Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

VPNi.io ("we," "our," or "us") operates a free, advertising-supported VPN service that secures your internet connection. This Privacy Policy explains our data practices when you use our VPN service, mobile application, and website. VPNi.io is completely free to use and is supported by advertisements displayed within the app. By using VPNi.io, you acknowledge that the service displays ads served by Google and that you accept the data practices described below.

2. Information We Collect

VPN traffic (no-logs): We do not log, monitor, or store the contents of your VPN traffic. In connection with the VPN service itself, we do not collect:

• Your browsing history or the websites you visit
• DNS queries or domain names
• Traffic content, data packets, or application data
• Names, email addresses, or phone numbers (no account registration is required)

Advertising data: Because VPNi.io is free and supported by ads, we use Google AdMob (Google Ads) to display advertisements. To serve and measure ads, Google and its advertising partners may collect or process:

• Advertising identifiers (such as the Google Advertising ID / GAID)
• Device information (device model, operating system, language, and similar technical data)
• IP address and approximate (coarse) location derived from it
• Ad interaction data (ads shown and taps)
• App usage information related to serving and measuring ads

App analytics and diagnostics: The mobile app uses Google Firebase (Analytics, Crashlytics, Cloud Messaging, and Remote Config) to understand how the app is used, diagnose crashes, and deliver service notifications. This may include:

• App activity and events (connection attempts and outcomes, screens viewed, settings changed, in-app actions)
• Connection diagnostics: the selected server's country and city, protocol, latency, connection duration, and the reason a connection failed — never the contents, destinations, or domain names of your traffic
• Crash and performance diagnostics, including stack traces and the technical reason the app or its VPN engine stopped
• A push notification token, used to send service notifications
• Device and network information: device model, operating system version, app version, language, network type (Wi-Fi/cellular), mobile carrier, and the approximate country and ISP/network (ASN) of your connection
• On release builds only, device-integrity signals used to detect tampering (for example, rooted or emulated devices)

Service connection data: To provide the VPN, the app contacts our servers to obtain server lists and a temporary guest session. We process a device identifier based on your device's Android ID (or a random value where that is unavailable), a temporary guest token, your device model and operating system version, your network type, and your approximate country (derived from your mobile network, not from your traffic). No account, name, email, or phone number is required.

Identifiers: We and our service providers use a device identifier based on your device's Android ID (or a random value where unavailable), a temporary guest session token, and the Google Advertising ID (for ads). We do not collect your name, email address, or phone number.

On-device app data: The app stores your connection session state, selected server, and app settings locally on your device.

Website analytics: When you visit our website, we use PostHog to collect limited usage and technical information, such as pages viewed, clicks and interactions, referring pages, browser and device details, IP address, approximate location, and analytics identifiers stored in cookies or similar browser storage. We do not use PostHog to monitor the contents of your VPN traffic.

3. How We Use Information

We use the limited information described above only to:

• Provide and maintain free access to the VPN service
• Connect you to servers and keep the connection working reliably in your region
• Display advertisements within the app to keep the service free
• Measure and improve the performance of the ads shown in the app
• Diagnose crashes and connection failures and improve the app's stability and performance
• Send you service-related notifications
• Detect tampering, fraud, and abuse to keep the service secure
• Understand how visitors use our website and improve its performance and content

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising beyond showing you ads through Google. Advertising data is processed by Google in accordance with Google's own policies. Where required (for example, in the EEA and UK), we rely on your consent for advertising, analytics, and crash reporting, and on our legitimate interest in operating and securing the service for the limited data needed to run it; elsewhere, we rely on this notice. California residents may opt out of ad personalization using the controls in Section 6.

4. Third-Party Services

VPNi.io uses Google AdMob (Google Ads) to deliver advertisements and Google Firebase (Analytics, Crashlytics, Cloud Messaging, and Remote Config) for app analytics, crash reporting, and notifications. Google acts as an independent service provider and may collect and use data as described in its own policies. To label the network of a connection, the app may also send the connection's IP address to the IP-lookup providers ipwho.is and ipinfo.io, which return the ISP/network (ASN) only. We encourage you to review:

• Google Privacy Policy
• How Google uses information from sites or apps that use its services

When you download VPNi.io from the Google Play Store, Google Play may also collect certain information as described in Google Play's Privacy Policy. This is separate from our VPN service and is handled by Google.

5. Website Analytics (PostHog)

We use PostHog to analyze use of our website. Analytics data is sent to PostHog's EU-hosted service and is processed on our behalf. PostHog may use cookies or similar browser storage to recognize a browser and measure activity across visits. For more information, see the PostHog Privacy Policy.

6. Your Advertising Choices

You can control how ads are personalized to you:

• Reset or delete your advertising identifier in your device settings (Android: Settings → Google → Ads).
• Opt out of personalized (interest-based) ads in your device's Google Ads settings.
• Uninstall the application at any time to stop all data collection associated with it.

Opting out of personalized ads does not stop ads from showing; ads are required to keep the service free, but they will be less tailored to you.

If you are in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland, the app shows a consent request (via Google's User Messaging Platform) before loading ads and before enabling analytics or crash reporting, and you can change your choice at any time from the app's privacy options.

7. Data Security

We take reasonable measures to protect the limited data involved in operating our free service. Within the app, connections to our servers use encrypted (HTTPS/TLS) transport and your guest session token is stored in your device's encrypted keystore. Advertising and diagnostics data is transmitted to and secured by Google under its own security practices. Our providers (Google and PostHog) may process data in the United States and other countries; where required, such transfers rely on safeguards such as the EU Standard Contractual Clauses. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Children's Privacy

VPNi.io is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. Because the app displays advertising, it is intended for a general (non-child) audience.

9. Your Rights

As a user of VPNi.io, you have the right to:

• Use the free service without creating an account or providing personal contact information
• Manage your advertising preferences and reset your advertising identifier at any time
• Request access to or deletion of website analytics data associated with you, where applicable
• Disconnect from the VPN service at any time
• Uninstall the application at any time
• If you are in the EEA or UK: access, correct, delete, restrict, or object to the processing of your personal data, request portability, and withdraw consent at any time
• Lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at the email in Section 13.

10. Data Retention

We do not retain VPN traffic logs. On-device session data and app settings remain on your device until you clear app data or uninstall the app. App analytics and crash diagnostics are retained by Google Firebase under Google's retention policies, and advertising data is retained by Google under its policies. Website analytics data is retained in accordance with our PostHog account settings and PostHog's retention practices. Because the app requires no account, you can stop all collection by uninstalling the app; to request deletion of diagnostic data associated with your device identifier, contact us at the email below.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date. You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes.

12. Compliance with Google Policies

VPNi.io complies with Google Play Store and Google AdMob policies, including disclosure of our advertising practices and the data collected by our advertising partner. Our free service operates with transparency regarding our no-logs VPN approach and our free, ad-supported model.

13. Contact Us

VPNi.io is the party responsible for (the "controller" of) the personal information described in this policy.

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at info@vpni.io.