Privacy policy
Nishka: Budget & Expenses, by Brownshade Studio. Last updated September 2026.
Nishka is built to know as little about you as possible. Your entries live on your phone. Anything that leaves it is optional, and you can turn it off or delete it.
In short
- You type in every entry yourself. Nishka never reads your SMS messages or notifications and never connects to your bank.
- Nishka works without an account. Your entries stay on your phone unless you choose to back up with Google.
- There are no ads. Nishka doesn’t use the advertising ID and doesn’t sell or share your data.
- Crash reports are on by default and can be turned off. Usage analytics are off unless you turn them on.
Data that stays on your phone
Your entries, amounts, notes, budgets, accounts, categories, recurring bills, favourites and settings are stored in a private database inside the app. Brownshade Studio can’t see them. They stay until you delete them, clear the app’s data, or uninstall Nishka.
Nishka turns off Android’s automatic app backup, so this data isn’t copied to your Google Drive or moved to a new phone by Android. The only way it leaves your phone is the optional backup below.
Exports (CSV files and PDF statements) are created on your phone. You choose where to send them through Android’s share sheet. Nishka doesn’t upload them, and it clears its copies the next time you open the app.
Optional backup with Google
If you sign in with Google, Nishka keeps a private copy of your data in the cloud so you can restore it and use it on more than one phone. This uses Google Firebase:
| What | Why |
|---|---|
| Your name, email address, profile photo address and Google account ID, and the IP address you sign in from (Firebase Authentication) | To sign you in and link the backup to you |
| Your entries, notes, budgets, accounts, categories, recurring bills, favourites and settings (Cloud Firestore) | To back up and sync your data |
Your backup is stored in a space that security rules let only your signed-in account read or write. Data is encrypted in transit, and Google encrypts it at rest. The backup is stored in Google data centres in the United States; sign-in, crash and analytics data are processed by Google in the United States and other countries. Settings that belong to one phone, such as the app lock, are never uploaded. Backup and sign-in data are kept while your account exists.
Crash reports
When Nishka crashes, it sends a report with Firebase Crashlytics so the problem can be fixed. A report contains technical details: the phone model, Android version, app version, the type of error and where in the code it happened, the time, a random installation ID, and your IP address. While crash reports are on, Firebase also receives a small session record each time Nishka opens (app version, device model, network type and how long the app was open) to measure crash-free use.
Crash reports are designed to exclude your entries, amounts, notes and names: Nishka removes database details and account IDs from errors before a report is sent. On a new install, nothing is sent until you’ve finished the welcome, where the switch is shown. Crash reports are kept for 90 days. You can turn them off in Settings → Privacy → Send crash reports.
Usage analytics
Usage analytics are off unless you turn them on, in the welcome or in Settings → Privacy → Share usage analytics. When on, Google Analytics for Firebase records which screens you open, app sessions and engagement time, first open and app updates, together with a random app-instance ID, device model, Android version, language, app version and approximate location (country and city) derived from your IP address. It never records amounts, notes, names or your entries. The advertising ID, Google signals and ad personalisation are turned off. Google keeps this data for 2 months. Turn analytics off at any time and nothing more is sent.
Permissions
- Notifications: only if you turn on a reminder. Bill reminders hide names and amounts on a locked screen.
- Biometrics: only if you turn on the app lock. Your fingerprint or face is checked by Android; Nishka never sees it.
- Internet: for the optional backup, crash reports and, if you allow them, analytics.
Who processes your data
Google processes the data above on Brownshade Studio’s behalf as a service provider for Firebase. See Privacy and Security in Firebase and the Google Privacy Policy. Nishka shares your data with no one else.
Your rights
- See and take your data: everything is visible in the app, and Settings → Your data → Export gives you a CSV or PDF. You can also ask us for a copy of your backup.
- Correct or delete it: edit or delete entries in the app, or delete your account and backup (below).
- Change your mind: turn crash reports or analytics off at any time with the switches in Settings.
- Ask or complain: write to brownshadestudio@gmail.com. This address is also our grievance contact for users in India. We reply within 30 days. You can also complain to your local data protection authority.
Deleting your data
- On your phone: delete entries in the app, or uninstall Nishka to remove everything stored on the phone.
- Your account and cloud backup: in Settings → Backup & sync → Delete account and cloud data. This removes your sign-in and your backup from Nishka’s active database straight away. Copies in Google’s own backup systems are erased on Google’s schedule, typically within 180 days, and aren’t used.
- Without the app: follow the steps on Delete your account and data.
Children
Nishka is intended for adults (18 and over) and isn’t directed at children.
Changes
If this policy changes, the new version will be posted here with a new date. Significant changes will also be mentioned in the app’s release notes.
Contact
Questions or requests: brownshadestudio@gmail.com