Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Hasteo ("our app") is an Android app that lets users create auto-reply rules for WhatsApp messages. This document explains how we process your data. The Indonesian version of this policy is available here; both versions describe the same practices.

2. Data We Access

Our app needs the Notification Access permission to read notifications from WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business. The data it accesses:

• Message content (text) from incoming notifications
• The sender's name or number as shown in the notification
• Conversation/group title
• WhatsApp IDs of the conversation and sender, when present in the notification
• Group status (whether the message is from a group or a private chat)
• Source package (com.whatsapp or com.whatsapp.w4b)

The app does not access your device's contacts.

3. How We Use Data

Notification data is used only to:

• Match incoming messages against the rules you create, including contact/group scope and the ignore list
• Recognise new chats (for welcome messages) and limit the number of replies per conversation
• Send automatic replies through Android's Direct Reply feature
• Keep a reply history for transparency, including so you can ignore a sender straight from the History screen

While Notification Access is enabled, this processing runs automatically inside the app's notification listener service, including while the app is closed.

4. Data Storage

• All data is stored locally on your device, in the app's private directory
• Message content, sender names, conversation WhatsApp IDs, and reply text — both in the notification queue and in the reply history — are stored encrypted with AES-256-GCM using a key from the Android Keystore. The AI Reply API key is encrypted the same way
• Rules and the ignore list (which may contain phone numbers or names you type yourself, as well as WhatsApp IDs and names you pick from History via "Ignore this sender") are stored in the app's local database without encryption beyond Android's storage protection, just like the entries you type
• To recognise new chats, the app stores a hash of the conversation identity (not the original number, name, or ID) together with the first and last time it was seen, up to 5,000 entries. The same hash is used as the contact marker in the reply history and for the reply limit. It exists only on the device, is excluded from backups, and is deleted by Delete All Data, when the app's data is cleared, or when the app is uninstalled. Hashing is not anonymisation: the hash of a known number can be matched again
• To prevent duplicate replies (for example when WhatsApp re-shows old notifications after the phone restarts) and so that reactions to an automatic reply are not answered again, the app stores fingerprints — HMAC-SHA256 values keyed with an Android Keystore key — of the latest message per notification (up to 10 per conversation, 7 days) and of the text of sent replies (up to 20 per conversation, 24 hours). Fingerprints cannot be turned back into message content, are excluded from backups, and are deleted by Delete All Data, when notification-capture consent is withdrawn, when the app's data is cleared, or when the app is uninstalled
• The last Pro subscription status verified by Google Play is stored locally with its verification time, so background auto-reply knows which features are enabled
• Databases are kept in the app's directory and excluded from Android cloud backup and device transfer
• We have no servers and send no data to any server owned by the developer. Data leaves the device only for the optional AI Reply feature and for subscription transactions processed by Google Play (see below)
• There are no third-party analytics, tracking, or advertising SDKs

AI Reply (optional, Pro feature)

• AI Reply sends the incoming message content, the sender's name or number as shown in the notification, and the prompt you write to the API of an AI provider of your own choice (for example OpenAI, Gemini, or another compatible service), directly from the device, using your own API key. The data never passes through or is stored on the developer's servers. How that AI provider handles the data is governed by the provider's own policies.
• Sending happens automatically whenever an incoming message matches a rule that uses an AI reply — including while the app is closed, as long as Notification Access is enabled.
• The feature only works after you set your own API key AND give separate explicit consent. Consent can be withdrawn at any time in Settings → AI Reply (untick and save), and the API key can be deleted on the same screen. Consent is checked again right before every request to the AI provider, so once it is withdrawn no message content is sent — including replies that are still waiting for their delay.
• Connections to the AI provider use HTTPS only (TLS-encrypted), enforced by the app: endpoints other than https:// are rejected, redirects are not followed, and if the saved address is not HTTPS, AI Reply stops until it is fixed.
• The app needs the INTERNET permission for this feature; the permission is not used for any other purpose.

Cloud Backup (optional, Pro feature)

• Cloud Backup writes one file containing only rule definitions (no message content, no reply history, no API key, no other settings) to a folder you choose through the Android file picker. Rule definitions may contain phone numbers or names you typed into a rule's scope.
• The app sends nothing to the internet for this and has no access to your storage account. Syncing the folder to the cloud (for example Google Drive) is done entirely by your own storage app, outside our app's control.
• The feature only runs after you give separate explicit consent on the Cloud Backup screen, and you can disconnect it at any time (folder access is revoked immediately). Using "Delete Backup File" also deletes the file in that folder.
• Delete All Data releases the app's access to the backup folder but does not delete backup files already in it. Delete that file with "Delete Backup File" first, or directly in your storage app.

