Vaani Privacy Policy
Plain-language notice. Vaani is operated by Lohit Kumar. For privacy questions, data requests or complaints, email lohitkumardm@gmail.com.
This policy explains what Vaani collects, why it is needed, where it is processed, how long it is kept, and how you can exercise your choices. It applies to the Android app, Vaani backend and hosted Vaani pages.
1. Data and purposes
| Data | Why we use it | Where / retention |
|---|---|---|
| Phone number and Firebase account identifiers | Phone/OTP sign-in, account security, usage limits and subscription/account status. | Firebase Authentication and Vaani backend while the account exists, subject to provider retention and legal/security needs. |
| Voice recordings | To transcribe and clean speech after you tap the microphone. Vaani can understand speech in supported languages and can produce the result in another language you choose — see "Language conversion" below. | Recorded temporarily on the device and sent through Vaani to the AI processing provider when the online audio pipeline is used. Vaani deletes the local temporary file after processing or failure and does not intentionally retain audio as a product record. Provider processing is subject to its applicable terms and settings. |
| Clipboard text (Clean up / Reply tools) | When you choose a feature such as Clean up or Reply, Vaani uses the text you copied to create the result you requested. Vaani does not continuously monitor your clipboard — this only happens when you invoke one of these tools. | Processed in the request path, the same as dictated text below. Vaani does not read your clipboard in the background or outside of a Clean up/Reply request you start. |
| Language conversion | Vaani can understand speech in supported languages and can produce the result in another language you choose — for example, you can speak naturally in your preferred language and ask Vaani to produce clear English. Automatic language detection and translation can be imperfect, especially with accents, mixed languages, names or numbers. | Processed in the request path, using the same AI provider as transcription and cleanup. |
| Dictated text, generated results and tool requests | To return the requested transcription, rewrite, translation, tone or AI tool result and perform an Insert, Copy or Share action, and to support reliable delivery if a request needs to be retried or recovered (for example after a dropped connection). | We may keep generated results to support reliable delivery and recovery. They are removed when your account is deleted and may also be removed through our data-retention processes. If History is enabled, selected results are also stored locally on your device until you delete them or disable History. |
| Usage counts and plan information | To enforce limits, measure feature usage and support the account. | Vaani backend while the account exists, then deletion is requested through account deletion. |
| FCM device token, notification and push-delivery health | To deliver optional reminders about unfinished setup, app features, usage limits, account status or returning to the app, to measure delivery interactions, and to detect and repair a broken notification token (for example after a permission change or an inactive token) so reminders keep working reliably. | Stored with the signed-in account while the device is registered; removed through account deletion or token cleanup where available. |
| Analytics and diagnostic data | Firebase Analytics measures product events (feature usage, success/failure, setup progress, notification delivery status, push health, app version, Android/device version); Crashlytics records crashes and non-fatal diagnostics so we can fix reliability issues. We do not use your message content, clipboard text, contacts or recipient names for product analytics. | Processed by Firebase under Google's terms and retention controls. We do not intentionally put dictated message content, clipboard content, or generated text into analytics event parameters. |
| Advertising and device signals | Google AdMob displays banner ads on Home and History. Where required, Google's consent flow controls personalised advertising. | Processed by Google AdMob under Google's terms. You can review available ad choices in Settings; Android advertising controls may also apply. |
| Feedback, ratings and problem reports | To answer you, reproduce a problem you report, and decide what to fix next. A problem report also attaches your phone model, Android version and Vaani version, because those are what make a fault reproducible; a rating attaches the star score and any comment you choose to write. | Vaani backend while the report is open and for a reasonable period afterwards for follow-up and fix verification. Removed through account deletion. Only you and the Vaani operator can read them. What you type here is up to you — please do not include passwords, payment details or other sensitive information. |
| Support replies sent to you | To deliver the operator’s reply to your feedback, rating or problem report, shown under “Messages from Vaani” in the app and, if notifications are on, as a notification. | Vaani backend with your account until you delete the account. Removed through account deletion. |
| Local preferences | Language, tone, motion, notification, overlay, consent and floating-bubble settings. | Stored locally on the device. They are not automatically removed when a server account is deleted; clear app data or uninstall if you want to remove them. |
2. Permissions and sensitive access
- Microphone: records speech only when you start a dictation or the product flow otherwise explicitly starts recording.
