Privacy Policy

About this policy

Kalaung is a reading and writing app operated by CoolAppStudio. This policy explains how we collect, use, store, and share information when you use the Kalaung app and kalaung.com, including information received through Google Sign-In in the app. The website provides app information, download links, support, and policy pages; it does not offer account sign-up or sign-in.

For privacy questions or requests, contact support@kalaung.com.

1. Account information and Google Sign-In

When you choose Google Sign-In in the Kalaung app, Google and Firebase Authentication provide the information needed to authenticate your account: a Google account identifier, your email address and verification status, and basic profile information such as your name and profile picture when available. Firebase also assigns a Kalaung authentication identifier and maintains sign-in provider information.

We use this information to create or access your account, verify your identity, help populate your profile, and associate your account with your writing, favorites, and reading progress. You can choose your Kalaung username and display name and edit your profile in the app.

Kalaung requests Google Sign-In for authentication only. We do not request access to your Gmail messages, Google Drive files, Google contacts, or Google Calendar. We do not receive your Google password.

If you use an email sign-in link, we use your email address to send the link and authenticate you. If you choose Sign in with Apple, we receive the account identifier and any name or email Apple shares, which may be a private relay address. Guest use creates an anonymous Firebase identifier; upgrading a guest account links its data to your chosen sign-in method.

2. Other information we collect

• Profile and content: Your username, display name, bio, profile image, stories, chapters, uploaded images, and other information you choose to publish or submit.
• Reading activity: Favorites, reading lists, reading progress, searches, and interactions with works.
• Support and safety: Messages you send us, content reports, and information needed to investigate misuse or resolve problems.
• Technical and usage data: Device and operating system information, app version, usage events, and diagnostic information such as crash reports and performance measurements, where monitoring is enabled.
• Advertising data: When ads are served, Google AdMob may process device identifiers, IP address, device information, and ad views or interactions. Availability of identifiers depends on your device permissions and privacy settings.

3. How we use information

• Authenticate users, maintain sessions, and confirm identity before sensitive actions such as account deletion.
• Provide profiles, publishing, content discovery, favorites, and saved reading progress.
• Store and deliver text and images you submit.
• Respond to support requests and investigate reports, fraud, and abuse.
• Understand app usage and diagnose reliability or performance problems.
• Display ads that help support the service.

Google Sign-In account information is used for account authentication and related account and profile features. We do not sell that information or provide it to advertising partners for ad targeting.

4. What is public and who receives information

Other readers: Your public profile, including your display name, username, bio, and profile image, and content you publish can be seen by other people. A profile image initially supplied by a sign-in provider may appear on your profile. Your sign-in email address is not displayed as part of your public profile.

Service providers: We use Google Firebase and Google Cloud for authentication, database storage, file hosting, backend processing, and, where enabled, analytics and diagnostics. These services process data needed to provide their functions. Google AdMob processes advertising data as described below. Google and Apple also process information when you use their sign-in services.

Support and legal purposes: Information may be accessed to handle support and safety requests, protect the service and its users, or comply with applicable legal obligations.

We do not sell your personal information. Publishing content or sharing a link makes the selected content available to its audience; other people may save or redistribute it.

5. Advertising, analytics, and diagnostics

Kalaung uses Google AdMob to display advertisements. AdMob may process advertising identifiers where permitted, device details, IP addresses, and ad interaction data to deliver and measure ads and prevent fraud. See how Google uses information for advertising.

Where enabled, Firebase Analytics, Crashlytics, and performance monitoring collect usage and diagnostic information to help us understand app activity and fix problems. Usage events may be associated with a Kalaung user identifier.

You can manage advertising identifiers and tracking permissions through your device's privacy settings. Available controls vary by operating system and version. Restricting tracking does not necessarily remove ads or all measurement.

For Google's handling of information, see the Google Privacy Policy and Firebase privacy and security information. For Apple sign-in, see the Apple Privacy Policy.

6. Storage and security

Account and application data are stored using Firebase Authentication, Cloud Firestore, and Google Cloud Storage. The app also keeps local session information, preferences, and cached content on your device to support sign-in, reading, and performance.

We use authenticated connections, access controls, and encrypted transport to protect data. No online service or storage system can guarantee absolute security. Service providers may process information in countries other than the country where you live.

7. Retention and account deletion

We retain account information and content while your account is active so that we can provide the service. You can delete your account in the app through Settings → Delete Account → Delete My Account. You will be asked to confirm and authenticate again using your sign-in method.

After successful account deletion, sign-in access is removed and associated application data is cleaned up in the background. This includes your profile, username reservation, published works and chapters, favorites, and reading progress. Cleanup is asynchronous, so these records may not all disappear at the same instant.

Some technical records, including deletion job records and security or diagnostic logs, may remain after account deletion. Copies of content already shared, downloaded, or cached by others, including some generated sharing assets, may persist. We may also retain information needed to meet legal obligations or investigate abuse.

For instructions and help, visit Delete Your Account. If you cannot access the app, contact support@kalaung.com. We may need to verify ownership before acting on a request.

8. Your choices and privacy requests

You can update your profile and manage your published content in the app. You may contact support@kalaung.com to request access to, correction of, or deletion of personal information, or ask about other rights available under the law where you live. We may ask for information needed to verify your identity.

You can review or remove Kalaung's Google connection through your Google Account connections. Removing that connection does not itself delete information already stored by Kalaung; use account deletion or contact us to request its removal.

You can also manage app permissions, notifications, and advertising privacy controls in your device settings.

9. Children's privacy

Kalaung is intended for people aged 13 and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided personal information, contact us so we can investigate and take appropriate action.

10. Changes and contact

We may update this policy as the service changes. The date above shows the latest revision. Material changes to our handling of personal information will be communicated through the app or another appropriate notice.

Kalaung is operated by CoolAppStudio. For questions about this policy or how your data is handled, email support@kalaung.com.