Privacy Policy
- You don't need an account or login to use Smart Caller ID.
- Your contacts are used, with your permission, to identify callers and are processed on your device — we do not upload your address book to our servers.
- The app is free and ad-supported. It uses Google AdMob for ads and Google Firebase (Analytics, Crashlytics, Remote Config, Cloud Messaging) for app measurement, stability, configuration, and notifications.
- These services collect device and usage data, including identifiers. On iOS, personalized advertising uses your device's advertising identifier only if you allow it through Apple's App Tracking Transparency prompt.
- We never sell your contacts or personal files. You can manage permissions and ad choices at any time in iOS Settings.
1. Who we are
Smart Caller ID ("the App", "we", "us", or "our") is an iOS application published by EXO Studio, based in Hanoi, Vietnam. The App helps you identify who is calling by matching phone numbers against the contacts on your device, and lets you review recent calls and manage a block list. EXO Studio is the data controller responsible for the App and for the processing described in this policy.
This Privacy Policy explains what information the App handles, why, which third-party services it relies on, and the choices and rights you have. It applies to your use of the Smart Caller ID iOS application and does not cover any third-party service or website you may access separately.
2. Information we collect
Smart Caller ID does not require you to create an account, sign in, or provide your name, email, or phone number to us in order to function. We collect as little information as possible for the App to work and to support it with advertising.
Contacts (processed on your device)
With your permission, the App reads the contacts stored on your device so it can match incoming or looked-up phone numbers against people you know and display a name for a caller. This matching happens locally on your device. We do not upload, copy, or store your address book on our servers.
Information you provide in the App
- Numbers you look up and entries you add to your block list, stored locally so the App can apply them.
- App settings and preferences (such as language), stored locally so the App remembers how you configured it.
Information collected automatically by third-party services
To display ads and to keep the App stable and improving, the third-party services listed in Section 3 automatically collect technical and usage information. Depending on the service and your choices, this can include:
- Device and app information — device model, operating system version, app version, language/region, and coarse network information such as IP address (which may be used to infer approximate, city-level location).
- Identifiers — advertising identifiers (for example Apple's IDFA, used for personalized ads only if you allow tracking), and pseudonymous app-instance or vendor identifiers used for analytics, configuration, and messaging.
- Usage and interaction events — screens viewed, features used, ad impressions and clicks, and similar in-app events.
- Diagnostics — crash logs, error reports, and device state at the time of a crash.
- A push notification token if you enable notifications.
We do not receive or store your contacts, call history, or personal files on our servers; those remain on your device.
3. Third-party services & SDKs
The App includes software development kits (SDKs) from Google that process data as independent or joint controllers/processors under their own privacy policies. We list them here for full transparency.
| Service | What it does in the App | Data it may process |
|---|---|---|
| Google AdMob (and mediation partners) | Serves the ads that keep the App free, and measures ad delivery and performance | Advertising identifier (with your consent), IP address, device and ad-interaction data |
| Firebase Analytics | Measures app usage and feature engagement to help us improve the App | App-instance ID, device/app info, usage events, coarse (IP-based) location |
| Firebase Crashlytics | Reports crashes and errors so we can diagnose and fix stability issues | Crash logs, device state, app version, pseudonymous installation identifiers |
| Firebase Remote Config | Lets us adjust configuration and feature flags (for example ad placement) without an app update | App-instance ID and basic device attributes used to deliver configuration |
| Firebase Cloud Messaging | Delivers push notifications, if you enable them | A device push token and message delivery data |
| Apple App Store | Distributes the App and processes any transactions | Handled by Apple under Apple's privacy policy |
You can review these providers' policies here: Google Privacy Policy, How Google uses data from apps that use its services, Firebase Privacy & Security, and Apple Privacy Policy.
4. Advertising & App Tracking Transparency
Smart Caller ID is free and supported by ads served through Google AdMob and its mediation partners. Ads can be personalized (based on advertising identifiers and profiles) or non-personalized (based only on coarse context such as approximate location and app content).
On iOS, the App uses Apple's App Tracking Transparency framework. Advertising partners may use your device's advertising identifier (IDFA) for personalized ads and cross-app measurement only if you tap "Allow" on the tracking prompt. If you choose "Ask App Not to Track", the App and its partners will not use the IDFA to track you, and you may still see non-personalized ads. You can change this choice at any time in Settings → Privacy & Security → Tracking.
Where required (for example, for users in the European Economic Area and the UK), the App also presents a consent message through Google's User Messaging Platform so you can accept or manage how partners use your data for advertising, in line with applicable law.
