Legal

Privacy policy.

Last updated: April 18, 2026

Introduction

How we treat your data.

Aqala (“we”, “our”, or “us”) is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application and website (collectively, the “Service”).

Please read this privacy policy carefully. By using the Service, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. If you do not agree with the terms of this privacy policy, please do not access the Service.

Information we collect

What we collect, and why.

Account information

When you create an account, we collect your name, email address, and profile photo. If you sign in with Google or Apple, we receive basic profile information from those services. You may optionally set a username and bio.

Location data

We request location access solely to provide accurate prayer times and Qibla direction. Location data is processed on-device and is not stored on our servers or shared with third parties.

Microphone data

Our mobile app declares microphone access (for example, Android RECORD_AUDIO) where the platform requires it for live speech features. Google Play's Data Safety and permission disclosures also require a clear explanation in an accessible privacy policy. The details below describe how we actually use the microphone in the Service.

Why — To capture speech so we can provide real-time transcription and translation during live listen or broadcast sessions. If you enable audio sharing, your microphone audio may also be streamed to listeners in the same live session via our real-time infrastructure (LiveKit).
When — Only while you actively start and run a live translation or broadcast flow. We do not use the microphone for unrelated background recording. Optional live audio to listeners applies only when you turn that feature on.
What is collected — Raw audio from the microphone is sent in real time to our speech-to-text provider (Soniox) for processing and may be sent to LiveKit when you publish audio to a room. Separately, text derived from speech (source and translated segments, languages, session and translator identifiers, and timestamps) may be stored in our databases (Firebase Firestore). That stored data is text, not a retained audio recording file on our servers.
Retention — We do not keep microphone audio as a stored recording on Aqala's own systems; it is processed for live transcription, translation, and optional relay. How long third-party processors retain or log data is governed by their policies. Text translation history is retained as part of providing the Service and is handled per Data Retention & Deletion below.
Third parties — Soniox (speech-to-text) and LiveKit (real-time audio transport when you broadcast audio to listeners).
Your control — You can deny or revoke microphone permission in your device settings, stop the live session in the app, and disable optional live audio publishing. You can also delete your account.

Camera & photo library

Camera and photo library access are used exclusively for setting your profile picture. Photos are uploaded to our secure image hosting service (Cloudinary) and are associated with your account.

Usage data

We collect anonymous usage data such as listening time, room participation history, and app interaction patterns. This data is used to improve the Service and provide features like listener progression and experience levels.

Messages & chat

Direct messages and room chat messages are stored securely on our servers (Firebase Firestore) to enable messaging functionality. Messages are only accessible to the participants in the conversation or room.

Third-party services

Who else processes your data.

Firebase (Google)

We use Firebase for authentication, data storage, and basic analytics. Firebase Privacy Policy

Vercel Analytics

Anonymous, aggregated data about page views and performance. No cookies. Vercel Analytics Privacy Policy

OpenReplay (Session Recording)

With your consent, we may record browsing sessions on our web application to identify bugs and improve UX. Recordings do not capture passwords or sensitive form inputs. OpenReplay Privacy Policy

Cloudinary

Profile photos are hosted on Cloudinary. Cloudinary Privacy Policy

Soniox (Speech-to-Text)

Live translation audio is streamed to Soniox for real-time speech-to-text. Soniox Privacy Policy

LiveKit (Real-Time Audio)

When you publish microphone audio to a live room, the audio is transmitted through LiveKit's real-time infrastructure. LiveKit Privacy Policy

How we use your information

What the data does for you.

To provide and maintain the Service, including prayer times, Qibla, live translation, and social features.
To manage your account and provide customer support.
To improve the Service by understanding how it is used.
To communicate with you about updates or issues related to the Service.
To detect and prevent fraud, abuse, or violations of our Terms.
To enforce content moderation and community safety standards.

Data retention & deletion

How long, and how to remove it.

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to provide the Service and fulfil the purposes described in this policy. When you delete your account, we will delete or anonymise your personal data within 30 days, except where we are required to retain it by law.

You can request deletion of your account and all associated data by navigating to Account Settings and selecting “Delete Account”, or by contacting us at privacy@aqala.io.

Your rights

What you can ask of us.

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

Access — Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Correction — Request correction of inaccurate data.
Deletion — Request deletion of your personal data.
Portability — Request a machine-readable copy of your data.
Withdraw consent — Opt out of optional data collection at any time.

Children's privacy

The Service is not for under-13s.

The Service is not directed to children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that we have collected personal data from a child under 13 without parental consent, we will take steps to delete that information.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us so we can take appropriate action.

Security

How we protect what we hold.

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal data, including encryption in transit (TLS/SSL), secure data storage through Firebase, and access controls. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Changes to this policy

What happens when we update.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the “Last Updated” date. You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes.

Get in touch.

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your data rights, please contact us:

Email: privacy@aqala.io

Website: aqala.io

Instagram: @aqala.io

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