If you’re an app developer, you may need an Android privacy policy for your app. Google Play requires all Android apps that collect users’ personal information to have a privacy policy that explains how the data is collected and used.
Do I Need a Privacy Policy for My Android App?
Yes, if your Android app requests access to personal and sensitive data, or if your app is designed for children and families, you’ll need to have a privacy policy in two places: your app’s website and your app’s Google Play listing page.
According to section 4.3 of Android’s SDK license agreement and section 4.8 of Google Play’s developer distribution agreement, personal and sensitive user data includes, but isn’t limited to:
- Information that can identify someone, like their username, email address, and name
- Financial and payment information (such as credit cards)
- Device location
- SMS data
- Microphone
- Camera
- Phone book information such as mobile numbers
- Authentication information
Additionally, if you subject to international laws such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), or Australia’s Privacy Act of 1988, you likely need to have a privacy policy for your Android app.
Android & Google Play Privacy Policy Requirements
Google Requirements for Privacy Policy
According to the Google Play developer program policy requirements, you need to do the following in your Android app’s privacy policy:
- Access: Disclose how your app accesses your users’ data
- Collection: Talk about what kind of personal or sensitive data your app will collect
- Use: Disclose to your users what the app is going to do with the collected data
- Sharing: Talk about what types of parties, if any, your users’ personal or sensitive information will be shared with
International Law Requirements
Even if you’re located outside of countries with data privacy laws, you may still need to follow their guidelines if there’s a possibility your app will attract users from these countries.
To meet GDPR requirements, you need to inform users about:
- Who or what is processing their information
- Why the personal information is being collected
- Whether the collected information will be disclosed to third parties
- How the user can request to delete information or withdraw their consent
CCPA privacy policy requirements are similar — you’ll need to cover the types of personal information collected, why you’re collecting it, whether you share or sell it, and more.
Australia’s Privacy Act of 1988 requires you to have an up-to-date privacy policy. If you have a mobile application that requires users to submit email addresses for account activation, you’ll need to follow this act.
Android App Privacy Policy Template & Examples
To summarize, you need the following information in your privacy policy, according to several international laws:
- Identity: Who is collecting the information? List your company’s full legal name and contact details.
- Types of data: What types of personal information — such as names, emails, addresses, and phone numbers — will be collected?
- Reason: Why is this data being collected? Tell your users the exact purpose of data collection.
- Disclosures: Will the data be disclosed to third parties? If so, why? Are there any safeguards to ensure the data won’t fall into the wrong hands?
- User rights: What rights will users have if they want to withdraw their consent or delete their data?
Additionally, several regulations mandate that your privacy policy needs to be consistently kept up to date.
Android Privacy Policy Template
To help you get started, check out Termly’s free privacy policy template. This will help you comply with privacy laws and show transparency to your user base.
We also have a free privacy policy generator that you can use to create a tailor-made privacy policy for your app.
Android Privacy Policy Examples on Google Play
Here are some Android privacy policy examples (each can be found under the Additional Information > Developer section):
- YouTube: Google’s privacy policy covers its websites and apps, and provides clear information on how and why it uses personal information.
- TikTok: TikTok provides separate privacy policies based on a user’s location.
- Netflix: Netflix’s app privacy policy contains general information, along with a CCPA-specific section.
Where to Display Your Android Privacy Policy
Remember that you need to display your Android app’s privacy policy in two places:
- The app’s website
- The app’s Google Play Store listing
On the app website, your privacy policy needs to be displayed in the footer or another location that’s clear to the public. This will help you build trust with your user base as well as comply with privacy laws.
Android Privacy Policy URL
You’ll need a URL of your privacy policy to use as a link on the Google Play Store. Then, follow these steps to put it on your store listing:
- Go to play.google.com/apps
- Log in to your Play Store account
- Select your app and go to the “Store Listing” section on the left side
- Scroll until you reach the “Privacy Policy URL” section
- Paste in the link to your app’s privacy policy
Next Steps
An Android privacy policy is essential for becoming compliant with privacy laws. It can also give your users transparent information about their data and privacy.
If you need help setting up your privacy policy — whether for a website, app, online store, or more — Termly has a privacy policy generator that can make the process easy.
More about the author
Written by Christine Hennel
Christine is a product specialist and writer for Termly. She writes support articles, user FAQs, and documentation for Termly’s policy generators and cookie consent manager. More about the author
