# Privacy Policy Effective date: July 12, 2026 App name: Nepal HelpLine Publisher: Bishow Adhikari Package name: com.bishow.nepalhelpline Nepal HelpLine is an offline-first public phone directory and emergency contact app for Nepal. The app is designed to help users quickly find emergency numbers, public service contacts, hospitals, ambulance services, police contacts, government offices, utilities, tourism contacts, ward offices, and related public information. This Privacy Policy explains what information the app uses, how it is stored, and how users can control it. Nepal HelpLine is designed to work without login, without advertising, and without unnecessary personal information collection. ## 1. Important emergency notice Nepal HelpLine is a directory and reference app. Contact details are collected from public sources and may change. For urgent emergencies, call national emergency numbers first and verify critical services where possible. Nepal HelpLine is not an official government emergency dispatch system. The app does not guarantee that every listed contact is current, available, verified, or appropriate for every situation. ## 2. Information the app provides The app displays public contact directory information such as: - Organisation names - Public phone numbers and hotline numbers - Public email addresses and websites - Public addresses and service areas - Categories such as emergency services, hospitals, police, utilities, tourism, ward offices, and government services - Verification status, source type, source URL, notes, and last checked information This public directory data is not personal information entered by the user. It is bundled with the app and may also be updated from a remote public data file. The app is independent and does not represent, endorse, or act on behalf of any government entity. Every published directory record includes an original source URL. A complete record-level source register and a source URL index are available at: https://nepal-helpline-data.pages.dev/docs/official_sources.md https://nepal-helpline-data.pages.dev/docs/contact_sources.csv ## 3. Information you may choose to provide Nepal HelpLine may let you enter or select the following information: ### Personal emergency contacts You may optionally add personal emergency contacts, such as a spouse, family member, friend, or trusted contact. This may include: - Contact name - Phone number - Relationship or note - Preferred action, such as call or text - Optional photo selected from your device These personal emergency contacts are stored locally on your device. They are not uploaded to Nepal HelpLine servers by the current version of the app. ### Default address or location preference You may optionally choose a default address mode: - Manual location selected from province, district, and palika options - GPS/current location - Last searched location Manual and last searched location preferences are stored locally on your device so the app can autofill search and location filters. ### Correction suggestions You may submit correction suggestions inside the app, such as: - Wrong number - New number - Closed office - Duplicate entry - Missing organisation - Other correction In the current version, correction suggestions are saved locally on your device as pending review. They do not automatically update the public directory database. ## 4. Device permissions used by the app Nepal HelpLine requests only the permissions needed for app functionality. ### Internet The app may use internet access to: - Download the latest public contact directory data - Open public websites listed in contact details - Open online legal documents if available If internet is not available, the app continues using cached local data or bundled offline seed data. ### Emergency alert notifications If you choose to turn on **National emergency alerts** in the app, Nepal HelpLine uses Firebase Cloud Messaging, a Google service, to deliver opted-in notification messages to your device. The app subscribes the device to a nationwide alert topic and may store the latest received alert locally so it can be shown when the app opens. Alert notifications may include a title, message, source name, source URL, issue time, and public-safety instructions. The app requests notification permission before subscribing. You can turn alerts off in the app or revoke notification permission in your device settings. Firebase and the device operating system may process technical delivery information, such as a Firebase installation or registration token, device/app metadata, IP address, notification delivery status, and message interaction information, under their own privacy terms. Nepal HelpLine does not use notification tokens to identify you, sell personal data, or build advertising profiles. National emergency alerts are optional informational notices. They may be delayed, unavailable, muted, filtered, or blocked by device settings, operating-system limits, network conditions, or service outages. They are not a substitute for official government warning systems, emergency services, or instructions from authorised authorities. ### Location The app may request approximate or precise location permission when you choose to use GPS/current location features. Location may be used to: - Autofill province, district, or palika filters - Help search for relevant local public service contacts - Improve location browsing convenience The app does not request background location access. The app does not continuously track your location. The app uses location only when you choose a feature that requires current location. To convert GPS coordinates into an address or area name, the app may use the device platform's geocoding services. Depending on your device