Privacy Policy – Somnus
Last updated: 16 September 2026
This policy covers the Android app Somnus: Sleep Timer (package name de.timhaller.sleeptimer), distributed through Google Play. It does not cover this website – for that, see the privacy policy of somnus.rellit.de.
1. Controller
The controller within the meaning of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is:
Tim Haller
Beethovenstraße 9
64347 Griesheim
Deutschland
Email: mail@timhaller.de
No data protection officer has been appointed; the statutory conditions for doing so are not met.
2. The short version
The app itself runs no server of its own. There is no user account, no sign-up, no login. It does not record what you listen to, which apps you use or when you sleep. None of that leaves your device, and none of it reaches me.
There are, however, two points at which personal data is processed, and both involve Google:
- Advertising via Google AdMob in the ad-supported version of the app
- Purchases via Google Play Billing if you subscribe to the ad-free variant
Both are described in detail below.
3. Data that never leaves your device
The app stores your settings locally in its private app storage (Android DataStore). Specifically:
| What is stored | Why |
|---|---|
| The four quick-select durations | so your customised durations are preserved |
| Whether the gentle fade-out is active | setting |
| Whether the screen is locked when the timer ends | setting |
| Count of timers started so far | to keep the first three starts ad-free |
| Whether an ad-free subscription is active | to suppress advertising |
This data is not linked to your person, is not transmitted and cannot be read by other apps. It is deleted when you uninstall the app or clear its data in Android's settings.
If backup is enabled in your Android settings, Android may include these values in your Google Drive backup. Google is then responsible for that, within the scope of your backup settings.
4. Permissions and what they are needed for
| Permission | Purpose |
|---|---|
FOREGROUND_SERVICE, FOREGROUND_SERVICE_SPECIAL_USE | keeps the running timer alive and visible |
POST_NOTIFICATIONS | shows the ongoing countdown notification (Android 13 and later) |
SCHEDULE_EXACT_ALARM | fires the timer on time, even in battery saver mode |
MODIFY_AUDIO_SETTINGS | fades the volume out before stopping |
INTERNET, ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE | solely for advertising and purchase handling |
BILLING | purchase handling through Google Play |
In addition, the app may request the device administrator permission lock the screen. This happens only if you switch on the “lock the screen when the timer ends” option yourself. The requested scope is limited to locking the screen; the app can neither read content nor wipe the device with it. You can revoke the permission at any time in Android's settings.
None of these permissions is used to collect or transmit data.
5. Advertising (Google AdMob)
The free version of the app occasionally shows a full-screen ad (interstitial) when you start a timer. The first three timer starts after installation are ad-free, and merely changing or resetting a running timer shows no advertising.
The Google AdMob SDK is used to deliver these ads.
Provider: Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland
Data processed: in particular your device's advertising ID, your IP address, device and browser information, approximate location based on the IP address, and interactions with the ad. Google uses this data to deliver ads, measure their performance and – depending on your consent – personalise advertising.
Legal basis: your consent under Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR and § 25(1) TDDDG. You are asked for it when the app first starts and can withdraw or adjust it at any time with effect for the future.
Transfers to third countries: Google also processes data in the USA. Google LLC is certified under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, so an adequacy decision of the European Commission under Art. 45 GDPR serves as the basis.
Role: for the processing involved in delivering ads, Google acts as an independent controller or as a joint controller with me, depending on the processing step. I myself receive only anonymous, aggregated reports on ad impressions and revenue from Google – no data that can be attributed to individual people.
What you can do:
- Withdraw your consent in the app. Without consent, no personalised ads are delivered.
- Reset or delete the advertising ID: Android settings → Privacy → Ads. This breaks the previous association.
- Buy the ad-free subscription. The ad SDK is then no longer used to deliver ads.
Further information: Google's privacy policy and How Google uses data from partner apps.
6. Ad-free subscription (Google Play Billing)
You can remove advertising from the app with a subscription. Payment is handled entirely by Google Play.
Google processes your account details, payment information and purchase history in the process. I never receive your payment data – neither card number nor billing address. The app merely asks Google whether a valid subscription exists and stores the answer as a yes/no value locally on the device.
Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR (performance of a contract).
Google is responsible for payment processing. The subscription is managed and cancelled in your Google Play subscription settings.
7. Distribution through Google Play
The app is distributed through Google Play. When you download, update and use the store, Google processes data under its own responsibility – for instance installation statistics and crash reports from the Play service. I have no influence over that. Google's privacy terms apply.
In the Play Console I see only aggregated statistics, such as the number of installations per country or device type. I cannot draw conclusions about individual people from them.
8. What the app does not do
For clarity, because apps are often assumed to do otherwise:
- No analytics tool is used – no Firebase Analytics, no Google Analytics, no comparable SDK.
- No crash reporting service such as Crashlytics is integrated.
- There is no user account and no registration.
- It does not record which media apps you use or what you play.
- No location is requested via GPS.
- No contacts, photos, files or microphone data are read.
- There is no sharing or sale of data to third parties beyond the services named above.
9. Retention
Local settings remain stored until you uninstall the app or clear its data. For storage at Google, Google's own retention periods apply, over which I have no influence.
10. Your rights
Under the GDPR you have the following rights: access (Art. 15), rectification (Art. 16), erasure (Art. 17), restriction of processing (Art. 18), data portability (Art. 20) and objection to processing (Art. 21). You may withdraw consent you have given at any time with effect for the future (Art. 7(3)).
One practical note: since I store no personal data about you myself, I can neither provide information about you nor delete anything – there simply is nothing on file. For data arising at Google in connection with advertising, purchases or store use, please address your request to Google directly.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority (Art. 77 GDPR). The authority of your place of residence is competent, as is the one responsible for me:
Der Hessische Beauftragte für Datenschutz und Informationsfreiheit
Gustav-Stresemann-Ring 1
65189 Wiesbaden, Germany
Phone: +49 611 1408-0
Email: poststelle@datenschutz.hessen.de
Web: datenschutz.hessen.de
11. Children
The app is not directed at children and is not classified as a children's app in the store. No data from children under 16 is knowingly collected.
12. Changes to this policy
This policy is updated whenever the app or the legal situation changes. The current version is always available at this address. The “last updated” date above shows when something last changed.
13. Contact
For questions about privacy in this app: mail@timhaller.de