Privacy Policy for RailDesk

1 Data stored on your device

Trip bookings, reminders, travel patterns, saved passengers, saved trains, and your custom city/class lists are stored locally on your device using a local database (Room/SQLite). This data is never sent to us or to any server we operate — RailDesk has no backend server.

2 Screenshot ticket import (on-device, no sign-in needed)

If you use the "Import from Screenshot" feature — either by picking an image in the app or sharing one in from another app like Photos — RailDesk reads the text out of that image using Google's ML Kit on-device text recognition. This runs entirely on your device: the image is never uploaded anywhere, by us or by Google. The only network activity involved is a one-time download of the generic recognition model via Google Play services the first time the feature is used, which doesn't involve your image or any personal data.

The recognized text is then parsed on-device for ticket details (PNR, train, route, date, passenger, fare) and shown to you as a draft to review and edit before anything is saved — nothing is imported automatically. The image itself is not retained by the app once parsing is done.

3 Optional Google Sign-In

Signing in with Google is entirely optional and only needed for the Drive backup feature. If you never tap "Sign in with Google," none of the data below is accessed.

Google Drive backup (scope: drive.appdata): if you use the backup/restore feature, the app uploads a single JSON file (containing your bookings, reminders, and related data listed in Section 1) to a hidden, app-private storage area within your Google Drive called the "app data folder," and can download it back. This folder is not visible in the regular Google Drive interface and cannot be browsed or opened by you, us, or any other app — only RailDesk can read or write to it, using your Google account's authorization.

Limited Use disclosure: RailDesk's use and transfer to any other app of information received from Google APIs will adhere to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.

Note: an earlier version of RailDesk also offered a Gmail-based ticket import. That feature is currently disabled and the app does not request Gmail access — this section will be updated if it's reintroduced.

4 No affiliation with IRCTC

RailDesk is an independent, unofficial app. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or otherwise officially connected to the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), Indian Railways, or any of their affiliates. RailDesk has no contract, partnership, or data-sharing agreement with IRCTC, and does not use any IRCTC API or otherwise connect to IRCTC's systems in any way.

The screenshot ticket import (Section 2) works only by reading an image you already have and extracting text from it on your device — it never queries IRCTC or any other app, such as the RailOne app, that a screenshot might have come from. Because this extraction is done by pattern-matching, it can occasionally be incomplete or inaccurate, and details such as booking/PNR status, fares, or schedules can change after a screenshot was taken. RailDesk is a personal organizer for your own reference only — always verify booking status and travel details on the official IRCTC website (irctc.co.in) or the official IRCTC/RailOne app before you travel.

5 Subscription payments

RailDesk offers an optional Premium subscription purchased through Google Play Billing. Payment details (card numbers, billing address, etc.) are handled entirely by Google Play — we never see or receive them. We only receive confirmation from Google Play of whether your subscription is active.

6 What we don't do

• We don't run any analytics or advertising SDKs.
• We don't sell or share your data with third parties.
• We don't have user accounts, servers, or a backend of our own — everything above happens either on your device, or directly between the app and Google's APIs authorized by your own Google account.

7 Your controls

• Revoke Google access: in the app, use "Sign out" or "Revoke access," or manage it directly at myaccount.google.com/permissions.
• Delete local data: clear the app's storage or uninstall it from Android Settings.
• Delete your Drive backup: because it's stored in Drive's hidden app data area, it isn't visible to browse or delete from Drive's normal file list. Go to drive.google.com/drive/settings → Manage apps, find RailDesk, and use "Delete hidden app data" — or simply revoke access as described above, which removes RailDesk's ability to read it even if the data isn't immediately erased.

8 Children

RailDesk is not directed at children under 13 and we do not knowingly collect data from them.

9 Changes to this policy

If this policy changes, the "Last updated" date above will change and, for material changes, we'll note it in the app's Play Store release notes.

10 Contact

Questions about this policy or your data: