Privacy Policy for MessPilot

Last updated: August 7, 2026

MessPilot ("we", "our", "the app") is a hostel/mess meal and expense management application. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have. By creating an account or using MessPilot, you agree to the practices described here.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Account Information

• Full name
• Email address
• Phone number
• Profile photo (from Google Sign-In, or uploaded by you)
• Password (encrypted and managed securely by Firebase Authentication — we never see or store your plain-text password)

1.2 Mess/Hostel Information

• Mess/Hostel name and Mess ID
• Room number (optional)
• Profession or field of study (optional)
• Your role within the mess (Manager or Member)

1.3 Usage Data

• Daily meal entries (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner counts and attendance toggles)
• Deposit and payment records (amount, method, category, date)
• Bazaar/expense entries (amount, category, date, approval status)
• Notification preferences and in-app notifications
• Activity logs (e.g. "added a meal", "submitted an expense") for transparency within your mess

1.4 Automatically Collected Data

• Device information (device type, OS version) for app functionality and troubleshooting
• App usage/crash data if collected via standard Firebase infrastructure services

2. How We Use Your Information

• To create and manage your account and mess membership
• To record and calculate meals, deposits, expenses, meal rates, and balances
• To enable real-time syncing of mess data across your mess's members and Manager
• To send in-app and (if enabled) push notifications relevant to your mess activity
• To generate reports and downloadable/shareable PDF summaries
• To maintain the security and integrity of your account and data

3. Who Can See Your Information

MessPilot is designed around isolated "mess" groups. Your meal, deposit, and expense data is visible only to:

• You (the account holder)
• The Manager and other Members of the same mess you belong to

We do not share your personal data with members of a different mess, and cross-mess data access is technically restricted at the database level (Firestore Security Rules).

4. Third-Party Services

MessPilot is built using Google Firebase. The following Firebase/Google services process data on our behalf, under Google's own privacy and security standards:

We do not sell your personal information to third parties, and we do not use your data for advertising purposes. MessPilot does not display ads.

5. Data Retention

We retain your account and mess data for as long as your account is active. If you leave a mess or a Manager removes you, your historical meal, deposit, and expense records are retained (marked inactive) so that mess financial reports remain accurate for the periods you were an active member. You may request full account deletion at any time (see Section 7).

6. Data Security

We use Firebase's industry-standard security infrastructure, including encrypted data transmission (HTTPS/TLS) and Firestore Security Rules that restrict data access strictly to authorized users within your own mess. While we take reasonable measures to protect your information, no method of electronic storage or transmission is 100% secure.

7. Your Rights and Choices

• Access & Correction: You can view and edit your profile information at any time from within the app.
• Account Deletion: You may request deletion of your account and associated personal data by contacting us at the email below.
• Notification Preferences: You can manage or disable notification types from Profile → Settings.
• Leave a Mess: You can leave a mess at any time from your Profile page.

8. Children's Privacy

MessPilot is intended for users managing or living in hostels/messes and is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us so we can remove it.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. Continued use of MessPilot after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

10. Contact Us