Privacy Policy

Updated: 31May, 2017

APUS gives high priority to your private information, and this privacy policy will explain why and what we collect, and how we use the information we collected. Please read carefully and understand the terms of this privacy policy (hereinafter, the “Policy”). To know this Policy is important for you, your use of our products or services shall be regarded as your acknowledgment and acceptance of this Policy.

We collect information to provide you with better service and a more satisfying user experience. Below we explained how and what we collect, it includes: (1) the information you provide for us, such as the information you filled with when you registered the account; (2) the information we obtained from your use of our products or services, for example, we collect through the advertising or videos you watched. Further, according to the different characteristic of each product, we may collect different information from your use of services, for example, your device information, browser type, location information, and other data that can be obtained through your use of browser, search, cookie, etc. We collect this information to continuously improve our services, and may provide you with content recommendation services, such as, recommendation of news, advertisings and other content that you are interested in.

The following part – how we collect and use information, provide you with detailed information in connection with specific APUS product. If you wish to know more details about how we collect information and how we use it of each product, please refer to and read the Privacy Policy for each product.

How we collect and use information – APUS Launcher

(1) Read phone status and identity

• We may read the unique device ID and encrypt irreversibly while will not collect user personal identity information.

(2) Read your text messages (SMS or MMS)

• Used to search messages in phone. No relative information will be selected.

(3) Take pictures and videos

• Used in APUS Settings and tool bar to turn on/off flashlight.

(4) We may get your approximate location (network-based)

• Used in APUS Discovery to recommend popular apps for users around you.

• Used in APUS Know to provide taxi service for users.

• Used in Weather function to provide weather information service.

(5) We may read your contacts

• Only used in contact search as you required. No relative contact information will be collected.

(6) Read calendar events and relative information

• Only used in APUS Know to display recent calendar events. No relative calendar information will be collected.

(7) Modify or delete the contents of your USB storage

• This permission allows users to delete APUS wallpapers stored in SD card.

(8) Read the contents of your USB storage

• This permission allows users to view APUS wallpapers stored in SD card.

(9) Set an alarm

• By tapping the clock widget, allow user to enter Alarm settings.

(10) Find accounts on the device

• This permission allows APUS to check if users have logged in Google Play and provide relative app installation service.

(11) Read Google service configuration

• This permission allows APUS to read ad ID and provide ad recommendation service.

(12) Change cellular data status

• Used in APUS Settings and tool bar to turn on/off cellular data.

(13) Change Wi-Fi connection status

• Used in APUS Settings and tool bar to turn on/off Wi-Fi connection.

(14) Full network access

• This permission accesses APUS to network for achieving relative services, e.g. providing version update notification, sorting configuration of smart folder, news, etc. Data consumption may be needed.

(15) Check network connections

• Used in APUS Settings and tool bar to check network connection status.

(16) Check Wi-Fi connections

• Used in APUS Settings and tool bar to turn on/off Wi-Fi connection.

(17) Access Bluetooth settings

• Used in APUS Settings to turn on/off Bluetooth.

(18) Pair with Bluetooth devices

• Used in APUS Settings to view Bluetooth connection status.

(19) Close other apps

• This permission allows APUS to close apps running in background with 1-Tap Acceleration, System Master and APUS Booster.

(20) Retrieve running apps

• This permission allows APUS to check running apps with 1-Tap Acceleration, System Master and APUS Booster.

(21) Run at startup

• This permission allows APUS services to run at startup.

(22) Draw over other apps

• This permission allows Free Swipe to display windows over other apps.

(23) Control vibration

• Used in APUS Settings so device can vibrate for once as notification when startup.

(24) Adjust your wallpaper size

• This permission allows users to adjust wallpaper size.

(25) Set wallpaper

• This permission allows users to choose and set wallpapers and Linked wallpapers.

(26) Read sync settings

• Used in APUS battery saver mode, check status of sync settings to save power.

(27) Toggle sync on and off

• Used in APUS Battery Saver Mode to toggle on/off sync.

(28) Expand/collapse status notification bar

• Used to expand/collapse status notification bar, for launcher gesture operations.

(29) Install shortcuts

• This permission allows APUS to create shortcuts on other launchers and users can continue to use APUS relative functions.

(30) Measure app storage space

• Used in app management to view memory usage by apps.

(31) Modify system settings

• Used in APUS settings to toggle or adjust ringtone, vibration and brightness.

(32) Read Home settings and shortcuts

• Used to read settings and shortcuts of precious home launcher for better adaptability.

(33) Uninstall shortcuts

• This permission allows user to delete APUS shortcuts created on other launchers.

(34) Read call log

• This permission allows APUS read call log to notify missed calls and recommend contacts. No relative information will be collected.

(35) Receive data from the internet

• This permission allows APUS to use internet data to update information for users.

(36) Precise location (GPS and network-based)

• This permission allows APUS to use location service to provide weather information for users. This may consume more battery.

(37) Manage Bluetooth

• Used to access Bluetooth settings and pair with other devices via Bluetooth.

(38) Read, modify and delete contents in the SD card

• This permission allows APUS to read, modify and delete contents in SD card according to users’ order.

