Japa Bhakti Counter is a chanting-counter app built to support daily japa practice. This page explains, plainly, what information the app touches, why, and who it passes through on the way.
Who this is
Japa Bhakti Counter is developed and operated by an independent developer under the Bhaktivedanta London account. For any question about this policy or your data, reach out using the contact details at the bottom of this page.
What the app collects, and why
The app is usable as a local chanting counter without ever creating an account. Signing in unlocks cross-device sync and Supporter features, and is where the data below comes from.
- Account sign-in
- When you sign in with Google, we receive your name, email address, and profile photo from your Google account, via Firebase Authentication. This identifies your account so your progress can sync.
- Chanting & app progress
- Your round counts, Bhakti point balance, unlocked backgrounds/icons/effects/music, equipped settings, and streak history are stored against your account in Firestore, Google's cloud database, so they carry over between devices.
- Subscription status
- If you subscribe to Supporter, Google Play processes the payment directly — we never see your card details. Your subscription's active/inactive status is shared with RevenueCat, a subscription-management service, so the app knows which features to unlock.
- Advertising
- The app shows optional rewarded ads (for a temporary Bhakti boost, or to preview a locked item) via Google AdMob. AdMob may use advertising identifiers to select and measure ads, governed by Google's own advertising privacy practices.
- Music downloads
- Ambient chanting-music tracks are downloaded on demand from Firebase Storage and cached on your device. No personal data is sent as part of this — it's a one-way file download.
- On-device only
- Local notification reminders, vibration feedback, and your chanting data before you ever sign in are stored only on your device (via Hive, a local database) and are never transmitted anywhere.
- Marketing communications
- At sign-in, you can optionally tick a box to receive occasional updates and news about the app by email. This is unticked by default — nothing is sent unless you actively opt in, and you can change your mind at any time.
We do not currently use any analytics or crash-reporting tool — nothing about your session, taps, or usage patterns is collected beyond what's listed above.
Who we share it with
We don't sell your data. It passes through the services that make the app work, each acting on our behalf:
- Google Firebase — authentication, cloud sync (Firestore), and music file storage.
- Google AdMob — serving the app's optional rewarded ads.
- Google Play Billing & RevenueCat — processing and verifying the Supporter subscription.
Each of these operates under its own privacy terms alongside ours.
How long we keep it
Cloud-synced data is retained for as long as your account exists. If you'd like your account and its associated data deleted, visit our account deletion page or contact us using the email below and we'll process the request.
Your choices
- You can use the core chanting counter entirely offline, without ever signing in.
- Signing out at any time stops further cloud sync; previously synced data remains until deletion is requested.
- Ads are entirely optional and only shown when you choose to watch one for a reward.
Children
Japa Bhakti Counter is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under that age.
Changes to this policy
If this policy changes, the effective date at the top of this page will be updated. Continued use of the app after a change means you accept the revised policy.