and operating system, this may involve services provided by Android, Google, Apple, or other platform providers. Those services may process location information according to their own privacy policies. ### Photos or media If you choose to add a photo to a personal emergency contact, the app may ask permission to select an image from your device. The selected image is copied into app storage on your device and used only as the contact thumbnail in the app. The app does not upload personal emergency contact photos in the current version. ## 5. How information is stored Nepal HelpLine uses local storage on your device, including SQLite and app preferences, to keep the app fast and useful offline. The following may be stored locally: - Bundled and cached public directory contacts - Latest successful remote directory data response - Data version and last sync time - Search and location filter preferences - Manual default location - Last searched location - Personal emergency contacts - Personal emergency contact photos - Locally saved correction suggestions - Theme preference, such as light or dark mode Local data remains on your device unless you delete it, clear the app cache/data, uninstall the app, or use in-app delete/clear options where provided. ## 6. Remote data sync Nepal HelpLine may connect to a remote static data source to check for updated public directory data. The current remote data source may be hosted through Cloudflare Pages or another static hosting service. The remote sync is used only to update public directory contact data. It is not used in the current version to upload your personal emergency contacts, photos, correction suggestions, or location preferences. When the app contacts the remote data host, normal technical information may be processed by the hosting provider, such as: - IP address - Device or browser/network request information - Date and time of request - Requested file URL - Basic logs needed for security, reliability, and delivery This technical information is handled by the hosting provider according to its own policies. ## 7. Data sharing In the current version, Nepal HelpLine does not sell your personal data and does not share your personal emergency contacts, selected photos, correction suggestions, or saved preferences with advertisers. The app may interact with third-party services only when needed for normal functionality, such as: - Cloudflare Pages or another static host for public directory updates - Device operating system services for location and geocoding - Phone, SMS, email, browser, and website apps when you choose to call, text, email, or open a website - Google Play services and Android system services required by the device platform - Firebase Cloud Messaging for optional emergency alert delivery If you tap a phone, SMS, email, website, or external link button, your action may open another app or service. That third-party app or service is responsible for its own privacy practices. ## 8. Data security Nepal HelpLine uses local device storage and HTTPS remote data URLs where available. The app is designed to avoid collecting unnecessary personal information. No method of storage or transmission is perfectly secure. You are responsible for keeping your device secure, including using device lock, operating system updates, and trusted app sources. ## 9. Data deletion and user controls You can control or delete app data in several ways: - Delete personal emergency contacts inside the app - Remove or replace personal emergency contact photos - Change default address settings - Clear cached public directory data from Settings where available - Clear app storage from Android system settings - Uninstall the app to remove app-local data from the device - Revoke location or photo permissions from Android system settings Because the current version stores personal emergency contacts and correction suggestions locally, deleting local app data or uninstalling the app removes those local records from your device. ## 10. Children's privacy Nepal HelpLine is a general public utility and directory app. It is not designed specifically for children. The app does not knowingly collect children's personal information for advertising or profiling. Some public directory categories may include child helpline or women and children service contacts. These are included for public safety and service access purposes. ## 11. No ads and no tracking The current version of Nepal HelpLine does not include advertising SDKs, ad personalization, or third-party analytics tracking for marketing purposes. If analytics, crash reporting, account features, cloud correction submission, or other online services are added in the future, this Privacy Policy should be updated before those features are released. ## 12. Accuracy of public contact data Nepal HelpLine attempts to show useful public contact information with verification and source fields where available. However, public phone numbers, office names, addresses, opening hours, and service availability may change. Users should verify important contacts before relying on them for critical decisions. For immediate emergencies, use national emergency numbers first. ## 13. Changes to this Privacy Policy This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time. Updates may be made to reflect app changes, legal requirements, Google Play requirements, or changes in data handling. The updated policy will be posted at the privacy policy URL used by the app and/or shown in the app where appropriate. ## 14. Contact For privacy questions, data questions, or correction requests, email the app publisher at wrr094@gmail.com. When contacting us, please do not send sensitive personal information unless it is necessary for your request.