ClearScan — Privacy Policy
ClearScan is a document and PDF scanner that works entirely on your phone. This page explains, in plain words, what the app does and does not do with your information.
The short version
- Your scans, PDFs, pictures and signatures stay on your phone. ClearScan has no accounts, no server and no analytics, and it never uploads your documents.
- The only network use is Google AdMob, which shows a small banner and an occasional full-screen ad.
- We cannot see your documents, and we do not sell or share them.
What ClearScan stores on your phone
The documents you scan or import, their pages, names, folders, text read from them, your saved signatures and your settings are kept in the app's private storage on your device. ClearScan does not ask for your name, email or any other personal detail. Deleting the app deletes all of this. Android's automatic cloud backup is turned off for ClearScan, so copies are not sent to a backup service either.
When you use Save to phone, Share or Print, ClearScan hands the file to the place or app you pick. Once a file leaves ClearScan it is governed by that app or service.
Camera, photos and files
The camera is used only when you start a scan, scan a QR code or take a photo of a signature. Pictures and files are read only when you choose them yourself. Scanning, cropping, reading text from pages and QR codes all happen on your phone, using Google's on-device ML Kit; your pages are not sent to us or to Google for this.
App lock
If you turn on App lock, ClearScan asks Android to check your fingerprint, face or screen lock. ClearScan never receives or stores your fingerprint, face data or PIN; it only learns whether the check passed.
Advertising (Google AdMob)
ClearScan is free and shows ads provided by Google AdMob: a small banner above the bottom bar and an occasional full-screen ad after saving or sharing. To serve and measure ads, Google may collect the device's advertising ID, IP address, approximate location derived from it, and basic device information. ClearScan never passes your documents, their text or any in-app data to the ads SDK.
In the European Economic Area, the UK and Switzerland, ClearScan asks for your consent before ads use your data, and you can change your choice at any time in Settings → Ad privacy choices.
How Google uses this information is described in Google's advertising policy and Google's Privacy Policy. You can limit ad personalisation or reset your advertising ID in your phone's settings (Android: Settings → Google → Ads).
Permissions
- Camera: scanning documents, QR codes and signatures.
- Biometrics: only if you turn on App lock.
- Internet and network state: only so ads can load.
- Advertising ID: used by Google AdMob as described above.
ClearScan does not use your location, contacts or microphone, and it does not request access to all your files.
Children
ClearScan is not directed at children under 13 and does not knowingly collect information from them.
Changes to this policy
If this policy changes, the new version will be published at this address with an updated effective date. We will not start uploading your documents or collecting personal data without changing the app itself and saying so clearly.
Contact
Questions about privacy in ClearScan: support@blackpaperhq.com