1. Who we are
Salonsphere ("Salonsphere", "we", "us", "our") is a salon booking and beauty services marketplace operated by NextHome Labs, Kampala, Uganda. We act as the data controller for the personal data described in this policy.
- Privacy contact: [email protected]
- Data protection enquiries: [email protected] (subject: "Data protection enquiry")
This policy covers the Salonsphere Android app, the Salonsphere website (salonsphere.app) and related services. It does not cover what salons or professionals do with information you give them directly, though we require them to handle booking data responsibly.
2. Data we collect
We collect only what we need to run the service. Depending on how you use Salonsphere, this includes:
| Category | Examples | When it's collected |
|---|---|---|
| Account information | First and last name, email address, phone number, password (stored as a secure hash), profile photo, optional gender | When you create an account, sign in with Google or verify a phone number, or update your profile |
| Address & location | Home address with coordinates, approximate and precise device location | When you add a home-service address, enable location, or use location-based features in the app |
| Photos | Profile photos and photos you attach to reviews | When you choose to upload a photo |
| Messages | Chat messages exchanged with salons and professionals in the app | When you use in-app chat |
| Bookings & payments | Services booked, appointment history, payment amounts, payment status, provider references | When you book or pay for a service |
| Reviews & ratings | Star ratings and comments you submit about a service | When you review a completed booking |
| Device identifiers | Push notification token (Firebase Cloud Messaging) and Android device identifier, used to deliver notifications and keep your sessions secure | When you sign in and notifications are registered for your device |
| App activity & diagnostics | In-app events (screens viewed, searches, booking steps), app version and basic device/OS information, error reports | While you use the app, unless you turn off usage analytics in Privacy settings |
We do not collect your card or Mobile Money credentials. Payments are processed on the payment provider's secure page, and we only receive a transaction status and reference. We do not collect your contacts, calendar, SMS or call logs.
3. How we use your data, and our legal bases
| Purpose | What we use | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Create and secure your account; verify your identity | Account information, device identifiers | Performance of a contract |
| Show salons near you; manage bookings, reminders, chat and reviews; support home service | Account information, location, address, bookings, messages, photos | Performance of a contract |
| Process payments, refunds and payouts | Booking and payment records | Performance of a contract; legal obligation (tax and accounting) |
| Send service messages and booking updates | Account information, device identifiers | Performance of a contract; legitimate interests |
| Improve features, fix problems, keep the app fast and reliable | App activity & diagnostics | Legitimate interests (or consent where required; you can opt out in Privacy settings) |
| Prevent fraud, abuse and security incidents; comply with the law | Account information, device identifiers, activity logs | Legitimate interests; legal obligation |
| Send optional announcements or offers | Account information | Consent (you can withdraw any time) |
Where we rely on legitimate interests, we balance our interests against your rights and expectations, and you may object as described in section 12.
4. Location data
With your permission, Salonsphere reads your device location while you use the app to rank salons near you, validate home-service addresses and show where a professional is when travelling to you. We only request foreground location permission — we never request background location — and you can turn location off at any time in your device settings or in the app. If you disable location, you can still browse by choosing a city or searching by area.
5. Payments
Payments are processed by Pesapal, a licensed payment service provider. When you pay, you are taken to Pesapal's secure checkout to enter your Mobile Money or card details. Those credentials go directly to Pesapal and are never stored on Salonsphere systems. We receive confirmation of the transaction (amount, status, reference) so we can confirm your booking and handle refunds.
6. Device identifiers, notifications and analytics
- Push notifications: with your permission, we register your device's Firebase Cloud Messaging token and an Android device identifier with our backend so we can deliver booking updates and service messages. You can disable notifications in your device settings at any time; we then stop sending them.
- Analytics: we record in-app events to understand how features are used and to fix problems. Analytics events are not used to build advertising profiles. We do not show third-party ads and our app contains no advertising SDKs.
- Opt-out: you can turn usage analytics off in the app under Profile → Privacy.
