Privacy Policy
FAKE CALL
Our position
The developer of Fake Call (the "App") does not collect any personal information or usage data. The developer of the App operates no servers and has no means of receiving users' data.
All data, including fake contacts, schedules, images, and audio files, is stored on the user's device, and the App never transmits it to any server or third party.
However, the free plan shows Google ads on the home screen. To serve these ads, Google obtains some information directly from the device (see "Advertising" below).
The App connects to a network in only three situations:
- When purchasing Premium or restoring a purchase (communication with the App Store or Google Play; see below)
- When displaying this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service inside the App (loading this page; see below)
- When showing an ad on the home screen in the free plan (communication with Google AdMob; see below)
If the user has device backup enabled (such as iCloud Backup or Google's backup), the App's data is included in that backup like any other app's data (see below). That is a function of the operating system, not a transmission by the App.
Information the developer does not collect
The developer of the App neither obtains nor receives any of the following.
- Information that identifies the user, such as name, email address, or phone number
- Device identifiers (IDFA, advertising ID, IMEI, and the like)
- Location data
- Data belonging to other apps on the device, such as contacts, calendar, or call history
- Camera images or microphone audio (the App never records audio)
- Usage statistics, crash logs, or analytics of any kind
The App contains no analytics SDK. The only third-party SDK it contains is the Google Mobile Ads SDK, which shows ads. Information obtained by this SDK is received by Google, and no information about individual users is passed to the developer (see "Advertising" below).
The caller names and phone numbers registered as fake contacts are fictitious information that the user enters freely for display on the incoming call screen, and they are stored only on the device.
Information stored on the device
The following is stored only on the user's device, solely to make the App work.
| Stored data | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Fake contacts (caller name, phone number, icon image, ringtone, call screen style, call duration, background image, time last used) | To reproduce the incoming call screen |
| Fake call schedules (scheduled time and repeat settings) | To ring at the scheduled time |
| Custom ringtones and custom voice files (Premium) | To play the audio the user has chosen |
| Settings (language, default call screen, default ringtone, ringer behavior, onboarding completion, notification permission status) | To carry settings over to the next launch |
| Premium purchase status | To enable the features the user has purchased |
| Names and icons of recently used fake contacts (up to 4 names) | To show them on the home screen widget and in the app icon's shortcuts |
The last item is stored in an on-device area shared between the App and its widget (such as an App Group on iOS) and registered with the operating system's shortcut feature. It is never sent off the device.
Uninstalling the App removes all of this from the device.
This data is included in device backups (such as iCloud Backup or Google's backup). It may be carried over when you reinstall the App or restore a new device from a backup.
Information shown on screen
The registered caller name and icon appear in the following places.
- The incoming call screen (which may appear over the lock screen)
- Notifications for scheduled calls
- The home screen widget
- The shortcuts shown when you long-press the app icon
They are only displayed on the device's screen and are never transmitted, but please be aware that people around you may be able to see them.
Device permissions
The App uses the following permissions only for the stated purposes.
| Permission | Platform | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Notifications | iOS / Android | To show the incoming call notification at the scheduled time |
| Exact alarms | Android | To notify exactly on time even while the device is asleep |
| Full-screen notifications | Android | To show the incoming call across the whole screen |
| Vibration | Android | To vibrate when a call comes in |
| Boot completed | Android | To register scheduled calls again after the device restarts |
| Photo library | iOS | To let the user choose a caller icon or background image |
| Microphone | iOS | To play the in-call audio through the earpiece, as in a real call (nothing is recorded or sent) |
| Internet access | Android | To display the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service inside the App, and to show ads in the free plan (see below) |
The Android version also includes permissions declared by the libraries it contains (checking the network state, keeping the device awake, background work, and Google Play billing). The App never uses them to send any information.
The App asks for photo library access only when the user chooses to pick an image. On Android, the App uses the system image picker and does not request access to the whole photo library. Audio files such as custom ringtones are likewise read only when the user selects them in the system file picker.
On Android, the App reads the device's ringer mode to decide whether to play the ringtone. This check is made on the device, and the result is never transmitted.
On iOS, the App asks for microphone permission because the system requires it to route audio to the earpiece. The App never records, stores, or transmits microphone audio. If permission is denied, the in-call audio plays through the speaker.
Declining any permission disables only the related feature; everything else remains usable.
Advertising
In the free plan, the App shows a banner ad from Google AdMob, an advertising service provided by Google LLC, at the bottom of the home screen. No ads appear on the incoming call screen, the in-call screen, or the settings screen. Purchasing Premium removes the ad.
The App requests non-personalized ads only (ads not based on the user's interests), limited to content suitable for all ages. The App does not ask for permission to track the user across other companies' apps and websites (the iOS "Allow Apps to Request to Track" permission).
To serve ads, prevent fraud, and measure ad performance, Google may obtain the following information from the device.
- IP address (which may be used to estimate the approximate location)
- Device identifiers (identifiers scoped to the app or developer; because the App does not ask for tracking permission, the iOS advertising identifier, IDFA, is not obtained)
- Information about interactions with ads, such as the ads shown and tapped
- Performance information, such as app launch time, and diagnostic information, such as crashes
The App never passes the content the user registers in the App, such as fake contacts, schedules, images, or audio files, to the ad SDK.
For how Google handles this information, see:
- How Google uses information from sites or apps that use our services
- Google's advertising policies
- Google Privacy Policy
Premium purchases
Premium purchases and restores are handled through the App Store (Apple Inc.) or Google Play (Google LLC). Payment information is processed by those companies, and the developer of the App never receives the user's Apple ID, Google account, or payment details. The App only receives whether the purchase succeeded and stores that result on the device.
For how those companies handle information, please refer to their privacy policies.
Displaying these policies in the App
When you open this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service from the App's settings, the App loads this page (published on GitHub Pages). As with visiting any website, GitHub may record access information such as your IP address. The developer of the App does not receive this information. For details, see the GitHub General Privacy Statement.
Disclosure to third parties
Because the developer collects no information about users, there is nothing to disclose to third parties. To serve ads in the free plan, however, Google obtains information directly from the device (see "Advertising" above).
Deleting data
Users can delete their data in the following ways.
- Delete individual fake contacts, schedules, custom ringtones, or custom voice files from their screens
- Use "Delete All Data" in Settings to remove all fake contacts, schedules, custom ringtones, and custom voice files at once (the Premium purchase status and some settings, such as language, are kept)
- Uninstall the App, which removes all data from the device
Children's privacy
The App may be used at any age, and the developer collects no personal information from any user. Ads in the free plan are non-personalized and limited to content suitable for all ages.
Changes to this policy
If this policy changes, this page will be updated and the "last updated" date revised. Significant changes will also be noted in the App's release notes.
Contact
For questions about this policy or the App, please contact us at pontapon.support@gmail.com.