Privacy Policy

Artessa | Last Updated: August 2026

1. Overview

Artessa ("we," "us," "our," or "the app") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application and related services. Please read this policy carefully. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our app.

2. Information We Collect

A. Automatically Collected Information

Device Information: We automatically collect your device's unique identifiers, including the Android Advertising ID (AAID), device model, operating system version, and mobile network information. This information is used by our ad partners (Google AdMob) for ad personalization and frequency capping.

Usage Analytics: Via Google Firebase Analytics, we collect information about how you interact with Artessa, including: which artworks you view, which categories you browse, how long you spend on features, and whether you watch rewarded ads. This helps us improve the app experience.

Crash & Performance Data: Firebase also collects crash logs and performance metrics to help us identify and fix bugs.

B. User-Provided Information

In-App Purchases: When you purchase a subscription (Monthly, Yearly) or a one-time lifetime pass via Google Play Billing, we receive confirmation of your purchase from Google Play. We do NOT store your payment method or credit card details — Google Play handles all payment processing.

Artwork Viewing Data: We do not collect personal data based on artwork preferences. Your daily masterpiece selection and browse history are stored locally on your device only.

C. Data From Museums

Museum Open-Access Artwork Data: We retrieve artwork information and images from publicly available open-access collections operated by:

• The Metropolitan Museum of Art (metmuseum.org) — 492,000+ public domain artworks
• Art Institute of Chicago (artic.edu) — 30,000+ public domain artworks
• Cleveland Museum of Art (clevelandart.org) — Additional public domain collection
• Smithsonian Open Access (si.edu) — Supplementary public domain artworks

All featured artworks are in the public domain and free to use. We do not collect personal data through these museum APIs — only artwork metadata and images.

3. How We Use Your Information

• Ad Personalization: Your AAID and usage patterns are shared with Google AdMob to deliver relevant advertisements.
• Analytics & Improvement: Firebase Analytics data helps us understand feature usage, user retention, and identify bugs.
• Subscription Management: Purchase data is used to activate or restore your subscription access.
• In-App Features: Artwork browsing, daily masterpiece delivery, and "The Story" (AI-powered art stories) features.
• Notifications: Firebase Cloud Messaging delivers daily masterpiece notifications (opt-out via settings).

4. Sharing of Information

We do NOT sell or rent your personal information. We only share data with trusted third-party services:

• Google AdMob: Displays personalized ads. Google Ads Policy
• Google Firebase: Analytics, cloud functions, and messaging. Firebase Privacy
• Google Play Billing: Payment processing. Google Play Privacy
• Google Cloud (Gemini API): Powers "The Story" feature (AI-generated art stories). Google AI Responsibility
• Museum APIs (public): The Met, Art Institute of Chicago, and others. No personal data is shared with museums.

5. Data Retention

• Firebase Analytics: Retained for 14–30 days (Google's default retention policy)
• Advertising ID (AAID): Retained per Google AdMob's standard policy (typically 13 months)
• Local Device Cache: Artwork favorites and history are stored locally on your device indefinitely (you can clear app cache anytime)
• Purchase Records: Maintained by Google Play for subscription management and restore purposes

6. Security of Information

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your data:

• All communication between the app and our servers uses encrypted HTTPS connections.
• We do not store sensitive payment or authentication data — Google Play and Firebase handle this securely.
• Cloud-stored data (Firebase) is encrypted at rest and in transit.

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Your Rights & Choices

• Ad Personalization: Disable targeted ads in Android Settings → Google → Manage your Google Account → Data & Privacy → Ad settings.
• Analytics Opt-Out: Disable analytics in Artessa Settings → Privacy & Analytics.
• Notifications: Disable masterpiece notifications in Artessa Settings → Notifications.
• Data Deletion: Clear app cache/data in Android Settings → Apps → Artessa → Storage → Clear Cache/Clear Data.
• Right to Know (CCPA/GDPR): Contact us at articodeinnovations@gmail.com to request what data we have about you (limited to Firebase IDs and usage patterns).

8. Children's Privacy

Artessa is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, we will delete such information immediately.

9. Third-Party Links

Artessa may include links to external websites (museum websites, Google services, etc.). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party sites. We recommend reviewing their privacy policies before providing any information.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will notify you of any material changes by updating the "Last Updated" date. Your continued use of Artessa after any such modifications constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

11. Contact Us