- Display over other apps: shows the floating microphone and result popup above other apps.
- Accessibility service: used only to place Vaani's result into the text field you currently have focused, and only after you explicitly choose Insert — it never inserts automatically. Vaani never presses Send or submits anything on your behalf, and never uses this permission for navigation unrelated to that one Insert action. Android may expose text-field/UI metadata to the enabled accessibility service while it is on; Vaani does not use this permission to act autonomously or outside of an Insert you chose. Clipboard-based tools (Clean up/Reply) are a separate, independently user-invoked feature — see section 1 — and do not rely on or use the accessibility service.
- Notifications: optional Android notifications for reminders about unfinished setup, app features, usage limits, account status, returning to the app, product information and campaigns where enabled. You can control notifications in your device settings at any time.
- Battery and wake-lock permissions: help keep the foreground voice service available and do not themselves identify you.
3. Service providers and sharing
Vaani uses Firebase Authentication, Firebase Functions/hosting, Firebase Analytics, Firebase Crashlytics, Firebase Cloud Messaging, Google Gemini for AI processing, and Google AdMob for advertising. They receive only the data needed for their service roles and may process it in countries outside India under their own terms and privacy commitments. Vaani does not sell dictated content or phone numbers. We may disclose information when required by law, to protect users/service security, or during a lawful business transfer.
3a. Optional community links
Vaani links to an official WhatsApp channel from Home and Settings. Following it is entirely optional and happens inside WhatsApp, not inside Vaani. We do not add anyone to it, we do not send your phone number or any account data to WhatsApp or Meta in order to do this, and we do not learn who follows. A WhatsApp channel is broadcast-only: followers are not visible to each other, and are not visible to us. If you follow, your use of WhatsApp is governed by WhatsApp's own terms and privacy policy, not this one. You can unfollow at any time inside WhatsApp without affecting your Vaani account.
We do not add users to WhatsApp groups. Group members can see each other's phone numbers, so we do not use your number for that or for any community, marketing or messaging purpose. Your number is used only for the purposes listed in section 1.
4. Consent and choices
Before requesting a phone OTP, you must affirmatively agree to these Terms and this Privacy Policy. You can withdraw consent or request deletion by emailing us or deleting your account in Settings. You can revoke Android permissions, turn off History, disable notifications, change ad privacy choices, or stop using the service. Withdrawal may prevent features that need the withdrawn permission.
5. Retention and deletion
Usage records mean counts, not message content. The usage record used for limits is a numeric count of how many eligible requests or uses occurred, together with plan and date metadata. It does not contain what you said, what Vaani typed, your transcript, your generated message, or the text inserted into WhatsApp, Gmail or another app. This is separate from the generated-result retention described directly below and in section 1. Text is stored locally only when you enable History and the app saves a result there.
We keep account, plan and usage records while needed to operate the account and meet security, fraud-prevention, accounting or legal obligations. Temporary voice files are deleted from the app's processing path after completion or failure; this does not control retention by an external provider acting under its own terms. We may keep generated results (transcriptions, rewrites, translations and other AI tool output) to support reliable delivery and recovery — for example, so a request interrupted by a dropped connection can be safely retried without creating a duplicate. Account deletion is available in Settings and at our external deletion page. Server account records, including generated results, are deleted through that process and may also be removed through our data-retention processes before then; local device data, app preferences and locally saved History require clearing the app or deleting History on the device.
6. Your requests and complaints
Subject to applicable law, you may ask for information about your personal data, correction, deletion, withdrawal of consent or a complaint review. Email lohitkumardm@gmail.com with the phone number or account identifier needed to locate your account; we may verify identity before acting. We will respond within the period required by applicable law. If you are in India, this is also the contact route for a privacy grievance. If a formal grievance or data-protection contact is appointed, the details will be published on this page.
7. Children
Vaani is not directed to children under the minimum age required in their country. We do not knowingly create accounts for children without legally required consent. Contact us if you believe a child provided personal data.
8. Updates
We may update this policy when the app, providers or law changes. The current version and effective date will be published here. Material changes may also be shown in the app.