Pdf Tool
Privacy Policy
A plain-language explanation of what happens to your files and your data when you use PDF Tools — written to be read in one sitting, not decoded by a lawyer.
Overview
PDF Tools is an offline-first document utility: Merge, Split, Image ↔ PDF conversion, Compress, Rotate, Lock, Unlock, a built-in Viewer, Sign, and Edit. This policy explains what information the app and its services can access, why, and what choices you have. It applies to the PDF Tools Android app and this policy page.
By installing and using PDF Tools, you agree to the practices described here. If you don't agree, please don't use the app.
Information we collect
We — the developer of PDF Tools — do not operate any server that receives your documents, and we do not ask you to create an account. Concretely, that means we do not collect:
- Your name, email, or phone number — there is no sign-up flow anywhere in the app.
- The content of your PDFs or images — files are never uploaded anywhere by the app.
- Your files themselves — nothing is transmitted off your device during merging, splitting, compressing, signing, or editing.
The only data that flows off your device comes from Google's advertising and Play Services SDKs, covered in Section 5 — not from anything PDF Tools itself sends.
How your files are processed
Every operation in PDF Tools runs locally, using on-device libraries (PDFBox for Android and Android's built-in PDF renderer):
- Merge, Split, Rotate, Lock, Unlock, Sign, Edit, Image → PDF read and write files entirely on your device's storage.
- PDF → Images and the built-in Viewer render pages locally using Android's native PDF rendering engine.
- Compress re-encodes pages on-device — no cloud compression service is used.
App permissions
PDF Tools uses Android's Storage Access Framework, so you pick each file yourself through the system file/folder picker. This means the app does not request broad storage access on any Android version.
| Permission | Why it's needed |
|---|---|
INTERNET | Required to load banner and interstitial ads from Google AdMob. |
ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE | Lets the ad SDK check connectivity before requesting an ad. |
| Storage — not requested | Files are opened and saved only through the system picker (Storage Access Framework), never through blanket storage permission. |
Advertising (Google AdMob)
PDF Tools is free to use and is supported by ads served through Google AdMob — a banner on the home screen and an occasional interstitial after you finish a tool operation. To do this, AdMob and Google Play Services may collect technical data such as your advertising ID, general device information, approximate location (derived from IP), and ad interaction events (impressions and clicks).
This data is collected and processed by Google, not by us directly, under Google's own privacy terms:
Where required by local law (for example, in the EEA and UK), a consent prompt is shown before any personalized ad data is collected, and you can change your choice at any time from that prompt or your device's ad settings.
Third-party services
Aside from Google AdMob and the Google Play Services that support it, PDF Tools does not integrate any analytics, crash-reporting, or cloud-storage SDKs. We don't sell data — there isn't a data pipeline to sell from.
Data retention & security
Since your documents never leave your device, there is nothing for us to retain on a server — there is no server. Temporary working copies the app creates while merging or compressing a file live in the app's private cache and are cleared automatically by Android, or when you clear the app's cache/storage.
If you use the Lock PDF tool, the password you set is applied directly to the PDF's own encryption (via industry-standard PDF encryption) and is never transmitted or stored by us — if you forget it, we have no way to recover it.
Your choices & controls
- Ad personalization — manage this from your device's Google Settings → Ads, or through the consent prompt shown on first launch where applicable.
- File access — you choose exactly which file or folder to open every time; the app never gets standing access to your whole device.
- Uninstalling — removes the app's cache and any temporary files immediately; your original documents, wherever you saved them, are untouched.
Children's privacy
PDF Tools is a general-audience productivity utility and is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided information through the app's ad services, please contact us so we can address it.
Changes to this policy
If this policy changes — for example, if a future update adds a new service — we'll revise this page and update the effective date at the top. Continuing to use PDF Tools after a change means you accept the updated policy.
Contact us
Questions about this policy or how PDF Tools handles data? We're happy to answer.
✉️ malik.07f5@gmail.com
Comments
Post a Comment