Privacy Policy

ilmChat is a messaging app for chat, voice and video calls and online classes, operated by AZ Group (“we”, “us”). This policy explains what information ilmChat handles, why, and the choices you have. Contact us at [email protected].

Information you give us

• Account: your name, email address and password (or your Google account name, email and photo if you sign in with Google). Passwords are handled by Google Firebase Authentication; we never see them.
• Profile: username, profile photo and “about” text, which other ilmChat users can see.
• Content you send: messages, photos, videos, files, voice messages, polls, events, and group names and photos. A location or a contact card is shared only when you choose to send one.

Information created when you use ilmChat

• Delivery and read status, online status and “last seen”, and typing indicators, so the people you chat with can see them.
• Notification tokens for your devices, so we can deliver message and call notifications.
• Call records shown in your chat (type and duration). Calls themselves are not recorded.
• Reports you submit about content or accounts.

ilmChat does not show advertising and we do not sell your information.

How your information is stored and protected

• Messages and account data are stored with Google Firebase (Cloud Firestore, region asia‑south1, India). Photos, videos and files are stored with Cloudflare R2. Notifications are sent through Google Firebase Cloud Messaging via a Cloudflare Worker.
• All data travels over encrypted connections (HTTPS/TLS) and our providers encrypt stored data.
• Messages are not end‑to‑end encrypted at this time. This means they are stored on our providers’ servers in a form that the service operator could technically access. We access content only when needed to operate the service, to investigate a report, or when required by law.
• Voice and video calls connect directly between devices using WebRTC, which encrypts audio and video. When a direct connection is not possible, the encrypted call is relayed through Cloudflare’s network.

Picture checks

ilmChat does not allow pictures of women as profile, group, channel or community pictures, nor in groups, channels, communities, statuses or stickers. To enforce this, a small reduced copy of such a picture (or one still frame of a video) is sent to Google’s Gemini API for an automatic check before it is used. Pictures sent in one-to-one chats are not checked. Pictures the check cannot decide on may be shown to the ilmChat administrator for review. Under Google’s terms for this service, Google may use submitted content to improve its products.

Optional AI writing helper

If you turn on the writing helper (the অ button), the text you type is sent to Google’s Gemini API — and, as a fallback, to Google Input Tools — only to convert it into correct Bengali, Arabic or English script. It is off by default. Under Google’s terms for this service, Google may use submitted text to improve its products. Do not use the helper for anything you would not want processed this way.

Who can see your information

• People you chat with, and members of groups you belong to, see your profile, your messages in those chats, and your status.
• Any ilmChat user can find you by name or username and see your profile.
• Our service providers (Google, Cloudflare) process data on our behalf to run ilmChat.
• We may disclose information if required by law, or to protect users from serious harm, including reporting child sexual abuse material to the relevant authorities.

How long we keep information

• Your account and profile are kept until you delete your account.
• Messages stay in a chat until they are deleted. “Delete for everyone” removes a message for all members. Messages you sent remain visible to their recipients after you delete your account unless you delete them for everyone first.
• Reports are kept as long as needed to review them and keep the service safe.
• Deleted data may remain in our providers’ backups for a limited period before it is overwritten.

Your choices and rights

• Edit your name, photo, username and “about” text in your profile at any time.
• Block people so they can no longer message or call you, and report content or accounts.
• Delete your account in the app (Profile → Delete account) or as described on our account deletion page.
• Depending on where you live (for example in the EU/UK), you may have rights to access, correct, delete, restrict or port your data, and to complain to a data‑protection authority. Contact us to use these rights.

Children

ilmChat is not intended for children under 13, or under the minimum age required in your country. If we learn that such a child has an account, we will delete it. See our Child Safety Standards.

Changes

We will update this page when our practices change and update the effective date above. Significant changes will be announced in the app.