Privacy Policy
Last updated: 20 August 2026 — Version 1.7.1 Vakit respects your privacy. No account is required and we do not collect personally identifying information (name, email, phone, photos, contacts). Prayer times, qibla direction and reminders are calculated entirely on your device. Your khatm progress, bookmarks, goals and favourite mosques stay on your device and sync only within your own Apple iCloud account — they are never sent to our servers. Your dhikr list is the exception: it is sent to our servers along with usage statistics so we can improve the app (see section 1). Everything sent to our servers is tied to a persistent user code containing no identifying information.
1. Data We Collect
Data we DO NOT collect: • Name, email, phone, photos, microphone, camera, contacts • GPS coordinates (latitude/longitude) – never sent to our servers • Search query texts (only the query's character length is sent) • Account credentials (Vakit has no account system) Data stored on your device and synced within your private iCloud space: • Dhikr records, khatm progress, worship goals • Quran and hadith bookmarks, reading history • Surah completion counters, hadith section status • Your missed-prayer and missed-fast ledgers • Your excused-day marks • Favorite mosques • App preferences (language, calculation method, notification settings, theme) Data sent to our servers — tied to a persistent user code that contains no identifying information (a pseudonym, not anonymous): • Regional location (country, city, district) – NOT GPS coordinates • Device model, iOS/macOS version, app version, watchOS version • App preferences (language, calculation method, theme, school of thought, calendar type, the gender you selected for the prayer guide, which prayers you want notifications for, and your Quran and hadith reading preferences — font size, translation, reciter, script). Your reading position and history are NOT included. • Feature usage statistics (screen views, feature usage). These show that a section was used — for example that an excused day was marked or a missed-prayer entry was made. The ledger itself (the list of your records and their counts) is not sent; what is sent is the fact that the action happened, and like every statistic it carries a timestamp. • Your dhikr list – dhikr name, type, category and counters; including the Arabic text, description and source you enter for dhikr you add yourself. They are collected to see which dhikr are used and how often, so the dhikr section can be improved. • Crash reports (via Firebase Crashlytics, contains no personal data) Because this user code syncs through the iCloud keychain, devices on the same Apple ID count as one user and the code survives deleting and reinstalling the app. The code contains no identity data; your data is never sold or used for advertising.
2. How We Use Your Data
• Prayer Time Calculation – Location is processed locally on your device, calculated offline using the Adhan library. • Qibla Direction – Location and compass heading are combined on-device. • Worship Reminders – Local notifications are scheduled on-device by iOS and macOS. • Announcements – Blessed-day and release announcements are broadcast via Firebase Cloud Messaging; there is no per-person targeting. • Friday Sermon – This week's sermon is downloaded from the Diyanet public page; the request carries no identifying information. • Nearby Mosques – Your location is sent to Apple MapKit (mosque search, distance, directions); not to Vakit servers. • User Data (dhikr, khatm, bookmarks) – Stored locally with SwiftData and synced within your private Apple iCloud space. Of these, only the dhikr list is additionally sent to the Vakit server (see section 1). • Development & Improvement – Usage statistics (no GPS coordinates, no search text) are used to monitor performance and detect bugs.
3. iCloud Synchronization (CloudKit)
Vakit syncs your worship records (dhikr, khatm, bookmarks, goals, favorite mosques) across your devices via Apple's CloudKit. This data: • Lives only in the private database of your own Apple ID. • Is encrypted on Apple's infrastructure; we, Apple staff and third parties cannot access it. • Syncs automatically across iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch. • Stays only on your device if you disable iCloud. • Is removed from all your devices when you use "Delete My Account" or remove Vakit data from iCloud. Details: apple.com/legal/privacy
4. Apple Watch and Mac Data
Vakit ships a companion app on watchOS 26+. On the Watch: • Location permission is granted separately on the Watch; if Vakit is installed on iPhone, location is received via WatchConnectivity, otherwise Watch GPS is used. • Compass sensor is processed on-device for qibla; never sent to a server. • We do not read Health (HealthKit), activity or heart-rate data. • Notifications are mirrored from iPhone via iOS notification mirroring; if the Watch runs alone, it schedules its own local notifications. On the Mac (macOS 26+): • The Mac app is the same app as on iPhone; your data is still stored on the device and synced within your own private iCloud. • Macs have no compass hardware, so there is no live qibla compass; the bearing and distance are computed from your location and shown as text. • Location on Mac comes from Wi-Fi based location services rather than GPS, and is likewise never sent to our servers. • Notification permission and notification settings are per-device; changing them on Mac does not affect your iPhone.