5. How we use information
| Data | Purpose | Legal basis (GDPR) |
|---|---|---|
| Contacts (matched on-device) | To identify callers and match numbers to people you know | Your consent (granted through the iOS permission prompt) |
| Block list & local settings | To apply your preferences and provide core functionality | Performance of the service / legitimate interest |
| Usage & diagnostic data (Firebase) | To measure engagement, fix crashes, and improve reliability | Legitimate interest, or your consent where required |
| Advertising data (AdMob) | To display ads that keep the App free and to measure them | Your consent (personalized ads / tracking); legitimate interest (non-personalized ads) |
| Push notification token | To deliver notifications you have enabled | Your consent |
We do not use your information for automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects.
6. Data sharing
We do not sell your contacts, call information, or personal files. We do not upload your address book to our servers.
Information is shared only as follows:
- With the service providers in Section 3 (Google AdMob and Firebase), which process device, usage, and advertising data to provide advertising, analytics, stability, configuration, and messaging on our behalf or as independent controllers under their own policies.
- Legal requirements — when required by applicable law, regulation, legal process, or an enforceable governmental request.
- Protection of rights and safety — where necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of EXO Studio, our users, or the public.
- Business transfer — if EXO Studio is involved in a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to this policy.
Note for California residents: the use of advertising identifiers for personalized advertising may be considered "sharing" (for cross-context behavioral advertising) under California law. You can opt out by declining the App Tracking Transparency prompt or enabling "Ask App Not to Track" — see Section 4 and Section 11.
7. Data retention
Contacts, block-list entries, and settings remain on your device for as long as you keep them in the App; deleting them in the App or uninstalling the App removes the associated on-device data through the operating system.
Data collected by Google AdMob and Firebase is retained according to Google's retention policies and the settings we configure (for example, Firebase Analytics data retention). Crash and diagnostic data is kept only for as long as it is useful for improving reliability, after which it is deleted or aggregated.
8. Data security
We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect information handled by the App, including keeping your contacts and personal content on your device, relying on the security features and sandboxing provided by iOS, and using reputable providers that encrypt data in transit.
No method of electronic storage or transmission is completely secure. While we work to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. Keeping your device and operating system up to date and using a passcode or biometric lock further protects your data.
9. Device permissions
iOS asks for your explicit permission before the App can access certain features or data. You can grant or revoke each permission at any time in your device's Settings. The App requests only the permissions it needs.
| Permission | Why it is requested | Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Contacts | To match phone numbers against your contacts and identify callers; processed on-device only | Recommended — the core caller-identification feature depends on it |
| Notifications | To deliver alerts you have enabled, via Firebase Cloud Messaging | Optional |
| Tracking (App Tracking Transparency) | To allow the use of the advertising identifier for personalized ads and cross-app measurement | Optional — declining still allows non-personalized ads |
| Network access | To load ads, fetch remote configuration, and send diagnostics | Needed for ad-supported and networked features |
Denying a permission may disable the specific feature that depends on it, but will not prevent you from using the rest of the App.
10. Children's privacy
Smart Caller ID is a general-purpose utility and is not directed to children under the age of 13 (or the minimum age required in your jurisdiction), and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will take appropriate steps to delete it.
11. Your rights (GDPR & CCPA)
Depending on where you live, you may have specific rights regarding your personal information. Because most of your content stays on your device, in many cases you can exercise these rights directly through iOS Settings and the App.
If you are in the European Economic Area or United Kingdom (GDPR)
You have the right to access, correct, delete, restrict, or object to the processing of your personal data, the right to data portability, and the right to withdraw consent at any time (for example, by changing your tracking or notification choices in iOS Settings, or the advertising consent choice in the App). You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.
If you are a California resident (CCPA/CPRA)
You have the right to know what personal information is collected, to request access to or deletion of that information, to correct inaccurate information, and to opt out of the "sale" or "sharing" of personal information. We do not sell your personal information for money. To opt out of the sharing of advertising identifiers for cross-context behavioral advertising, decline the App Tracking Transparency prompt or enable "Ask App Not to Track" in iOS Settings. You will not be discriminated against for exercising your rights.
To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details in the Contact us section. We will respond within the timeframes required by applicable law and may need to verify your request before acting on it.
12. International transfers
EXO Studio is based in Hanoi, Vietnam. The third-party services we use (Google AdMob and Firebase) operate globally, so the technical and usage data they collect may be processed in the United States and other countries whose data protection laws may differ from those in your country. Where such transfers are subject to laws like the GDPR, these providers rely on recognized safeguards such as standard contractual clauses. If you contact us by email, your message may be processed in Vietnam or where our email provider operates.
13. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to the App, our practices, or legal requirements. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, provide additional notice within the App. Your continued use of the App after an update means you accept the revised policy.
14. Contact us
If you have questions, requests, or concerns about this Privacy Policy or your information, please contact us:
- EXO Studio — Hanoi, Vietnam
- Email: exostudio.feedback@gmail.com