Pro subscription (Google Play Billing)

• Purchases, renewals, and restores of the Pro subscription are processed by Google Play through Google Play Billing. The app does not receive or store your payment details; Google's handling of transaction data is governed by Google's privacy policy.
• When the app opens, it asks Google Play to verify your subscription status. The app stores locally only the latest status (Pro or free) and the time it was verified.
• The Google Play Billing library adds the com.android.vending.BILLING (and ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE) permissions to the app.

Diagnostic report (local)

• To help find the cause of problems (for example app crashes, the background service stopping, replies failing to send), the app keeps a diagnostic journal on your device. It records: the event type (app error or crash, background service failing to start, notification listener connected/disconnected, reply failed), the error type name with stack trace lines (class and function names), a short reason code, the time, a repeat count, and daily counters (for example notifications received, replies per status, listener disconnects).
• The journal does not contain message content, sender names or numbers, WhatsApp IDs, conversation IDs or hashes, rule names or content, or advertising/device/installation IDs. Error messages (exception text) are never stored.
• When the report is assembled, it also records the device brand and model, Android version, app version, and installed WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business versions, notification access status, time zone offset (UTC offset), standby/battery-saving status, app status (auto-reply on or off, number of active and total rules, subscription tier), and the reasons Android stopped the app's process (Android 11 and later). This is not chat content, but it may help identify a particular device. To read WhatsApp versions, the app manifest declares package visibility (<queries>) for the two WhatsApp packages; this is not a permission and grants no access to other apps.
• The journal is kept locally for 30 days (up to 200 events; older ones are deleted automatically) and is excluded from cloud backup and device transfer.
• This data is never sent anywhere automatically. It only leaves the device if you yourself choose Settings → Diagnostics → Export report, save the file through the system save dialog, and send it yourself. You can view the exact report content before saving it ("View report contents").
• The journal can be deleted with Delete diagnostic data on the Diagnostics screen, and is also deleted by Delete All Data, when the app's data is cleared, or when the app is uninstalled.
• Separately from the app, Android may send crash/ANR reports to Google Play (Android vitals) if you enabled sharing usage and diagnostics data on your device, and Google Play Console provides install statistics. That collection is done by Google, outside the app's control.

5. Data We Collect

6. Android Permissions

The app does not use the Foreground Service permission. Background auto-reply runs inside the notification listener service that Android runs while Notification Access is enabled; revoking Notification Access stops it.

7. Data Security

• Message content, sender names, conversation WhatsApp IDs, reply text, and the AI API key are encrypted with AES-256-GCM using a non-exportable Android Keystore key
• SQLite databases (including the diagnostic journal) and their sidecar files (-journal, -wal, -shm) are excluded from Android cloud backup and device transfer
• AI Reply traffic uses HTTPS only; the app rejects non-HTTPS endpoints and does not follow redirects
• No data is transmitted to third parties, except transmissions you direct yourself through AI Reply and subscription transactions processed by Google Play (see section 4)

8. Your Rights

• Access: you can see the reply history in History, and rules and the ignore list on their own screens. A summary and the exact content of the diagnostic report are available in Settings → Diagnostics
• Deletion (step-by-step guide: hasteo.bariskode.com/en/delete-data): history can be deleted in History; rules, the ignore list, and the AI API key can be deleted on their own screens. Settings → Delete All Data removes at once from the device: all rules, the reply history and reply-limit records, the ignore list, conversation identity hashes and sent-reply records, message and reply fingerprints, the AI Reply API key/endpoint/consent, Cloud Backup consent and settings (including access to the backup folder), rule export files in the app's storage, diagnostic data, and unprocessed notifications. What is kept: the Pro subscription status, the disclaimer acknowledgement, and the Auto-reply on/off switch; the Notification Access permission is not changed (revoke it in Android settings if needed). Backup files already in your cloud backup folder are not deleted — delete them yourself if needed. All local data is also removed by clearing the app's data in Android settings or by uninstalling the app
• Export: Backup/Restore is available in Settings. The diagnostic report can be exported manually in Settings → Diagnostics

9. Children

Our app is not directed at children under 13.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The latest version will be available in the app and on this page.