5. Third-Party Services
Vakit uses the following services for limited purposes. None are tied to your personal identity: • Apple iCloud / CloudKit – User data sync (in your private iCloud space). • Apple MapKit – Nearby mosques, map and directions (location is sent to Apple). • Firebase Crashlytics (Google) – Crash reports with no identity data (stack trace, device model, iOS/macOS version). • Firebase Remote Config (Google) – Feature flags and gradual rollout (does not read data from the device). • Google AdMob – Only to display rewarded video ads in the optional "Sadaka Mode". Details below. • Apple StoreKit 2 – Optional donations (IAP). Payment details are processed by Apple; Vakit never sees card data. • Firebase Cloud Messaging (Google) + Apple Push Notification (APNs) – Blessed-day and release announcements. Announcements are broadcast by topic; there is no per-person targeting. • Diyanet (dinhizmetleri.diyanet.gov.tr) – Friday sermon text and audio. • Vakit server (Germany, Frankfurt) – Usage statistics and your dhikr list, tied to a user code that contains no identifying information. Your khatm, bookmark, goal and reading records are never sent there. Note: Firebase Analytics is NOT used; the Advertising Identifier (IDFA) is not collected. Google's privacy policy: policies.google.com/privacy
6. Advertising (Sadaka Mode)
Vakit does not show ads. Only in the optional "Sadaka Mode", if the user explicitly starts it to support the developer, a rewarded video ad is shown via Google AdMob. In that case: • The ad is served by Google AdMob and may use the advertising identifier (IDFA) and device info. • If you decline the iOS App Tracking Transparency (ATT) prompt, IDFA is not shared and a non-personalized ad is shown. • The feature is opt-in; no ad SDK collects data unless you start it. • Sadaka Mode can be disabled remotely via Firebase Remote Config; you may simply choose never to use it. Google AdMob privacy: support.google.com/admob/answer/6128543
7. Donations (In-App Purchase)
Vakit is free. To support the developer you can make optional donations of ₺75 / ₺149 / ₺349 / ₺749 from the "Vakit'i Yaşat" screen. These transactions: • Are processed by Apple StoreKit 2; payment details (card, IBAN, Apple Pay) are sent only to Apple. • Vakit never sees or stores your payment method or financial details. • Refunds can only be requested through Apple (reportaproblem.apple.com).
8. Data Retention
• Local device data – Stored until you delete the app. • iCloud data – Stored until you remove Vakit's scope from iCloud or disable your Apple ID. • Usage statistics on the server – Kept for at most 24 months for aggregate statistical purposes, then deleted. • Crash reports (Crashlytics) – Kept for 90 days, then deleted. • Server logs – Rotated within 30 days.
9. Your Rights (KVKK / GDPR)
Under Turkey's KVKK and the EU GDPR you have the right to: • Know which data is collected about you • Object to data processing (revoke Location, Notification or Motion permissions in Settings → Vakit on iOS, or System Settings → Vakit on Mac) • Request deletion of your data: Settings → Delete My Account removes everything on your device and in iCloud. To have the usage statistics on our server deleted, write to [email protected]; your request is fulfilled within 30 days at the latest. • Data portability • File a complaint with the KVKK authority Submit requests to [email protected]; we respond within 30 days at the latest.
10. Children's Privacy
Vakit is offered in the App Store with a 4+ age rating, but we do not knowingly collect personal data from users under 13. If you believe that a child under 13 has provided data, please write to [email protected] and we will delete the relevant data immediately.
11. Security
All local data stays on your device, protected by the iOS/macOS sandbox and device encryption. iCloud data is encrypted on Apple's infrastructure. Data sent to our server is transmitted over HTTPS/TLS and stored in an encrypted database; it contains no identity information. Vakit also performs jailbreak, debugger and injection detection for additional protection during sensitive operations.
12. Policy Changes
This policy may be updated as the app evolves. For material changes the "Last updated" date on this page is refreshed and an in-app notice is shown. We recommend reviewing this policy periodically.
13. Contact
For privacy questions, requests or feedback: [email protected] Data Controller: Hakan Çelik (Turkey)