(39) Reroute outgoing calls

• This permission allows user to read and call back missed calls.

(40) Install shortcuts

• This permission allows user to create APUS shortcuts on launcher home.

(41) View or change system settings

• This permission allows APUS Settings to view and change settings of ringtone, vibration, screen rotate, and brightness.

(42) System alert window

• Used to send instant notifications to users by drawing over other messages.

(43) Access to widgets

• This permission allows users to add and display widgets of Android system and other apps on APUS Launcher.

(44) View recently used apps

• Used for app arrangements on APUS Launcher home. No relative information will be collected.

• Used for recently used apps in All Apps, Free Swipe, APUS Search. No relative information will be collected.

(45) Read weather widget data

• This permission allows APUS launcher to display weather widget appropriately with mobile devices.

(46) Apply for GCM service

• Used in Linked Wallpaper to send initiation via GCM service.

• Used in Daily News release.

(47) Apply for notification access

• Used in 1-Tap Acceleration to clear useless notifications chosen by users.

(48) Accessibility

• This permission allows APUS Booster to close apps chosen by users with accessibility. This permission is only used to speed up device and no other personal information will be collected.

(49) Awake in background

•Used in Lock screen to activate 1-Tap Acceleration, close unnecessary apps running in background and save battery power.

(50) Read the list of installed apps and usage information of apps

• The information will be used in cloud classification function for "smart folders". After installation completed, the applications already installed on the device will be automatically classified by the cloud classification function and smart folders will be created.

• Application usage information will be analyzed intelligently in the cloud. And APUS Launcher will automatically and intelligently recommend recently used App in AllApps, search and other functions for users. It will be closer to the user's habits and more user-friendly.

• We may arrange or analyze this type of information and share in a form of report (including but not limited to the form of the report), but the shared content will not contain your personal information.

How we protect your information

We will use commercially and technically reasonable means and efforts to properly arrange and protect your information, for example, to protect through use of newer asymmetric encryption techniques, to hold your personal information harmless from accidental loss, misuse, alteration, destruction, unauthorized access and disclosure, and so on. Except as required by law or expressly allowed herein, we will not disclose your personal information:

• For legal reasons

To disclose your information as required by law or administrative regulations, or the disclosure is necessary to comply with legal procedure served on APUS websites;

• With your consent

To disclose your information with authorization or consent given by yourself;

• For user or public safety

To protect APUS right, APUS users or public safety, to guarantee the safety of APUS customers and products in case of emergency;

To comply with APUS related terms of services and software license agreement.

How we share your information

• With your consent

Any sensitive personal information (including personally identifiable information, financial and payment information, authentication information, phone book or contact data, collectively known as "personally identifiable information") shall not be shared with any other companies, organizations or individuals without your consent or authorization.

• Share with third parties adhere to this Policy

With commercially reasonable effort to protect your information, APUS will work with third-party business partners for specific field of products or services cooperation, in order to provide you with better and more comprehensive services. This cooperation may need us to share some user information with our business partners (personally identifiable information not included). Our partners may be provided with access to the information necessary to perform their functions only if they agree to strictly comply with this Privacy Policy and other confidentiality terms. We will urge our partners to protect the user information in accordance with this Privacy Policy and the confidentiality terms.

Please be noted that some links connected with third-party web pages are included in APUS products. APUS does not make any warranties and shall not take any legal responsibilities of any products, content, privacy statements, operational policies, and other business activities of any other websites of third parties. If you wish to use the services of any other websites of third parties, please read carefully and understand their privacy policies and other related statements.

Probably we may share non-personally identifiable information with our business partners (such as publishers, advertisers, or affiliated websites) and may be publicly available. For example, we may disclose information to the public to let them know the overall user data and the overall trend for the use of APUS products. Meanwhile, APUS reminds you to pay attention to protect your personal information in your use of our services. Please be careful to disclose your personal information when using APUS services (for example, you are likely to make comments in the news comment section or posting your own email ID, and so on), APUS does not take any responsibility for personal information disclosure or collection by any third party arising out of your personal disclosing actions. Please attach importance to protect your personal information with considering carefully whether the disclosure is necessary.

Privacy Protection of Minors

If you are a minor, you shall use our services with obtaining prior consent of your parent or legal guardian (collectively, "guardian"). We recommend that the guardians of minors shall read this Policy carefully, and we also recommend minors to obtain guardians’ prior consent and guidance before submitting personal information in your use of our services. We are committed to the protection of children's privacy that we will not intentionally collect personal information of children under the age of 13.

Update of Privacy Policy

APUS is committed to make continuous progress for our services to improve user satisfaction, therefore we may update or change this Policy continuously with including any update or change on this page and you may find the date updated at the top of this Policy. Please understand that any updates of our privacy policy are part of this Privacy Policy. And if you continue to use our service, it means you agree to accept the update Privacy Policy. We encourage you to review our Privacy Policy every time when you use our services.

Contact us

If you have any suggestion, feedback or request for this Policy, you may contact us on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/APUSGROUP or send us an email at privacy@apusapps.com.Thanks.