1. Who We Are

Serat (صراط — The Straight Path) is an Islamic lifestyle application for iOS and Apple Watch, developed independently. For any privacy-related questions, contact us at happy_ending2007@yahoo.com.

2. Data We Do NOT Collect

We do not collect, store, or transmit:

• Your name, email address, or any identifying information
• Your GPS coordinates (location is used only on-device for prayer times and Qibla)
• Your prayer activity, dhikr counts, or spiritual habits
• Audio recordings (microphone is processed locally and immediately discarded)
• Device identifiers for advertising or tracking
• Financial or payment information
• Contacts, photos, or any content outside the app

We do not use Google Analytics, Facebook SDK, or any behavioral analytics or advertising service.

3. Data Processed On-Device Only

The following is processed entirely on your device and never transmitted:

• Location — Used solely to calculate prayer times and Qibla direction using the Umm Al-Qura astronomical method. Never sent to any server.
• Microphone — Used for Voice Dhikr recognition and Arabic pronunciation practice. Processed locally in real time. No audio is ever recorded, stored, or transmitted.
• App preferences — Language, wallpaper, notifications, bookmarks, and Zakat data are stored locally on your device using iOS UserDefaults and CoreData.

4. Community Feature (Firebase)

The Community section uses Firebase (Google LLC) for anonymous real-time chat. If you use this feature:

• You are signed in completely anonymously — no email, phone number, or real identity is required or collected
• You are assigned a randomly generated Islamic alias (e.g., "Abu Al-Sabr") — this is the only "identity" that exists
• Your approximate city name (not GPS coordinates) may be stored to power the Nearby Muslims feature
• Messages are stored on Firebase servers located in the EU (europe-west1, Belgium)
• All community messages are automatically and permanently deleted after 6 days
• You may stop using the Community feature at any time with no consequences

Firebase is operated by Google LLC and subject to Google's privacy policy: policies.google.com/privacy. Firebase's specific terms are at firebase.google.com/support/privacy.

5. Push Notifications

Prayer time notifications are delivered via Apple Push Notification service (APNs). Notification content — prayer names and times — is generated entirely on your device. No personal data is transmitted to our servers to deliver notifications.

6. Apple Watch

Prayer times are synced between your iPhone and Apple Watch using Apple's WatchConnectivity framework. Data passes only between your own devices through Apple's secure peer-to-peer channel and is not accessible to us.

7. Third-Party Services Summary

• Firebase (Google LLC) — Anonymous community chat only. EU servers. Auto-deletes after 6 days. See Section 4.
• Apple Maps — Used only when you tap "Find your local mosque." Opens externally in Apple Maps. Subject to Apple's privacy policy.
• Apple Speech Framework — On-device only for Voice Dhikr and pronunciation. No audio transmitted.
• Apple Push Notification Service — For prayer time alerts. No personal data transmitted. See Section 5.

8. Children's Privacy

Serat is suitable for all ages. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. The Community feature is intended for users aged 13 and older, in accordance with Apple's App Store guidelines and applicable law.

9. Data Retention

• On-device data (preferences, Zakat records, bookmarks) — retained until you delete the app
• Anonymous Firebase community messages — auto-deleted after 6 days
• Anonymous Firebase user accounts — expire automatically after 180 days of inactivity
• We have no servers of our own that store any user data

10. Your Rights

Because we do not collect personal data, there is generally nothing to access, correct, export, or delete on our end. For community data:

• All messages delete automatically after 6 days
• You may request immediate deletion of any associated community data by contacting us
• Residents of the EU / EEA have rights under GDPR — contact us at the email below to exercise them
• California residents have rights under CCPA — we do not sell personal data as defined by CCPA

11. Data Security

Community data on Firebase is stored in Google's enterprise-grade EU infrastructure with encryption at rest and in transit (TLS). On-device data is protected by iOS security, your device passcode, and biometric authentication.

12. Changes to This Policy

We will update this policy as the app evolves. The effective date at the top of this page will always reflect the most current version. Significant changes will be communicated via an in-app notice.

13. Contact Us

For privacy questions, data requests, or to exercise your rights under GDPR or CCPA: