Who we are
Sarmad is an app and website made by Mohamed Hamed, an independent developer based in Egypt (“we”, “us”). This policy covers the Sarmad app for Android and the website at sarmadsounds.app.
If you have a question about privacy, write to support@sarmadsounds.app.
The app
What the app does not collect
Sarmad does not ask for, collect or send us any personal data. There is no account and no sign-in. The app contains no advertising, and it does not track you across other apps or websites. It does not read your contacts, location, microphone, camera or photos, and it reads a file only if you choose to attach one to a bug report.
What stays on your phone
To work, the app keeps a few things in its own private storage on your device:
- your settings, such as theme, language, sleep timer and fade length
- slider positions and the mixes you choose to save
- whether you have bought the app, as reported by Google Play
- a random identifier and the date you first opened the app, used to run the 14-day free trial
This information never leaves your device through Sarmad, and we cannot see it. Uninstalling the app, or clearing its storage in Android settings, deletes it.
If Android backup is turned on for your phone, Android may include these settings, and the trial identifier, in your device backup. We do this so that reinstalling the app does not restart your free trial, and Google Play Services may keep the identifier for the same reason. That backup is handled by Google under its own privacy policy, and we cannot see it.
Crash, performance and usage reports
To find and fix problems, the app sends anonymous reports through a reporting service called Luciq. They cover crashes and bugs, how quickly the app starts and runs, and anonymous usage patterns, such as which screens are used and how often. A report includes technical details such as the app version, Android version and device model. A report can also include screenshots or short recordings of Sarmad's own screens, which show nothing personal, and a random install identifier created by the reporting service. It contains no name, email address, account or advertising ID, and IP address collection is turned off. If you choose to attach a file to a bug report, the app asks your permission first. We use reports only to fix and improve the app.
Permissions
- Notifications. Used to show play, pause and stop controls while music plays. On Android 13 and later, Sarmad asks the first time you start a session. You can say no and still use the app.
- Media playback in the background. Lets the music keep playing when the screen is off, and lets the sleep timer stop it.
- Files. Only if you choose to attach a file to a bug report, the app asks to read it.
Internet
The music is generated on your device. Sarmad does not stream or download anything while you listen, and works in airplane mode. The app uses the internet only to send the anonymous reports described above.
Purchases
You buy Sarmad through Google Play. Google processes the payment under the Google Privacy Policy. We never receive your card or bank details.
The 14-day free trial does not ask for any payment details and never charges you. After it ends, the app asks you to buy it through Google Play.
Like every developer on Google Play, we can see limited order information, such as an order number, date, country and amount. We use it only to deal with refunds and support questions, and never for marketing.
This website
This website has no cookies, no analytics and no advertising. It loads no fonts, scripts or images from other companies.
- Theme choice. If you pick a theme, your browser remembers it in local storage on your device. It is never sent to us.
- The sound sample. The sample on the home page is generated in your browser. It sends nothing anywhere.
- Server logs. The site is hosted by Cloudflare Pages. Like most hosts, they may keep short-lived technical logs, such as IP address, browser type, the page requested and the time, to keep the site secure and running. We do not use these logs to identify anyone.
If you email us
When you write to us, we receive your email address and whatever you include in your message. We use it only to reply and to help with your question. Our email is handled by Fastmail.
We keep support emails for up to 24 months so we can follow up on the same problem, then delete them. You can ask us to delete them sooner at any time.
Children
Sarmad is not directed at children under 13. The app collects no personal data from anyone, including children. If you believe a child has emailed us and you want that message deleted, contact us and we will delete it.
Your rights
Depending on where you live, laws such as the EU and UK General Data Protection Regulation, Egypt’s Personal Data Protection Law (Law No. 151 of 2020) and the California Consumer Privacy Act give you rights over your personal data. These include the right to know what we hold about you, to get a copy, to correct it, to delete it and to object to how we use it.
In practice, the only personal data we might hold is an email you sent us. To use any of these rights, write to us and we will answer within 30 days. You also have the right to complain to your local data protection authority.
We do not sell or share personal information, and we do not use it for targeted advertising.
Where the GDPR applies, our legal basis for handling your emails and server logs is our legitimate interest in answering you and keeping the website secure.
Where data is processed
Our email, hosting and crash-reporting providers may process data in countries other than yours. We choose providers that protect data with appropriate safeguards, such as standard contractual clauses.
Security
The website is served only over HTTPS. Because the app keeps everything on your device, the main protection for your settings is your phone’s own lock screen and encryption.
Changes to this policy
If we change this policy, we will update the date at the top of this page. If a change affects what the app collects, we will say so on this page and in the release notes on Google Play before it takes effect. We do not show notices inside the app, so we cannot notify you there.
Contact
Mohamed Hamed
Email: support@sarmadsounds.app