Privacy Policy

Welcome to HAMS (“HAMS”, “we”, “our”, or “us”). HAMS is a privacy-focused communication application designed for calling mobile and landline numbers worldwide and for app-to-app communication through voice calls, messaging, voice messages, file sharing and video calling.

This Privacy Policy explains how information may be collected, used, processed, stored and protected when you use the HAMS Android application, website and related services. If you do not agree with this policy, please do not use HAMS.

1. Information You Provide

Depending on how HAMS is configured and which features you use, you may provide information such as an email address, username or display name, profile information, support requests, and other information you choose to submit through the service.

2. Communication and Service Data

To provide communication features, HAMS may process information necessary to route and deliver calls, messages, voice messages, video sessions and files. This may include call or session metadata such as time, duration, destination, connection status or similar operational information. Communication content is processed only as required to provide the feature being used and according to the technical design of the service.

3. Device and Technical Information

HAMS may process limited technical information required to operate, secure and troubleshoot the service, such as app version, device type, operating-system version, IP/network information, connection information, crash information and diagnostic data.

The Android app registers a generated installation identifier, Android device identifier, device brand/manufacturer/model, Android version and app version with the HAMS administration service, including before sign-in. The server records connection IP addresses and check-in times. Authenticated account lookups can associate the installation with your assigned app username, website account ID and email. Periodic check-ins and presence updates support device administration, connection status and troubleshooting while the app process runs. This device reporting is separate from SMS content and does not upload your SMS inbox.

Optional SIM diagnostics and contact backup: the Share diagnostics switch is off by default and requires a separate affirmative choice and relevant Android permissions. When enabled, reports can include SIM carrier, country, slot and phone number when available, plus contact names and phone numbers for backup. These reports are sent over HTTPS, and authorized administrators can view them for the disclosed support and backup functions. Contact snapshots are encrypted in local app storage and on the server; HAMS can decrypt the server copy, so this is not end-to-end encryption. SMS bodies, contact photos and contact notes are not part of this backup. Turning sharing off stops new reports, removes the local contact backup and queues deletion of current server SIM/contact snapshots, with retries when a connection is available. Earlier server backups may retain older copies. Granting Contacts or Phone permission alone is not consent to this optional sharing.

4. App Permissions

HAMS may request Android permissions that are necessary for features you choose to use, including:

• Microphone — for voice calls, video calls and voice messages.
• Camera — for video calling and related camera features.
• Contacts — where enabled, to help you find or call contacts.
• Photos, media or files — when you choose to send or receive files or media.
• Notifications — for incoming calls, messages and service alerts.
• Phone/calling permissions — where technically required for HAMS calling functionality.

You can manage supported permissions through your Android device settings. Disabling a permission may prevent the related feature from working.

Default SMS inbox and encrypted text messages

Why we request SMS access. HAMS includes a default-SMS inbox feature for sending, receiving, displaying, replying to and deleting ordinary text messages and compatible HAMS encrypted SMS. If you choose this feature, Android asks you to select HAMS as your default SMS app. HAMS requests SMS permissions after that selection. This moves ordinary SMS handling, including personal messages and verification-code messages, to HAMS as well; access is not limited to messages created by HAMS.

• Read SMS (READ_SMS): display messages already in your phone's SMS inbox and sent-message history, show conversation details and display decrypted text for compatible encrypted messages.
• Receive SMS (RECEIVE_SMS): receive incoming texts, save them in Android's SMS database and notify you. Reception can occur in the background while HAMS is your default SMS handler.
• Send SMS (SEND_SMS): send texts you review and confirm, using the SIM you select. Messages use your mobile carrier; SMS and multipart-message charges may apply.
• Default SMS role: lets HAMS maintain message records in Android's shared SMS database, including sent/received messages, read status, deletion and delivery status.
• Phone state and notifications: identify available SIM subscriptions for SMS selection and show message or delivery alerts. You can choose a recipient with Android's contact picker or enter a number yourself.
• MMS/WAP delivery events: the current build declares RECEIVE_MMS and RECEIVE_WAP_PUSH for system delivery events, but it only shows an unsupported-MMS notice. Picture messages and group MMS are not supported in this build. Choose another default messaging app if you need those features.

Data accessed and where it goes. The SMS feature processes message bodies, sender and recipient phone numbers, timestamps, read status, SIM subscription information and delivery status on your device. The current SMS feature does not upload your SMS inbox or message bodies to HAMS website, administration or VOS/VoIP servers, and does not use them for advertising, profiling or sale. Sending an SMS necessarily transmits it and delivery/routing information through your mobile carrier to the recipient. Carriers, recipients, other messaging apps you authorize and any device backup service you enable have their own access and retention practices. Account, calling, balance and optional diagnostics processing described elsewhere in this policy is separate from the SMS inbox.

Encryption and its limits. In compatible encrypted-SMS mode, HAMS encrypts the message on the sending device and decrypts it for display on the receiving device. The encrypted message body is stored as ciphertext in Android's SMS database; ordinary SMS, including ordinary verification codes, remains unencrypted by this feature. Phone numbers, timestamps and other routing metadata are not concealed by SMS encryption. Both parties need a compatible HAMS implementation. The current mode is experimental and uses the same extractable encryption key across compatible installations. Someone who obtains that key can decrypt captured messages or forge encrypted messages. It does not provide reliable protection against carriers or authenticate the sender, and is not suitable for sensitive information. Do not treat it as a guarantee of secure end-to-end communication. Encrypted messages can use more SMS segments and cost more; delivery and multipart completion are not guaranteed.

Storage, retention and deletion. SMS records remain in Android's shared message database until you delete them or Android/device controls remove them. HAMS also keeps device-local delivery and duplicate-message records to operate the feature. Delete an individual message through HAMS while it is the default SMS app, or use your chosen default messaging app. Uninstalling HAMS, clearing its private app storage or deleting a HAMS account does not necessarily remove the shared SMS inbox. Deleting a local message does not delete a recipient's copy, carrier records or external device backups. HAMS cannot remotely delete copies it does not hold.

Your choice. You can decline the default-SMS role, revoke permissions under Android Settings → Apps → HAMS → Permissions, or select another app under Settings → Default apps → SMS app. HAMS checks its default-handler status before SMS reading, sending and handling incoming delivery events. Changing the default stops HAMS from acting as your SMS handler; it does not cancel messages already submitted to a carrier. Declining SMS access prevents these SMS features, but does not itself authorize or prevent separate HAMS calling/account functions. Optional SIM diagnostics and contact backup require their own disclosed sharing choice; granting SMS access alone does not enable those uploads.

5. Private Number and Caller-ID Presentation

HAMS is designed to support privacy-focused calling. Caller-ID presentation, including presentation as “Private Number”, may depend on the destination carrier, telecom provider, country or jurisdiction, network capabilities and service configuration. HAMS does not guarantee that every destination network will display the same caller-ID status.

6. How We Use Information

Information may be used to provide and maintain HAMS features, route communications, authenticate or manage accounts, improve reliability, prevent fraud, spam or abuse, troubleshoot technical problems, provide customer support, protect users and the service, and comply with applicable legal obligations.

7. Service Providers and Third Parties

HAMS may rely on telecom carriers, cloud or hosting providers, push-notification services, infrastructure providers and other technical service providers needed to deliver app functionality. These providers may process limited information as necessary to perform services on our behalf and are subject to their own legal and contractual obligations.

8. Data Retention

We aim to retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary to provide the service, maintain security, prevent abuse, resolve disputes and comply with applicable legal or regulatory requirements. Different categories of information may have different retention periods.

Account, purchase/payment, balance, support and security records may have different retention needs. Device registration and verified account-link records can remain after logout or uninstalling until they are deleted. Current optional contact/SIM snapshots are replaced by successful updates and queued for deletion when sharing is disabled. Restricted backups can retain earlier copies after live records are removed. Device-local SMS retention and deletion are explained in the SMS section above and are separate from server account deletion.

9. Account and Data Deletion

You may request deletion of your HAMS account and associated user data through our User Data Deletion page. We will process valid deletion requests subject to information that must be retained for applicable legal, regulatory, fraud-prevention, security or dispute-resolution purposes.

You can also email contact@hamsapp.org with your account email or HAMS account ID and the records you want deleted, such as device registrations, uploaded contacts or payment evidence. Do not send your password. We may verify ownership before acting. The deletion page opens your email app; you must send the prepared request, or email us directly if no email app is available. Account deletion concerns HAMS-held account data and does not remotely erase messages from your phone, a recipient's phone or a mobile carrier.

10. Security

We use reasonable technical and organizational safeguards appropriate to the nature of the service and information being processed. However, no internet, mobile or telecommunications service can guarantee absolute security.

App requests to the HAMS account and administration APIs use HTTPS. Supported sensitive app preferences use Android Keystore-backed encrypted storage. These safeguards do not make every communication end-to-end encrypted or encrypt every device file, exported item or ordinary SMS. SIM-based encrypted SMS has the shared-key limitations explained above. Keep your device and account credentials protected.

11. International Processing

Because HAMS supports worldwide communications, information may be processed by infrastructure or service providers located in countries different from your own. Where required, such processing is handled in accordance with applicable data-protection requirements.

12. Children’s Privacy

HAMS is not intended for children below the minimum age required to use the service under applicable law. We do not knowingly seek to collect personal information from children who are not legally permitted to use the service.

13. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on where you live, applicable law may give you rights relating to your personal information, including rights to request access, correction, deletion, restriction or other information about processing. You may contact us to submit an applicable privacy request.

14. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy when HAMS features, legal requirements or our data practices change. The current version will be posted on this page with an updated effective date.

15. Contact Us

For privacy questions, account requests or data-related enquiries, contact:

HAMS Support
Email: contact@hamsapp.org