Privacy Policy
Messages is built to keep your conversations on your phone. We don't run servers that store your messages, and we can't read what you send. This policy explains what the app accesses on your device, the few third-party services it relies on, and the choices you have.
Messages is a text-messaging app and the default SMS handler on your phone. To do its job it reads and writes data that lives locally on your device. Except for the third-party services listed in Section 3, this information is not transmitted to us or to any server we control — because we do not operate one.
| Permission | Why the app requests it |
|---|---|
| SMS & MMS | Send, receive and read text and multimedia messages as your default messaging app. |
| Contacts | Show contact names/photos and suggest recipients. |
| Phone & phone numbers | Detect your number and select a SIM on dual-SIM devices. |
| Microphone | Voice dictation of messages (only while you use it). |
| Notifications | Alert you to new messages and scheduled-message status. |
| Exact alarms | Send scheduled messages at the time you set. |
| Run at startup | Restore scheduled messages after the phone restarts. |
| Internet & network state | Deliver MMS, load subscription offerings, show ads, and send analytics/crash reports. |
You can review or revoke permissions any time in your device Settings. Removing a permission may disable the related feature.
Messages relies on a small number of established services. Each has its own privacy policy governing the data it processes.
If you have not subscribed to Plus, the app shows ads through Google AdMob, which may use advertising identifiers and device information to serve and measure ads. Plus subscribers see no ads. See the Google Privacy Policy and how Google uses information from apps that use its services.
To understand which features are used and to fix crashes, the app sends Google (Firebase) aggregate usage events, along with device model, app version, and diagnostic crash logs. These reports do not contain your message content, contacts, or passwords. See the Firebase Privacy & Security information.
Plus subscriptions are managed with RevenueCat and purchased through Google Play. When you subscribe or restore a purchase, purchase and entitlement data (such as an anonymous app user ID and product identifiers) is processed to grant access. Payment details are handled by Google Play, not by us. See the RevenueCat Privacy Policy and Google Privacy Policy.
Message translation uses Google's ML Kit and runs entirely on your device; language packs are downloaded once and message text is not sent off the device to translate. Voice dictation uses your device's built-in speech-recognition service to turn speech into text; that service is provided by your device or its vendor and processes audio under that provider's own policy.
You can protect a message with a password before sending it. The text is encrypted on your device using AES-256-GCM. Your recipient opens it by entering the same password, which you share through a separate channel of your choosing. Your password and the decrypted text never leave your device and are never sent to us. Decrypted text is held only in memory and is not written to storage. If a password is lost, the message cannot be recovered — by you or by us.
The backup feature exports your conversations to a file at a location you select on your device or storage. Restoring reads a file you choose. These backups are not uploaded to us or to any server we control. You are responsible for the security of any backup file you create and for where you store or share it.
We do not use your message content to build advertising or marketing profiles.
Messages, contacts and settings remain on your device until you delete them or uninstall the app; deleting a conversation removes it from the app, and uninstalling removes the app's local data. Local backup files you created remain until you delete them. Analytics and crash data held by Google, and subscription records held by RevenueCat and Google Play, are retained according to those providers' policies.
Messages is a general-audience app and is not directed to children under 13 (or the minimum age required in your country). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided information through the app, contact us and we will address it.
Because your messages stay on your device, their security depends largely on your device's own protections — a screen lock, up-to-date system software, and trusted apps. For password-protected messages we use industry-standard AES-256-GCM encryption. No method of storage or transmission is perfectly secure, but we design the app to keep sensitive data on your device and out of our hands.
We may update this policy as the app evolves or as laws change. When we make material changes we will update the effective date above and, where appropriate, note the change in the app or store listing. Continued use of Messages after an update means you accept the revised policy.
Questions about this policy or your privacy? Email us at eliga.labs@gmail.com and we'll be glad to help.