Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

Universal Scanner (the “App”) is developed and published by Tech Vora Limited (“we”, “us”). This policy explains what information the App handles, why, and the choices you have. It applies to the App on Android and to this website.

2. Data kept on your device

The App stores the following only in its private storage on your phone. We cannot see it, and it is not sent to us.

Android’s automatic cloud backup is disabled for the App, so this data is not copied to Google Drive. It stays on the device until you delete it or uninstall the App.

Files you save or export (PNG images, SVG, CSV, Excel, PDF or JSON) are written to your phone’s Pictures or Downloads folder, or handed to an app you choose with the Share sheet. From then on they are under your control and that app’s policy.

3. What leaves your device

The App works offline. It connects to the internet only for the two optional features below, and only after you scan something they apply to. Both can be turned off together with the Look up online setting, and neither runs in Private Scan Mode.

Product lookups

When you scan a retail barcode (such as EAN, UPC or ISBN), the App sends only the barcode number to an open product database to fetch the product’s name, brand, category and photo:

• Open Food Facts, Open Beauty Facts, Open Pet Food Facts and Open Products Facts — run by the non-profit Open Food Facts association (privacy policy).
• Open Library for books — run by the Internet Archive (terms and privacy).

Like any web request, these services also receive your device’s IP address and a technical identifier naming the App. No account, name or contact detail is sent with these lookups.

Website previews

When you scan a code containing a web address, the App requests that page once to read its title and description, which are shown under the link. The page is read as text only — no scripts run and nothing is stored beyond the current session. The website you scanned receives a normal web request, including your IP address and a technical identifier naming the App, and is governed by its own privacy policy.

Actions you choose

When you tap an action — open a website, search the web, call, email, send a message, add a calendar event, open a map, join a Wi-Fi network or share — the App hands the information to the app or service you choose (for example your browser or mail app). Before any scanned website opens, the App shows the address and asks you to confirm. What happens next is governed by that app’s or website’s own policy.

4. Google ML Kit

Codes are decoded on your device using Google’s ML Kit barcode-scanning library and the open-source zxing-cpp library. Camera frames and images never leave your device for decoding.

As described in Google’s ML Kit terms, ML Kit may contact Google’s servers to receive updates and may send Google limited technical information about how the library performs — such as device model, Android version, app package name and version, and performance metrics. It does not include the codes you scan or your images. Google processes this information under the Google Privacy Policy.

The camera component the App uses also includes Google’s face-detection module. The App never turns face detection on, and no facial data is collected or processed.

5. Payment

The App is a paid app, bought once through Google Play. It has no ads, subscriptions or in-app purchases. Payment is processed entirely by Google Play under the Google Payments Privacy Notice. We never receive your card number or payment details.

Google may share limited order information with us, such as the order number, date, country and amount, so we can provide support, handle refunds and meet our tax and accounting obligations. The App itself doesn’t read or store anything about your payment.

6. Permissions

Photos are chosen through Android’s system photo picker, so the App only receives the images you select. The App does not request access to your location, contacts, calendar, microphone, phone, SMS or advertising ID. When you save a contact or event, the App opens your contacts or calendar app for you to confirm; it does not read them. The Clipboard option in Create reads the clipboard only when you choose it.

7. Sharing and selling

We do not sell, rent, trade or share your scans, created codes, history or any other personal information, and we do not give it to advertisers or data brokers. The App contains no advertising, analytics or tracking software. Data reaches third parties only as described above: the optional product lookups and website previews, Google ML Kit, and Google Play for your payment.

8. Security

Data on your device is kept in the App’s private storage, which other apps cannot read. Product lookups and Google Play use encrypted HTTPS connections. Website previews use the address in the code you scanned; if that address is not HTTPS, the preview request is not encrypted.

9. Retention and deletion

Your data stays on your device for as long as you keep it. You can delete it at any time:

• One or several items: Settings → Privacy → Delete Record or Delete Multiple Records.
• Everything: Clear History (scans) and Clear Library (created codes) in the same screen.
• All App data: clear the App’s storage in Android settings, or uninstall the App.

Because we hold no account and no copy of your scans, there is nothing for us to delete on our side. Google Play keeps order records as required for payments and tax. Open Food Facts, Open Library and websites you preview may keep standard server logs under their own policies.

10. Your choices and rights

• Look up online — turn off product lookups and website previews.
• Private Scan Mode — nothing is saved and nothing is looked up online.
• Auto-save scans and Store images — choose what is kept.
• Camera permission — revoke at any time in Android settings.

Depending on where you live (for example under the GDPR in the EU/UK, or US state laws such as the CCPA), you may have rights to access, correct, delete or object to the processing of your personal data. Since your data is held only on your device, you can exercise most of these rights directly in the App. For anything else, contact us using the details below and we will respond within 30 days.

11. Children

The App is a general-audience utility and is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children, and the App contains no advertising. If you believe a child has provided personal information to us, contact us and we will help remove it.

12. Google Play Data safety

For transparency, this is how the App’s data practices map to Google Play’s Data safety categories:

13. Open-source software

The App is built with the following open-source software. We are grateful to their authors. Each is used under its license, linked below; license texts are available from each project.

The App also uses Google’s ML Kit barcode-scanning library (version 17.3.0), which is not open source and is provided under the ML Kit Terms of Service. Product information comes from Open Food Facts (ODbL) and Open Library.

14. Changes to this policy

If we change how the App handles data, we will update this page and the effective date above, and, where the change is significant, tell you in the App or on its Google Play listing before it takes effect.

15. Contact

Questions or requests about this policy or your data: