Privacy Policy

Last Updated: May 4, 2026

Welcome to Chromux Browser. We value your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data. This Privacy Policy explains how we handle your information when you use our mobile application.

1. Information We Collect & Store Locally

All the following data is stored locally on your device:

• Local History & Bookmarks: Your browsing history and bookmarks are stored securely and locally on your device using standard Android database protocols. We do not sync this data to any cloud servers.
• Cookies & Session Data: We store cookies to keep you logged in to websites. You can clear these at any time via Settings.
• Cached Data: Images and web files are cached locally to speed up browsing.
• Media Playback Preferences: Your video/audio player settings are stored locally.

2. Advanced Privacy Features

Chromux actively protects your privacy while you browse:

• AdShield (Ad Blocker): We use local filter lists and script injection techniques to block intrusive ads, trackers, and miners on websites and video platforms. This processing happens entirely on your device to enhance page load speed and privacy.
• Anti-Fingerprinting: When enabled, we randomize device metrics (like Timezone and Canvas data) to prevent websites from uniquely identifying ("fingerprinting") you.
• Secure DNS (DoH): You can enable DNS over HTTPS (using Cloudflare 1.1.1.1) to encrypt your DNS queries. This prevents your ISP from seeing which websites you visit.
• Permissions Monitor: We display a "Green Dot" indicator whenever a website accesses your Camera or Microphone. We strictly enforce permissions and never record audio/video without your explicit consent.

3. Permissions We Request

To provide essential features, Chromux requires certain permissions:

• Camera & Microphone: Requested only when a website (e.g., video call connection) asks for it. You can Allow or Deny this per site.
• Storage (Files & Media): Required to download files and access local media for the built-in player. On Android 11 and above, we request All Files Access (MANAGE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE) exclusively to support our Secure Vault feature, allowing seamless hiding, encryption, and deletion of protected files across the device. We never access or modify files outside the scope of your explicit requests.
• Notifications: Required for download progress, media controls, and contextual updates (like News alerts, Live Cricket scores, or App features). You can opt out of non-essential notifications at any time via Settings.
• System Boot: The app starts limited background services when your device boots up to ensure timely delivery of subscribed News feeds and Cricket notifications.
• Audio & Bluetooth Settings: We request permission to modify audio settings and detect Bluetooth connections to optimize the built-in Equalizer and Media Player features.
• Internet: Required to browse the web, load news/cricket feeds, and fetch the Books catalog from our public Cloudflare CDN (chromux-book-new.karankumarjauhar123.workers.dev) and third-party sports APIs. No personal data is sent during these requests.
• Wi-Fi State: Used to detect your network type (Wi-Fi vs Mobile Data) for optimizing content loading and data-saving features. No network identifiers are collected or transmitted.
• Download Manager: Used by the system download service to manage file downloads efficiently. Download history remains local to your device.

4. Analytics & Third-Party Services

Chromux uses trusted third-party services to ensure a stable experience:

• Google Firebase Analytics & Crashlytics: We collect anonymous usage data (such as crash reports, device model, session length, and feature usage) to detect bugs and improve performance. This telemetry data does not contain your browsing history, private vault files, or personal identifiers.
• Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM): We use Google FCM for delivering push notifications.
• Custom News Aggregator: Chromux uses a secure, custom-built, open-source aggregation server hosted on Vercel to fetch and parse headlines locally. This speeds up your news feed without relying on heavily-tracked commercial APIs.
• Public Feeds & APIs: We securely load RSS feeds (like Google Trends) and custom lightweight APIs to bring you contextual notifications directly to your device via background WorkManager (without FCM).

5. Secure Vault

6. Incognito Mode

We take your privacy seriously:

• Incognito Mode: Browsing history, cookies, form data, and cache are strictly disabled and never saved to disk.
• Do Not Track (DNT): Chromux automatically sends a "Do Not Track" signal to websites.
• HTTPS Upgrade: We prioritize secure HTTPS connections to prevent eavesdropping.

7. Additional Privacy Controls & Services

• Geolocation Protection: Chromux supports website location features but always requires your explicit permission before granting any website access to your precise GPS location.
• Google Safe Browsing: To protect you from phishing and malware, we utilize Android's built-in Google Safe Browsing API. This checks URLs against Google's threat lists. This process conforms to Google's privacy policy.
• Search Suggestions: When you type in the address bar, your query text is sent to your selected search engine (e.g., Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo) to provide real-time suggestions. This feature is optional and can be disabled in Settings.
• Live Feeds & Personalization (News, Cricket, Trending): The app fetches headlines, live sports scores, and trending topics from our custom fast-edge APIs. To provide a tailored experience, Chromux may send your selected favorite categories (e.g., "technology", "sports") to our servers to securely sort and prioritize articles. This preference data is 100% anonymous and contains no Personal Identifiable Information (PII) or device IDs. Your IP address may be visible to edge providers (like Vercel or Cloudflare) when calling these servers, but Chromux does not track which specific articles or matches you tap or read.
• Image Optimization: To save your mobile data and load pages up to 5x faster, news images may be routed through privacy-friendly public CDNs (like wsrv.nl) for automatic WebP compression. No browsing history is shared during this process.
• Public Downloads: Files downloaded via the standard "Download" option are saved to your device's public storage so other apps (Gallery, File Manager) can access them. Use the Vault for private files.
• Third-Party Cookies: To ensure websites function properly (e.g., embedded videos, social media widgets), we enable third-party cookies by default. You can disable these in Settings or use Incognito Mode to block them automatically.
• JavaScript Interface: For enhanced functionality, we expose limited browser features (Share, Bookmark, Copy) to websites via a secure JavaScript interface. This only activates when JavaScript is enabled and only provides access to user-initiated actions.
• Android System WebView: Chromux uses the Android System WebView component for rendering web pages. This is a Google-maintained component that receives regular security updates through Google Play Services.
• Media Playback History: For the built-in media player, we store your playback history (resume positions, recently played files) locally to enhance your experience. This is separate from browsing history and is stored in a local database.
• Audio Device Detection: The app detects your connected audio output device (e.g., Headphones, Bluetooth, Speaker) to optimize Equalizer settings. This detection happens locally in real-time and no device information is stored or transmitted.
• Picture-in-Picture (PiP) & Widgets: We offer a PiP mode for persistent video playback and a Home Screen Music Widget for audio control. These features operate locally based on the media you choose to play.
• Background Services: When downloading files, we run foreground services (as required by Android). These show persistent notifications that you can tap to monitor download progress.
• Books Feature: The "Books" section provides a curated catalog of originally authored content and free, public domain literature. When you read a book using the embedded reader, the content is fetched from our secure content delivery network. We do not track which books you read, nor do we store your reading progress or search queries on our servers. All reader state is maintained locally during your session.

8. Data Retention & Deletion

You have full control over your data:

• Clear Browsing Data: You can delete history, cookies, cache, and saved passwords at any time from Settings.
• Local Database: Your history is stored locally on your device's private app storage, ensuring it cannot be extracted by external non-root applications.

9. Feature Functionality Disclaimer

10. Children's Privacy

Chromux is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately at contact@chromux.in and we will delete it promptly. If we discover that we have inadvertently collected information from a child under 13, we will take immediate steps to remove that data from our systems.

11. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your data:

• All Vault files are encrypted locally using lightweight encryption algorithms
• PIN/Pattern authentication required for Vault access
• HTTPS-only connections enforced when available
• No transmission of personal browsing data to external servers
• Secure storage using Android's EncryptedSharedPreferences for sensitive app settings
• Screenshot blocking in Incognito mode to prevent data leaks

12. Data Safety Summary

For transparency, here is a summary of our data practices as declared on Google Play:

• Data Collected: Anonymous crash reports and diagnostic data (via Firebase Analytics & Crashlytics)
• Data Shared with Third Parties: None. We do not sell, share, or transfer any personal data to third parties.
• Data Encryption: Yes — Vault files are encrypted locally; all network requests use HTTPS.
• Data Deletion: You can delete all app data at any time via Settings → Clear Browsing Data, or via Android Settings → Apps → Chromux → Clear Data.

13. Your Rights

As a Chromux user, you have the right to:

• Access: View all your locally stored data (history, bookmarks, vault files) through the app's interface
• Delete: Remove any or all data at any time via Settings → Clear Browsing Data
• Export: Export your bookmarks and browsing history
• Revoke: Revoke any granted permissions at any time through Android Settings
• Opt-out: Disable analytics, notifications, or search suggestions in app Settings

14. Changes to This Policy

We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by:

• Posting the new Privacy Policy within the app and on our website
• Updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page
• Showing an in-app notification for significant changes

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Your continued use of Chromux after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.