Alarmcast Privacy Policy

Effective date: August 21, 2026

Alarmcast ("we," "our," "the app") is a podcast alarm clock for Android. This policy describes what data the app collects, why, and what it does not do.

Summary

Alarmcast does not require an account and does not know who you are. Almost everything the app knows about you, including your alarms, your podcast subscriptions and your listening history, stays on your device. The free version shows ads through Google AdMob (which uses your device's advertising ID), and optional premium purchases remove ads and unlock extra features. We have no user accounts, keep no database about you, and do not sell your personal data.

Data we collect and why

Podcast search (sent to Apple and to Podcast Index)

When you search for a podcast, your search term is sent to two podcast directories at the same time, so that between them we can find whatever you're looking for:

• The Apple iTunes Search API (itunes.apple.com), which receives your search term and the country setting you chose when you set the app up. Searches for individual episodes go only to Apple, because Podcast Index has no episode-text search. Apple's handling of this request is governed by the Apple Privacy Policy.
• The Podcast Index API, which receives your search term. This request is authenticated with an app-level key. See their privacy policy.

Neither request includes your name, email, or any personal identifier, and neither is tied to an account, because the app has none. Both services will see your device's IP address, as any service you connect to does.

Subscription data (sent to Podcast Index)

When you subscribe to a podcast, the podcast's feed URL/ID is sent to the Podcast Index API so we can fetch its episode list and metadata. As above, this carries no personal identifier.

Episode downloads (sent to the podcast's own host)

When you subscribe to a podcast, the app connects directly to that podcast's RSS feed and audio host to download episodes for playback, the same as any podcast app or web browser would. That host will see your device's IP address, as it would for any direct connection.

Crash, error, and reliability reports (sent to Firebase Crashlytics)

If the app crashes or hits a serious error, a crash report is sent to Firebase Crashlytics (a Google service) so we can fix the bug. Crashlytics collects the usual technical context with it: device model, OS version, hardware characteristics, and your IP address at the time. Because an alarm that doesn't ring is the worst thing this app can do, reports also carry a few settings that explain why: whether alarm and battery permissions were granted, whether background data was restricted, whether the phone was asleep in Doze, which activity bucket Android had put the app in, and whether you're on the free or paid tier. No name, email, or identifier is attached to any of it. Google processes this on our behalf under Firebase's standard terms; see Google's Firebase privacy and security page and privacy policy for details.

Advertising (Google AdMob)

The free version of Alarmcast shows ads supplied by Google AdMob. To serve and measure these ads, AdMob and Google may use your device's advertising ID along with limited technical and ad-interaction data (for example, that an ad was shown or tapped, plus general device and app information). Ads never appear on the alarm ringing screen, and removing ads entirely is one of the benefits of the optional premium purchases described below. You can reset or delete your advertising ID in Android's Settings → Privacy → Ads. Google's use of data from apps that use its services is described in "How Google uses information from sites or apps that use our services" and Google's privacy policy.

Purchases (Google Play Billing)

Alarmcast offers optional premium features, including removing ads and unlocking extra functionality, as a subscription or a one-time purchase. Payments are processed entirely by Google Play; Alarmcast never receives or stores your payment card details. Google shares with the app only what's needed to unlock what you bought (your purchase and subscription status). Google's handling of your purchase is governed by the Google Play Terms of Service and Google's privacy policy.

Data that stays on your device

The following is stored on your device and is never uploaded to us. (Fetching a show's episodes does mean contacting Podcast Index, as described above, but the list of what you follow is not sent to us or held anywhere off your phone.)

• Your alarms (times, repeat days, chosen podcast, volume, and related settings)
• Which shows you follow, and how far through each episode you are
• Your app preferences (theme, time format, download settings, etc.)

If you uninstall the app, this data is deleted along with it.

Data we do not collect

We do not collect or have access to: your name, email address, phone number, contacts, precise location, microphone or camera data, or your photos. The app has no user accounts or sign-in. The only advertising data involved is the advertising ID used for the ads described above. It is not linked to your identity, and premium users see no ads at all.

Voice search (handled by your phone, not by us)

The search field has a microphone button. Tapping it hands over to your phone's own speech recogniser, usually Google's, which listens and hands the app back text. Alarmcast never records audio, holds no microphone permission, and receives only the words that came back.

Security

Requests to Apple, Podcast Index, Google AdMob, Google Play, and Firebase Crashlytics are made over encrypted (HTTPS) connections. Podcast feeds and audio are served by the podcasts themselves, so their security is theirs. Because Alarmcast has no accounts and no database of user data, there is nothing on our side tied to you that could be breached.

Permissions

Alarmcast asks for the permissions an alarm clock needs to ring reliably: exact alarms, notifications, full-screen alarm notifications, foreground service, wake lock, vibration, network access, start-on-boot, and permission to sit outside battery optimisation. The free version also uses the advertising ID permission for ads. None of the others collect anything about you.

Children's privacy

Alarmcast is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

Data retention and deletion

• Local data (alarms, subscriptions, preferences): deleted when you uninstall the app, or by clearing app data in Android settings.
• Crash reports: retained by Firebase per Google's standard retention policy. Since no user identifier is attached, we cannot look up or delete an individual's crash history. Deleting the app going forward stops any new reports.

Your rights

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, or delete personal data we hold about you. Because Alarmcast doesn't collect personal identifiers, there is generally nothing tied to you individually to access or delete beyond what's already local to your device. If you have questions or a request, contact us at the email below.

Changes to this policy

If this policy changes, we'll update this page and the effective date above.

Contact

Questions about this policy: help@alarmcast.app
Website: https://alarmcast.app