Privacy Policy

Overview

This Privacy Policy describes how AlphaProject ("the App") handles information. The App is an unofficial companion tool for participants of Campus Outreach's Alpha Project summer program.

Data Stored on Your Device

The following data is created by you and stored entirely on your device. It never leaves your device and is not accessible to the developer or any third party:

• Journal entries you write within the app
• Photos you attach to journal entries
• Goals you create within the app
• Reminders or calendar events created via the system calendar and reminders integration
• Items you bookmark as favorites

This data is yours. Deleting the app removes all locally stored data from your device permanently.

Announcements Feature

The App includes an Announcements feature that displays messages sent by program staff. Here is exactly how it works:

• Staff send announcement messages via WhatsApp to a dedicated number managed by the developer
• Those messages are stored on a secure backend operated by the developer
• Your device makes a read-only network request to fetch and display those announcements
• You cannot send any data through this feature — it is receive-only

Push Notifications

If you grant notification permission, the App registers your device with Firebase Cloud Messaging (Google) and stores a randomly generated device token on the developer's backend. This token is used only to route push notifications to your device when a new announcement is posted.

• The token is a random string — it is not linked to your name, email, or any other personal information
• It is not used for advertising, analytics, or tracking
• It is not shared with any party other than Firebase, which acts as the notification delivery service

Firebase is a service provided by Google. Google's privacy policy is available at policies.google.com/privacy.

Device Permissions

The App may request the following device permissions:

• Camera & Photo Library — used only to let you attach photos to your own journal entries. Photos are stored locally on your device only.
• Calendar & Reminders — used only to let you create reminders for goals you set. The App does not read your existing calendar events.
• Notifications — used only to deliver push notifications when program staff post a new announcement. A device token is stored on the developer's backend for this purpose. Denying or revoking this permission disables push notifications but does not affect any other app functionality.

All permissions are optional and can be denied or revoked at any time in your device Settings without affecting core app functionality.

Advertising & Third Parties

The App contains no advertisements. The App does not use any analytics, tracking, or advertising SDKs. The only third-party service used is Firebase Cloud Messaging (Google), which is used solely to deliver push notifications. No data is shared with any other third party.

Children's Privacy

The App is intended for college students and program staff. It is not directed at children under the age of 13 and does not knowingly collect any information from children.

Changes to This Policy

If this Privacy Policy is updated, the revised version will be posted at this URL with an updated effective date. Continued use of the App after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact

Questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy? Reach out directly: