Balchron Privacy Policy

Effective 16 October 2026 · change log

This policy explains what the Balchron Android app (“Balchron”, “the app”) collects, why, who processes it on our behalf, how long it is kept and what your rights are. Balchron is published by AlephVec Labs (Pty) Ltd, registration no. 2026/821118/07, South Africa (“we”, “us”), the responsible party for this information. We process personal information in line with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA). Our company Privacy Policy covers our website and other apps.

The short version: measuring works on your phone. Your GPS coordinates never leave the device. An account is optional. Uploading shot recordings is opt-in, one recording at a time. We show no ads, don't track you and never sell data.

1. What we collect

Information	When	Why
Account details (optional): email address, name, cell number, username, region and language. Your password is handled by our authentication provider and stored only as a secure hash.	Only if you create an account	To sign you in, recover your account, and (in future) support features such as sharing calibration presets
Shot recordings (audio)	Only when you press RECORD on the User tab, or accept the recording prompt on the Shoot tab	To improve the app's shot-detection
Shot details you enter: firearm, calibre, load, distance and notes	With each recording you choose to upload	Stored in the recording's file name so it can be analysed meaningfully
Feedback you write, with the app version, device model and Android version	Only when you send feedback from the app	To answer you and fix problems
Error reports: device manufacturer and model, Android version, app version, the screen and state the app was in, and a short log of recent in-app activity (any coordinates are removed)	Automatically, when the app hits an internal error	To find and fix bugs
Technical data such as IP address and request time	When the app contacts our servers (sign-in, uploads)	Recorded in our providers' security and abuse-prevention logs

Used on your device only — never uploaded

Location (GPS). Used only while you mark shooter and target positions, to calculate the distance between them on the phone. Coordinates are not sent to us.
Microphone. While the detector is armed, audio is analysed in real time on the phone. Nothing is uploaded unless you choose to record and upload a clip.
Profile photo. A photo you pick from your gallery for your account is stored on the phone only.
Shot history and settings stay on the phone.

2. What we don't collect

No advertising, and no advertising identifier.
No contacts, messages, call logs or browsing history.
No analytics or tracking SDKs.
We do not sell, rent or trade personal information, and we don't share it for advertising.

3. How we use it

Only for the purposes in the table above: running your account, improving shot detection, fixing bugs, answering you, and keeping our services secure. Uploaded recordings are not linked to your account.

Lawful basis (POPIA). We rely on your consent — given when you create an account, acknowledge the in-app data notice and each time you choose to upload a recording — and, for error reports and security logs, on our legitimate interest in keeping the app working and secure. You may withdraw consent at any time (see section 8).

4. Who processes it

We use a small number of service providers (“operators” under POPIA) that process information only on our instructions:

Supabase — account sign-in, database and storage for uploaded recordings, feedback and error reports.
Resend — sending sign-in and verification code emails.
Cloudflare — hosting this website and forwarding email sent to our support address.
Google Play — app distribution and updates. Google may also collect crash and performance data under its own privacy policy.

We may disclose information if required by law or to protect the rights, property or safety of our users or others.

5. Where it's stored

Our providers may store and process information on servers outside South Africa. Where that happens we rely on providers that are bound by data-protection terms giving a level of protection comparable to POPIA (section 72).

6. How long we keep it

Account details — until you delete your account. They are removed from our live systems within 30 days of a deletion request.
Recordings — for as long as they are useful for developing shot detection. You can ask us to delete yours at any time.
Error reports — up to 12 months.
Feedback — as long as needed to deal with it and improve the app.
Security logs — kept by our providers for their standard periods.

7. Security

All data travels over encrypted HTTPS connections.
Uploads are write-only for the app: one installation cannot read, list or delete anything in the upload storage, including its own uploads.
We never see your password; sign-in tokens are kept in the app's private storage on your phone.

No system is perfectly secure, but we take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your information.

8. Your rights & choices

Under POPIA you may ask us to confirm what personal information we hold about you, give you access to it, correct or delete it, or stop processing it. Email our Information Officer at privacy@alephveclabs.com; we may need to confirm your identity first.

An account is optional — you can use Balchron as a guest.
Recording and uploading is opt-in, clip by clip.
Deny the microphone or location permission and the related features simply stay off.
Uninstalling the app removes everything stored on the phone.

If you're unhappy with how we've handled your information, you may complain to the Information Regulator (South Africa): inforegulator.org.za.

9. Deleting your account

See how to delete your Balchron account and data.

10. Age limit

Balchron is a tool for lawful sport shooting and is not intended for anyone under 18. We do not knowingly collect information from children; if you believe a child has given us information, contact us and we will delete it.

11. Voices in recordings

Audio recorded at a range can pick up speech. Record shots, not conversations, and let people nearby know you're recording.

12. Who we are, changes & contact

Responsible party: AlephVec Labs (Pty) Ltd
Registration number: 2026/821118/07
Information Officer: Information Officer, privacy@alephveclabs.com
Support: support@alephveclabs.com

We'll update this page when our practices change and show material changes in the app before they apply. The effective date at the top always shows the current version.

Date	Change
16 October 2026	Publisher and responsible party named as AlephVec Labs (Pty) Ltd (registration no. 2026/821118/07); privacy requests now go to our Information Officer at privacy@alephveclabs.com. No change to what the app collects.
13 October 2026	Policy rewritten to cover optional accounts, opt-in shot recordings, feedback, error reports and security logs.