Who we are
The CarHelp app is provided by Nogueira Dev (independent developer, Portugal), the controller of the data described in this policy. For any privacy question: support@carhelp.pt.
What data we process
| Data | When | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Account: name, email, user ID and, if you sign in with Google, your Google account profile photo | When you create an account or sign in | Authentication and identification in the app |
| Your cars: make, model, year, fuel, number plate, mileage, photo of the car | When you add them | Running the garage and alerts |
| Maintenance: records, amounts, invoices (photos/files) and reminders | When you add them | History, reminders, PDF report |
| Checks: photos of quotes and dashboard lights, recordings of the car’s sound, error codes, symptom descriptions and the results | When you request a check | Generate the analysis and save it in your history |
| Chat with the assistant: messages and photos sent | When you use the chat | Reply to you and keep the conversation |
| Car sharing: requests, notifications, the display name visible to the other members and the email of whoever requests sharing, visible to the car's owner | When you share a car | Let more than one account see the same car |
| Notifications: the phone's technical identifier for notifications and the app language | While you are signed in | Sending you maintenance and car-sharing notices, even with the app closed |
| Support: message, email and app version | When you contact us | Respond to your request |
| Advertising: advertising ID and technical device data, processed by Google AdMob | If you don’t have an active subscription | Show ads |
We do not request or process your location, contacts, calendar or payment data.
Who processes the data
We use providers that process data on our behalf and according to our instructions:
- Google Firebase (authentication, database, file storage, functions and sending notifications): stores your account and your app data.
- AI service: when you request a check or use the chat, the relevant text, photos and sounds, as well as some car data (make, model, year, fuel, mileage), are sent to an AI provider to generate the answer. Currently this is Google (Gemini API); the provider may change, and this policy will be updated.
- Google AdMob: advertising in the version without a subscription. Google may process the advertising ID and technical device data, under its own privacy policy.
- Google Play: processes subscriptions and payments. We never see your card details; we only receive confirmation that the subscription is active.
- Resend: sending the app’s emails (verification codes and support replies).
We do not sell your data or use it to profile you. Some providers may process data outside the European Union, with the applicable legal safeguards (for example, standard contractual clauses).
Legal bases
- Performance of a contract: account, garage, checks, chat, subscription.
- Consent: access to the microphone, photos and notifications (which you can withdraw in your phone settings) and, where applicable, personalised ads.
- Legitimate interest: security, abuse prevention and responding to support requests.
How long we keep it
- Account and garage data are kept for as long as the account exists.
- When you delete the account, the data is erased (see Delete account).
- Email verification codes expire after 10 minutes.
- Support messages are kept for as long as needed to handle the request and meet legal obligations.
Your rights
You have the right to access, rectify, erase, restrict, object to and port your data. In the app you can correct your data, export a copy (Profile › Data and account) and delete your account. For any other request, write to support@carhelp.pt; we reply within one month at most.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority: the Portuguese Data Protection Authority (CNPD).
Security
Data is transmitted over encrypted connections (HTTPS) and stored on Google services with per-account access control. No system is completely immune to failures, but we take reasonable measures to protect it.
Minors
CarHelp is intended for people aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect data from minors.
Changes
We may update this policy. The update date is at the top; if the change is significant, we will let you know in the app.
Any questions about this page?