7. Who we share data with
We do not sell your personal data, and we do not share it for third-party advertising. We share it only with:
- Salons and professionals you book with — the details they need to deliver your appointment: your name, service, time, contact details, and your address where you requested home service.
- Service providers who process data on our behalf, under contracts that limit them to delivering their service to us:
- Hosting and databases: cloud infrastructure and managed database providers (including Neon for PostgreSQL and MongoDB Atlas).
- Storage and network: Cloudflare (media storage via R2, DNS, CDN and network protection).
- Google: Firebase Cloud Messaging for push notifications and Google Sign-In if you choose that login method.
- Email delivery: MailerSend, for transactional emails such as verification and booking confirmations.
- Payments: Pesapal, as described in section 5.
- Professional advisers and authorities — where we are legally required to disclose data, for example to comply with a court order, tax obligation or lawful request, or to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.
- A successor entity — if our business is sold or merged, data may transfer to the acquirer under this policy, and we will tell you before that happens.
8. International transfers
Some of our service providers store or process data outside Uganda (for example, in the European Union, United Kingdom or United States). Where data leaves your country, we take steps to protect it: we use providers that offer contractual data protection commitments (such as standard contractual clauses), and we choose providers with strong security practices. You can contact us for more detail about the safeguards that apply to your data.
9. How long we keep data
| Data | Retention period |
|---|---|
| Account and profile data | While your account is active, then erased within 30 days of account deletion |
| Bookings, payment and transaction records | Up to 7 years after the transaction, to meet tax, accounting and dispute obligations |
| Chat messages | While your account is active, then deleted with your account (retained only if needed for an open dispute or safety investigation) |
| Server and security logs | Up to 90 days, unless needed to investigate a security incident |
| Analytics events | Kept in aggregate or anonymised form; deleted or de-identified when no longer needed |
When a retention period ends, we delete or irreversibly anonymise the data. See our account deletion page for what happens when you delete your account.
10. Security
All data is encrypted in transit using HTTPS/TLS. Passwords are stored only as strong one-way hashes and are never readable by our staff. Production systems use access controls, least-privilege permissions and monitoring. Access to personal data is limited to staff and contractors who need it, under confidentiality obligations. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, but we work to protect your data using industry-standard measures and review them regularly. See our Data Protection page for more detail on our safeguards.
11. Your responsibilities
Keep your login credentials private, use a device lock, and contact us immediately at [email protected] if you believe your account has been accessed without your permission.
12. Your rights and choices
Subject to applicable law (including the Uganda Data Protection and Privacy Act, 2019, and — where it applies to you — the GDPR/UK GDPR), you have the right to:
- Access and export: view and download a copy of your data from the app (Profile → Privacy → Download my data).
- Correction: update your profile details in the app at any time.
- Deletion: delete your account and associated data from the app (Profile → Privacy → Delete my data), or use our account deletion page.
- Restriction and objection: object to processing based on legitimate interests, or ask us to restrict certain processing.
- Portability: receive your data in a structured, commonly used format.
- Withdraw consent: for processing based on consent, such as optional announcements — withdraw it at any time without affecting prior lawful processing.
- Analytics opt-out: turn off usage analytics in Privacy settings.
- Notifications: disable push or email notifications in app settings or your device settings.
- Complain: lodge a complaint with the Personal Data Protection Office (PDPO) of Uganda, or with your local supervisory authority. We would appreciate the chance to resolve your concern first.
To exercise any right, contact [email protected]. We respond within 30 days and may verify your identity first. Exercising your rights will never result in discriminatory treatment.
13. Children
Salonsphere is not intended for children under 13, and you must be at least 18 to create an account or make bookings. We do not knowingly collect data from children. If you believe a child has provided us data, contact us and we will delete it promptly.
14. Automated decisions
We do not use your personal data to make automated decisions that have legal or similarly significant effects on you, such as automated rejection of bookings.
15. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. We will post the new version here and, where the changes are significant, notify you in the app. The "Effective date" above shows when it was last revised.
16. Contact
Questions about this policy or your data? Email [email protected] or write to NextHome Labs, Kampala, Uganda. See also our Terms of Service, Data Protection and Cookies pages.