Privacy Policy

Effective date: November 2, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how the Pocket Balance Android app ("Pocket Balance", "the app", "we") handles your information. Pocket Balance is developed by Pocket Code Apps.

Summary

Your financial entries are stored on your device.
If you turn on Google Drive backup, the app saves backups to a private, hidden app folder in your own Google Drive.
The app sends crash reports and anonymous usage statistics to Google Firebase. These never contain your transactions, categories, notes or amounts.
The app contains no ads and does not use the advertising ID.
We do not operate servers that receive, store or sell your data.

Data stored on your device

The information you enter in Pocket Balance – transactions (amount, date, note, category), categories and settings such as theme, currency, first day of the week and reminder schedule – is stored locally in the app's private storage on your device. It is not sent to us.

PIN code

If you set a PIN, the app stores only a cryptographic hash of it, protected by a key in your device's Android Keystore that cannot be exported. The PIN never leaves your device: it is not included in Google Drive backups, Android backups or device-to-device transfers. While a PIN is set, the app also hides its content from the recent apps screen.

Google Drive backup

Backup is optional. If you choose a Google account and enable backup, Pocket Balance requests the https://www.googleapis.com/auth/drive.appdata permission ("See, create and delete its own configuration data in your Google Drive"). With this permission the app can only:

create, read, update and delete its own backup file in a hidden application data folder in your Google Drive.

The backup file contains your categories (including archived ones), transactions and display settings (theme, currency, first day of the week). It never contains your PIN. The app cannot see, open, modify or delete any other files in your Google Drive. The backup data travels directly between your device and Google Drive over an encrypted connection; it is never sent to us or any other third party.

The app stores the email address of the Google account you chose, only on your device, to show which account backups are saved to and to run scheduled backups. You can switch to another account in the app at any time; a complete reset in Settings removes it from the device.

How we use Google user data

Google user data is used solely to provide the backup and restore feature you enabled. We do not use it for advertising, do not sell it, do not transfer it to others, and do not use it to train any AI or machine learning models.

Pocket Balance's use and transfer of information received from Google APIs adheres to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.

Android backup

Separately from the in-app Google Drive backup, Android's built-in backup service may back up the app's local data (transactions, categories, settings and the chosen backup account) to your Google account, and copy it when you transfer data to a new device. This is controlled by you in your device's system settings and is handled by Google under its own privacy policy. Your PIN is excluded.

Third-party services

Pocket Balance uses the following services provided by Google:

Firebase Crashlytics – when the app crashes or hits a serious error, it sends a crash report: the technical error details (stack trace), app version, device model, Android version, the device state at the time (such as free memory and orientation) and a random installation identifier. It helps us find and fix bugs.
Google Analytics for Firebase – collects anonymous usage statistics such as app opens, sessions and screens viewed, together with the app version, device model, Android version, language and approximate country or region (derived from the IP address), linked to a random app instance identifier. It helps us understand which features are used. Advertising features and the advertising ID are disabled.
Google Drive API – only if you enable backup, as described above.

None of these services receive your transactions, amounts, notes, categories, PIN or Google Drive contents. Data collected by Firebase is processed by Google as described in Privacy and Security in Firebase and the Google Privacy Policy.

Permissions

Internet – for Google Drive backup and the Firebase services above.
Notifications – to show the reminders you set up. Reminder notifications never show amounts or balances.
Alarms & reminders and run at startup – to deliver reminders on time and to restore them after the device restarts.

Reminders are scheduled and shown entirely on your device.

Deleting your data

In the app: Settings offers resetting the app's contents (all transactions) or a complete reset (transactions, categories, settings and PIN).
On your device: uninstall the app or clear its data in Android settings.
In Google Drive: open Google Drive on the web, go to Settings → Manage apps, find Pocket Balance and choose "Delete hidden app data". You can also remove the app's access at myaccount.google.com/permissions.
Crash reports and usage statistics: these are linked only to random identifiers that are reset when you uninstall the app or clear its data. You can also email us to request their deletion.

Your rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to access, correct or delete your personal data, or to object to its processing. Almost all data is under your direct control on your device and in your own Google Drive. For anything else, contact us at the address below.

Children

Pocket Balance is not directed at children under 13 and we do not knowingly collect information from them.

Changes to this policy

If this policy changes, the updated version will be posted on this page with a new effective date.

Contact

Questions about privacy: support@pocketbalance.fyi