Privacy Policy

Account information

When you register, we collect your name, email address, phone number, district, blood group, and whether you are a blood donor. This information is used to create and identify your HelpsNest account.

Profile photo

If you upload a profile photo, the image is stored securely via Cloudinary (a third-party image hosting service). We store only the public URL of the image in your profile.

Device token (FCM)

To send you push notifications, we collect your device's Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) token. This token is stored in your user record and used only to deliver alerts relevant to you (such as blood requests matching your blood group).

Location

Location access is optional and used only when you explicitly request map-based features (e.g. finding nearby hospitals or getting directions). We do not store your precise GPS coordinates.

Usage data

We do not run analytics or advertising SDKs. No browsing behaviour, click tracking, or session recordings are collected.

Blood matching

Your blood group and district are used to match you with urgent blood requests in your area and to display your donor profile to people who need your blood type.

Push notifications

We use your FCM token to send alerts when blood matching your group is urgently needed nearby, when your appointment is confirmed, or when someone replies to your community post. You can opt out at any time in the app settings.

Appointments

When you book a hospital appointment, we store the appointment details (hospital, doctor, date, and status) in your account so you can view and manage them.

Community features

Posts, comments, and marketplace listings you create are stored under your user ID and are publicly visible to other HelpsNest users.

We never sell your data

Your personal information is never sold, rented, or shared with advertisers or data brokers — ever.

Firebase / Firestore

All user data is stored in Google Firebase Firestore (a cloud database). Data is encrypted at rest and in transit. Firebase security rules restrict read and write access so users can only access their own private data.

Data location

Firebase stores data in Google's global cloud infrastructure. By using HelpsNest you agree that your data may be processed outside Bangladesh in accordance with Google's data processing terms.

Retention

Your data is retained for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account, we remove your personal information from Firestore within 30 days. Anonymised aggregate data (e.g. total donation counts) may be retained for platform statistics.

Topic subscriptions

When you register as a donor or set your blood group, we subscribe your device to relevant FCM topics (e.g. your blood group and district). This allows us to notify you of matching urgent requests without storing your device token on our own servers beyond your user document.

Opt-out

You can disable notifications at any time in the app's Settings screen, or revoke permission from your device's system notification settings. Opting out does not affect any other app functionality.

Google Firebase

Authentication, Firestore database, and Firebase Cloud Messaging are provided by Google Firebase. See Google's privacy policy at firebase.google.com/support/privacy.

Cloudinary

Profile photo uploads are processed by Cloudinary. Images uploaded via HelpsNest are publicly accessible via their URL. See Cloudinary's privacy policy at cloudinary.com/privacy.

Google Play Store

If you downloaded HelpsNest via the Google Play Store, Google may collect installation and usage data as described in Google's privacy policy.

Access and correction

You can view and edit your name, phone number, blood group, district, and profile photo at any time from the Profile screen in the app.

Data deletion

To permanently delete your account and all associated personal data, email us at hello@helpsnest.org with the subject line "Account Deletion Request". We will process your request within 30 days.

Opt-out of donor listing

You can mark yourself as "Unavailable" or remove your donor status from your profile at any time. Your profile will immediately stop appearing in donor searches.

Age requirement

HelpsNest is not directed at children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.