Privacy Policy

Last updated: August 30, 2026

The short version: ZeroGallery does not collect, store, transmit, share or sell any data of any kind. It has no analytics, no ads, no account system, no backend server — and no INTERNET permission at all. Everything the app does happens entirely on your device.

1. Who we are

ZeroGallery is an open-source, ad-free gallery application for Android, developed and maintained by the ZeroGallery Contributors. The source code is publicly available at github.com/drzeeb/ZeroGallery under the Apache License 2.0, so anyone can verify the claims made in this policy.

2. Data collection

ZeroGallery collects no personal data whatsoever. Specifically, the app does not:

This is not merely a policy promise: ZeroGallery's AndroidManifest.xml never declares the android.permission.INTERNET permission. Android enforces this at the operating-system level, so the app is technically incapable of making any network connection, regardless of what the code does or how it is updated in the future.

3. Permissions used and why

Permission Purpose
READ_MEDIA_IMAGES
READ_MEDIA_VIDEO
(Android 13+)
Lets the app read the photos and videos already stored on your device via Android's MediaStore, so it can display them in the gallery grid.
READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE
(Android 12L and below)
The legacy equivalent of the permissions above, used only on older Android versions that don't yet support the granular media permissions.

All media is read directly from your device's local storage and rendered on-screen. Nothing is copied off the device, uploaded, cached remotely, or shared with any other app beyond what Android's standard sharing UI (if and when you explicitly choose to share a file) does.

4. Data storage

ZeroGallery does not maintain its own database of your media, cloud backups, or remote caches. Any thumbnails generated for the gallery grid are cached locally on your device only, purely for performance, and are removed when the app's cache is cleared or the app is uninstalled.

5. Third-party services

ZeroGallery does not integrate with any third-party analytics, advertising, or cloud storage services. The open-source libraries it depends on (Jetpack Compose, Coil, Media3/ ExoPlayer) run entirely on-device and are listed, with their licenses, in the project's NOTICE file.

6. Children's privacy

Since ZeroGallery does not collect any data from any user, it does not knowingly or unknowingly collect personal information from children either.

7. Changes to this policy

If this policy ever changes, the update will be published on this page along with a revised "Last updated" date, and reflected in the project's CHANGELOG. Given the app's architecture, any future change that would require collecting data would be a major, clearly communicated change — not a silent update.

8. Contact

Questions about this policy or the app's behavior can be raised as a GitHub issue. Since the full source code is public, you're also welcome to verify any of the claims above yourself.