Privacy Policy

Opened files stay on your device

The contents of the text files (such as TXT and LOG) and RTF documents you open are read and shown on this device only. Counting lines, finding, changing the encoding and going to a line also happen on the device. File contents, text, search words and file names are not sent to a server or used for ads or usage statistics.

RTF documents load nothing from the internet

RTF documents are shown in a view the app builds itself. That view runs no scripts and its internet access is blocked. Only pictures stored inside the document are shown, and nothing that points to an outside address is loaded. When you tap a link in a document, the app first shows the address and opens it in your browser only if you choose Open.

Opening files

The app reads only the files you choose in the Android file picker or through "Open with" in another app. It does not use full storage permission. It does not change or delete the original file.

What stays on your device

To show a file, the app keeps a copy of it in its own storage (up to 512 MB). For UTF-16 files it makes one more copy converted to UTF-8 so lines can be counted, and large pictures in RTF documents are kept as smaller copies in the app cache. The copies are deleted when you close the file or open another one. A copy left behind because the app was stopped without closing the file is cleared once it is a day old, when the home screen is shown or a file is opened, and when copies add up to more than 1.25 GB the oldest are deleted first. The recent files list (up to 30) holds only files you picked inside the app, and remembers the file name and location, the line you were reading, the encoding you chose, and the file size and a checksum of the beginning of the file to recognize the same file. When it goes over 30, the oldest items drop off. Otherwise it stays until you remove items from the list or uninstall the app. So that a file on the list can be opened again, the app keeps the read access you granted for it, and releases that access when the file leaves the list. Display settings such as text size, line wrapping, line numbers and font also stay on the device. These exist only on this device and are excluded from Android Auto Backup and device transfer.

Saving and sharing

When you save a PDF, a UTF-8 copy or a text-only .txt file, you choose where to save it in the Android save screen. When you save an RTF document as PDF, you choose Save as PDF and where to save it in the Android print screen. When you share the original file, you choose the app to send it to. The app does not send anything on its own. A copy made for sharing is kept briefly in the app cache and deleted when you close the file.

Copy

Text goes on the clipboard only when you select it and copy it. The app does not read the clipboard.

Account

There is no account. The app does not ask for an email or phone number, and there is no sign-in, sign-up or in-app purchase.

Ads

This app is supported by ads. Google AdMob serves the ads, and in doing so the advertising ID (AAID), IP address, device information, app performance diagnostics (such as launch time and hangs) and ad-related app activity (such as ads viewed and tapped) are collected by and shared with Google. An approximate location (country level) may be derived from the IP address. The contents and names of the files you open are not used for ads and are not shared. Ads are limited to content rated T (Teen) or below. See Google's policy for details (policies.google.com/technologies/ads).

When ads appear

There are no ads while you open, read, find, go to a line, change the encoding or display settings, or share the original file. An ad may play once when you save a PDF, a UTF-8 copy or a text-only .txt file, and the app tells you before you tap. After an ad has played, it does not play again until you close that file. If the ad cannot be loaded or you choose not to wait, the app saves without it. A small banner appears only at the bottom of the home screen, not on the screen that shows a file.

Turning off ad personalization

In Android Settings → Privacy → Ads, you can delete the advertising ID or turn off personalization. Ads will still appear, but they will not be personalized.

Permissions

The ads and statistics SDKs use internet access, network state and advertising ID related permissions, to load ads and send usage statistics. None of them asks you for approval. The app does not ask for storage, camera, microphone, contacts, location or notification permission.

Usage statistics

To improve the app and place ads appropriately, the app collects usage statistics with Google Analytics for Firebase. This includes how often the app is opened and for how long, which features are used (for example whether a file was opened from the file picker, the recent list or "Open with" in another app, whether it was an RTF document, the kind of reason if opening failed, whether the encoding was detected automatically or chosen, whether the line count passed 100 thousand or 1 million, and whether finding or saving were used), whether an ad notice was shown and the ad was watched, ad impressions, device model, OS version, app version, country and language, and a random identifier assigned to each app install along with the advertising ID. File names, locations, file text, search words and encoding names are not sent. The app also uses Firebase Remote Config to change ad settings without an app update, which sends app version, OS version, country and language. In the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom and Switzerland, information that identifies the device is not stored unless you consent.

Third parties

Other than Google AdMob and Google Analytics for Firebase (see Usage statistics above), the app uses no other analytics tools or crash reporters. No outside service receives the contents of your files.

Children

Text Viewer is not intended for children under 13, because Google AdMob collects the advertising ID, IP address and device information when ads are shown.

Deleting data

You can remove an item from the recent files list with the X on its right or by pressing and holding it. Uninstalling the app deletes the copies, the list and the settings. PDF and TXT files you saved must be deleted where you saved them. We keep no copy on a server. You can delete the advertising ID in Android Settings → Privacy → Ads.

There is nothing we can delete

This app has no server that stores user data. Copies and records on the device disappear when you remove them in the app or uninstall it, and the advertising ID is held by Google, so we cannot look it up or delete it. If you have questions, contact dev@indieway.xyz.

Changes and contact

If this policy changes, this page will be updated with a new date. Contact: dev@indieway.xyz. If you email us through Contact us in the app, we use your email address, your message, and the app and device details added at the end of the message (app version, Android version, device model, app language, theme and font size) only to reply to you.