promo rejection — 200+ patterns reject marketing, promotional, and non-transactional messages
3. URL filtering — non-bank URLs are rejected against a curated whitelist of Indian bank domains
4. Failed transaction rejection — failed, reversed, and declined transactions are filtered out
5. Currency validation — message must contain an amount in Indian currency format (INR, Rs., etc.)
6. Transaction type validation — message must contain a debit, credit, sent, or received indicator keyword
7. Sender validation — sender must be a known Indian bank sender ID (e.g., VM-ICICIB, AD-SBIINB, BZ-AXISBK) or the message must contain an account reference

3.4 What We Process vs. What We Ignore

3.5 Data Extracted from Bank SMS

From each qualifying bank SMS, spnd. extracts only the following fields:

3.6 Background SMS Processing

When granted SMS permission, spnd. uses Android's WorkManager to process incoming bank SMS in the background. This ensures transactions are captured even when the app is not open.

• Background processing follows the exact same filtering rules — only bank transaction SMS are processed
• WorkManager runs a periodic check every 15 minutes for any missed SMS
• Processing takes less than 1 second per SMS
• No persistent background service runs — the app wakes only briefly when needed
• You can revoke SMS permission at any time — the app continues to work in manual mode

4. All Permissions Explained

spnd. requests only the minimum permissions required for its features. Here is every permission the app uses and why:

5. Data Storage & Encryption

5.1 Local-Only Architecture

All your data resides exclusively on your device. There is no backend server, no API, no cloud database, and no remote storage of any kind under our control. When you uninstall the app, all data is permanently and irreversibly deleted from your phone.

5.2 Encryption Standards

5.3 What Is Stored in the Database

The encrypted local database contains the following tables:

• Transactions — parsed transaction records (amount, merchant, date, category, account, type, raw SMS text)
• Merchant rules — your custom categorization rules for merchants
• Settings — your app preferences (budget amounts, theme, notification settings)
• Account overrides — custom names or labels you assign to your bank accounts
• Manual accounts — any accounts you add manually
• Insights — locally computed spending insights and summaries

5.4 Security Features

• 4-digit PIN lock — prevents unauthorized access to the app; PIN is salted and hashed, never stored in plain text
• Biometric unlock — fingerprint or face recognition via Android's BiometricPrompt API as an alternative to PIN
• Screenshot protection — blocks screenshots and screen recording when enabled using Android's FLAG_SECURE; enabled by default
• Root detection — detects rooted devices and warns you that rooted devices may expose financial data to other apps; the app still works normally — it warns, never blocks
• HTTPS only — cleartext HTTP traffic is blocked at the Android level (usesCleartextTraffic=false); the limited network calls the app makes all use HTTPS
• Auto-lock — the app automatically locks after 60 seconds in the background (configurable)

6. Data Collection Summary

7. Data Sharing

spnd. does not share any user data with anyone. Specifically:

• The developer (Godi Narayana Swamy) has no way to access your data — there are no servers to receive it
• No third-party analytics providers (Google Analytics, Firebase Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude, etc.)
• No crash reporting services (Crashlytics, Sentry, Bugsnag, etc.)
• No other apps installed on your device
• No external server, API, or service of any kind

8. Local Backup

spnd. lets you save a password-protected backup file to your phone's storage. This is completely offline and does not require an internet connection.

8.1 How It Works

1. You tap "Backup" in Settings — this is never automatic
2. You set a backup password that only you know
3. The app exports your transaction data and encrypts it using AES-256-CBC with PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA256 key derivation (50,000 iterations)
4. The encrypted file is saved to a location you choose on your device

8.2 Important Details

• Encrypted: The backup file is encrypted with your password — without it, the file cannot be read by anyone
• Your control: You choose where to save the file and can delete it at any time
• Portable: The backup can be restored on any device where you know the password
• No internet: The entire backup and restore process is fully offline
• Unrecoverable if forgotten: If you forget the password, the backup cannot be recovered

9. Network Activity

The app performs only the following network activity:

The app does not phone home, check for updates, or communicate with any server.

10. Notifications & Alerts

All notifications in spnd. are local notifications generated on your device. They are not push notifications — there is no server sending them. You can disable any or all notification channels from Android Settings → Apps → spnd. → Notifications.

All notification content is computed locally from your on-device data. No spending information is transmitted to any server to generate these alerts.

11. User Consent Flow

spnd. follows a transparent, step-by-step consent process during onboarding:

1. SMS Permission Screen — clearly explains why SMS access is needed, with a visible option to skip
2. Android System Dialog — the standard Android runtime permission dialog is shown; you must actively tap "Allow"
3. Historical Import Choice — you choose how far back to import SMS (1 month, 3 months, or custom date)
4. Notification Permission — requested separately on Android 13+ with clear explanation

At no point is any permission enabled silently or without your explicit action.

12. User Controls & Your Rights

You have full control over your data at all times:

13. Data Retention

• Transaction data — retained on your device for as long as the app is installed. Permanently and irreversibly deleted when you uninstall the app or clear app data.
• Original SMS text — stored locally alongside parsed transaction data for reference and duplicate detection. Never transmitted. Deleted on uninstall.
• Settings & preferences — stored locally in encrypted storage. Deleted on uninstall.
• Local backup file — stored at the location you chose until you delete it. Encrypted with your password.
• No server-side retention — because there are no servers, there is no data retained anywhere outside your device.

14. Children's Privacy

spnd. is a financial management tool designed for adults. The app is not directed at children under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect any information from anyone, including children. Since the app stores all data locally and transmits nothing, no data from any user — adult or child — ever reaches us.

15. Compliance

spnd. is designed in compliance with:

• Google Play Developer Policy — including the Restricted Permissions policy for SMS access, with detailed justification for READ_SMS and RECEIVE_SMS usage
• Information Technology Act, 2000 (India) — including reasonable security practices for sensitive personal data as prescribed under the IT Rules, 2011
• Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (India) — data minimization (we collect only what is needed), purpose limitation (SMS is used only for expense tracking), and user control (you can disable any permission at any time)

16. Changes to This Policy

If we make material changes to this Privacy Policy, we will update the "Effective" date and version number at the top and notify users through an in-app notice. The latest version of this policy is always available within the app (Settings → About → Privacy Policy) and on our GitHub page. Continued use of the app after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

17. Contact Us

For questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your data: