Privacy policy

Simple SMS, version 1.0.0

Effective date: September 9, 2026.

Developer

Developer: Maksim Stashkevich. For app support and privacy questions: [email protected]. Website: https://stkv.by.

Purpose and default SMS role

Simple SMS is an Android client for viewing and sending SMS and MMS. To work with messages, it asks you to choose it as the default SMS app in an Android system dialog. It does not receive this role without your action.

Your mobile carrier and Android process SMS and MMS in order to deliver them. Their processing is governed by their own terms and policies, not this policy.

Data used and stored on your device

While it is the default SMS app, Simple SMS reads data from Android's SMS/MMS provider: phone numbers, message text, dates, direction, delivery status, thread identifiers, and MMS parts and attachments. This is necessary to show conversations and send messages.

The app keeps a local cache of message data and attachment details to display conversations. It also stores preferences such as pinned, muted, and manually unread conversations; theme and accent choices; animation, haptic, gallery, cache, and link-preview settings; and pending MMS-send details. Contact names and contact photos are used only if you grant contact permission.

For faster display, the app may create local temporary caches of contact-photo thumbnails, website icons, and media previews. The cache is subject to the limits and automatic-deletion period you choose in the app. If you turn on saving incoming images or GIFs to your gallery, those selected MMS files are also copied into the device's shared media library.

Android backup and device-to-device transfer for the app's private data are disabled.

Network use for links and website icons

The app has no developer-operated server, account system, advertising, analytics, or crash-reporting service. It does not send SMS/MMS content, phone numbers, contacts, settings, or cached data to the developer.

The app does use the internet directly from your device for optional display features. When link-to-media conversion is enabled (it is enabled by default), a message containing only a public web address can cause the app to request that address and download supported media for a local preview. When a conversation is represented by a website domain, the app can request that website and its icon to show a site image. In either case, the requested website receives the address being requested and the network information normally sent by your device, such as its IP address and browser-like request metadata. Redirects and the third-party site's own data handling are outside the developer's control.

You can disable link-to-media conversion in the app settings. Website-icon loading is performed only when the corresponding website conversation is displayed. Opening a link uses your chosen browser, which operates under its own terms and privacy policy.

Permissions and notifications

The app requests READ_SMS, RECEIVE_SMS, SEND_SMS, and RECEIVE_WAP_PUSH only for SMS/MMS functionality. READ_CONTACTS displays contact names and photos; READ_PHONE_STATE helps select an available SIM; POST_NOTIFICATIONS permits message notifications; VIBRATE provides notification vibration. Android shows and controls these permissions, and you can change them in system settings.

Notifications can show a sender name, phone number, or message preview according to the app and Android notification settings. Protect the lock screen accordingly.

Retention, deletion, and security

The Android SMS/MMS provider and the current default SMS app manage the underlying message history. Clearing Simple SMS data or uninstalling it removes its private preferences, caches, pending-send information, and settings, but does not itself guarantee deletion of the system SMS/MMS history or files saved separately to the gallery. Manage those through Android, the current default SMS app, and the gallery application.

The developer has no copy of your messages and cannot restore them. Simple SMS relies on Android's standard app isolation; it does not add separate message encryption, a password, or biometric lock. Do not use it as a dedicated secret vault.

Support and policy changes

Tapping a support link opens your email app; no message is sent automatically. If you voluntarily email the developer, the developer receives the address and content you provide and uses it to answer and investigate the request, not for advertising. Correspondence is retained only as long as needed for the request or applicable obligations. Do not include message content unless necessary.

Any material change to the app's data handling will be reflected in an updated policy. The policy included with the installed app applies to that version.