Privacy Policy for NextStep

Last updated: October 1, 2025

1. Introduction

Welcome to NextStep. This privacy policy explains how we handle your personal data when you use our app. Your privacy is our top priority, and we are committed to protecting it.

2. Data We Collect

Our app is designed to store all your application and interview data locally on your device. We do not have a central server, and we do not view or access any of your personal job application information. To help us improve the app, we collect anonymous usage data as described below.

• User Information: Your name, which you provide at login. You may optionally provide other professional details (like total experience) to enhance features like question suggestions. If you sign in with Google, we receive your name, email address, and profile picture to create your profile.
• Application Information: Details about your job applications, such as company name, role, location, and contact information.
• Interview Information: Details about your interviews, including schedules, notes, skills, and status updates.
• Analytics Data: We collect anonymous usage data, such as feature usage, session duration, and crash reports. This data is aggregated and does not personally identify you.

3. Data Storage and Backups

Local Storage

All the information you enter is stored exclusively on your device's local storage. This data is private to you and is automatically deleted if you uninstall the app.

Google Drive Backups (Optional)

You have the option to back up your data to your personal Google Drive account. This feature requires you to authenticate with Google. When you use this feature, the app uses your authorization to create a private backup file containing your application and interview data and stores it in a dedicated, private folder within your own Google Drive. This data is used solely for the purpose of allowing you to restore your information on the same or another device. We do not have access to your Google account or any other files in your Drive.

Google Calendar Sync (Optional)

You also have the option to sync with your Google Calendar. This feature requires you to grant read-only access to your calendar data. Our app uses this permission solely to read your calendar events and help you create corresponding interview entries within the NextStep app, saving you from manual entry. The app does not have permission to edit, create, or delete any events in your Google Calendar. This use is limited to providing and improving this user-facing calendar sync feature. We do not store your calendar data for any other purpose.

Resume Analyzer (Optional)

If you use our Resume Analyzer feature, your resume file is processed entirely on your device. The app reads the content to provide you with analysis and suggestions, but the file itself is not stored, saved, or transmitted to any server. Your resume data remains private to you.

4. Data Protection

Since your data is stored locally on your device, its security is managed by your device's security features. We recommend keeping your device secure to protect your information.

5. Third-Party Services

• Google Identity Services: We use Google's services to enable secure authentication for optional features like Google Drive backup and Google Calendar sync. As part of this process, Google's sign-in screen will ask for access to your basic profile information (name, email) to identify your account, which is standard for their authentication service. Our app only uses this information for the features you enable. For more information on how Google handles data, please review Google's Privacy Policy.
• Firebase Analytics (Google Analytics for Firebase): We use Firebase Analytics to collect anonymous usage data to understand how our app is used and to improve user experience. This service may collect information such as your device type, session duration, and feature usage. If you are logged in, we associate this data with a unique, anonymous identifier to provide a consistent experience across sessions. This data is aggregated for analysis and is not used to personally identify you outside of the app's functionality. For more information, please review Firebase's policy on data collection.

6. Use of Google User Data

NextStep's use and transfer of information received from Google APIs will adhere to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.

7. Changes to This 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.

8. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this privacy policy, feel free to contact us at appnest.innovations@gmail.com.