Privacy Policy for Blank
This policy describes how Blank, the Android web browser with package name org.execbit.blank, developed by Evgeny Zobnin, handles information.
Blank does not require a browser account or send your browsing history to the developer. It has no developer-operated analytics, advertising, or automatic crash-reporting service. The developer does not sell your personal data. Browsing data is stored on your device, while websites, search providers, and other services receive information needed for the network features described below.
Information stored on your device
Blank processes and stores information to provide browsing, search, page restoration, and downloads:
- History and session data: submitted search text and addresses, visited site addresses, visit counts and times, and saved browser session state used to restore your last page.
- Website data: cookies, website storage, cached content, and website permission decisions managed by the browser engine.
- Settings and site information: browser preferences, history exclusions, uBlock Origin settings and site exceptions, and cached website titles and icons.
- Downloads: file names, source URLs, selected destinations, transfer status, and information needed to resume downloads. Downloaded files are saved to the destination you choose.
Reader mode processes the loaded page on your device. It does not send articles to a developer-operated conversion service; displaying article images or following links may still contact websites.
Network requests and third parties
- Web browsing: websites and services embedded in them receive network requests, your IP address, browser information, applicable cookies, and information you submit, such as forms or uploaded files. Signing in to a website creates a relationship with that website, not a Blank account.
- Search and suggestions: submitted searches go to your selected search provider. As you type eligible search text, Blank also sends that text to the selected provider to retrieve suggestions, before you submit a search. Recognized web addresses and the unchanged current page URL are excluded from suggestion requests. Suggestion requests use HTTPS, do not share the browser's website cookies, and may include language information. Available providers are Google, Yandex, Bing, DuckDuckGo, Yahoo, Baidu, and Ecosia.
- Website titles and icons: Blank may fetch site home pages, icons, and web app manifests to display frequent sites, page controls, and home-screen shortcuts. These requests may happen in the background and reveal your IP address and the requested resource to the receiving server.
- Content blocking: bundled uBlock Origin processes page requests locally to apply filtering rules. It can contact filter-list hosts to download updates; those hosts receive ordinary connection information, including your IP address. Blocking does not prevent every form of tracking.
- Sharing, external apps, and file providers: sharing a page or opening it in another app passes its address and associated shared information to the app you choose. Creating a home-screen shortcut gives its address, title, and icon to your launcher. Files selected or saved through a cloud document provider may be transferred by that provider.
These recipients process information under their own privacy policies. Blank does not control their retention or use of your data. Browser-engine and device services may also make network requests needed to provide web functionality.
Permissions
Internet access is needed to load pages, obtain search suggestions, and download resources. Network-state access helps the app respond to connectivity changes.
Websites can request camera, microphone, or location access. Blank asks for website consent and, when needed, Android permission before granting access. If you allow access, the requesting website can receive camera or microphone content or your location. Approximate location is supported. Camera and microphone requests require website consent each time; location decisions may be saved.
Notification permission allows Blank to display website notifications you have allowed. File uploads use Android's file picker to access the files you select. You can change Android permissions in system settings and manage saved website location and notification decisions in Site information.
Retention and deletion
Local data remains until you remove it, it is replaced or evicted by storage limits, Android clears it, or the app is uninstalled. Search and site history each retain up to 200 entries. Download history retains up to 200 finished entries in addition to active transfers.
- Clear history in Blank's settings removes recorded searches and site visits. It does not clear cookies, downloaded files, or the saved browser session.
- Clear site data removes website cookies, storage, caches, permissions, and authentication sessions. This may sign you out of websites. Open pages can create new data afterwards. Browser settings, download history, and separately cached site metadata are not a full-app reset.
- Clear app storage in Android settings, or uninstall Blank, to remove its app-private data, including saved sessions and preferences.
- Downloaded files remain in the destination you selected. Removing a download-history entry, clearing app storage, or uninstalling Blank does not delete those files. Delete them using your file manager or document provider.
Blank disables Android's standard app backup through its manifest. Device-to-device transfer behavior can depend on your Android version and device manufacturer. Blank does not provide its own cloud synchronization service.
Deleting local data does not delete information already held by websites, search providers, or other recipients. Contact those services to exercise their deletion options.
Security
App-private data is protected by Android's application sandbox. HTTPS encrypts traffic between your device and the receiving server when that protocol is used. Blank also supports HTTP websites, whose traffic is not encrypted. No browser, storage system, or network connection can guarantee complete security.
Contact and policy changes
For privacy questions, contact Evgeny Zobnin at zobnin@gmail.com. If you email the developer, your email address and the information you choose to include will be used to respond to your request. You can use the same address to request deletion of that correspondence, subject to any applicable retention requirements.
This policy may be updated as Blank's features or data practices change. Updates will be posted on this page with a revised effective date.