Studio note: why Mümin 360 needs no account and no server
Mümin 360 needs no account because we see no reason for prayer, fasting, Heart Journal or missed-prayer records to sit on a server. The app has never asked anyone to sign up. In version 3.0, released in October 2026, we took the last step — we removed our own server and remote push notifications. Alerts are now scheduled on the phone, and no worship record leaves it.
This note covers one architectural decision. What we keep off the screen is in what we leave out of a prayer app, and the general case for keeping data on the device is in what is a local-first app. Here we explain why we shut down the back end of Mümin 360, and what that cost us.
What was on the server before 3.0?
Before 3.0, our server held one thing: an anonymous token used to send remote push notifications. Error reports also went to an outside service, with fields that might hold personal data masked before sending.
There was never a profile of anyone, but the server still had to be secured and explained. Version 3.0 changed that:
| What | Before 3.0 | In 3.0 |
|---|---|---|
| Account | None | None |
| Alerts | Remote push sent from a server | Local notifications scheduled on the phone |
| Push token | Stored on our server | Never obtained |
| Error reports | Masked and sent to an outside service | Not sent; written to the device console in development builds only |
| Personal records | On the phone | On the phone: worship tracking, Heart Journal, intentions, missed prayers, zakat |
| Server with user data | Existed only for the push token | None |
Why did we remove the server altogether?
We had three reasons, in order of weight:
- Data about religion is special-category data. Article 6 of Türkiye’s data-protection law, KVKK (Law No. 6698), lists data on a person’s “religion, sect or other beliefs” as special category. Its third paragraph, amended in 2024, prohibits processing such data except in the cases it lists. In the EU, Article 9 of the GDPR treats data revealing religious beliefs the same way.
- There is no database to leak. A prayer record says something about a person’s faith. Not collecting it at all is simpler than collecting it and trying to guard it. Even a table of tokens linked to no one was a burden to maintain.
- It works offline. A notification scheduled on the phone arrives without a connection, and prayer times are then calculated on the phone.
What did it cost us?
We pay the price knowingly. It echoes what we went through when Tako dropped accounts — but the data here is more sensitive, so the cost is more visible.
- No sync between devices. Records appear only on the phone where they were made.
- Moving phones depends on backups. If iCloud or computer backup is on, the records may be included; that backup is between the user and Apple.
- No account recovery. With no “forgot password” route, we cannot bring back a deleted record. Delete All Data, or removing the app, erases everything on the phone.
- We can’t see usage. All we receive is an anonymous count, at most once a day. We don’t know which screens are opened or who records what.
- Support can’t look at data. We work from what the user tells us.
Premium is unaffected: it comes back with Restore Purchases.
What still leaves the phone?
Having no server doesn’t mean the app never goes online. Section 4 of the privacy policy lists every request; each lets the receiving server see the IP address and basic connection details.
| Stays on the phone | Goes online |
|---|---|
| Settings, chosen location and coordinates | In Türkiye, the code of the chosen district, for prayer times |
| Prayer, fasting and excuse days, Self-review, Intentions | Abroad or as a fallback, coordinates rounded to two decimals (about 1 km) |
| Dhikr counts, salawat and tasbihat records | For address lookup, coordinates or the district, city and country names (the iOS address service) |
| Heart Journal entries, mood and gratitude notes | For the Qur’an, the surah and verse number, chosen translation and reciter |
| Khatm plans, bookmarks and favourites | The daily gold and silver price, if asked for on the Zakat screen |
| Missed-prayer, zakat, vow and charity records | For subscription checks, a random anonymous ID and App Store transaction details |
| Downloaded surah audio and caches | In the free version, a request for non-personalised ads |
| Widget and lock-screen summary | If switched on, the date, version and language at most once a day; can be turned off |
| An update check and an empty connectivity check |
In Türkiye, the district is found with a table on the phone, offline. The app never asks to track you, and with Premium the ad software never starts. Details are in our privacy policy.
How do you manage your data in Mümin 360?
With no account, most of the control is yours. The privacy policy gives these routes:
- Erase: Settings > Privacy & data > Delete All Data.
- Turn off the count: Settings > Privacy & data > Anonymous usage count.
- Ad consent: in the European Economic Area, the UK and Switzerland, Settings > Privacy & data > Ad consent preferences.
- Location: iOS Settings > Mümin 360 > Location. Without it, you pick your city from the list.
The gaps, too: the app adds no encryption of its own and relies on iOS file protection, so use a screen lock. For now the app is iPhone-only. If you’re weighing other apps as well, see how to choose a prayer times app.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an account to use Mümin 360?
No. The app asks for no name, email or phone number. On first launch you pick your city or allow location, and it is ready to use.
Will my records move to a new phone?
Only through the phone’s iCloud or computer backup, if it is on and includes them. There is no sync or recovery through an account.
Do alerts arrive without the internet?
Yes. Alerts are scheduled on the phone and arrive when a prayer time begins and fifteen minutes before. No remote push is used, so no connection is needed.
Can Türk Otağ see my worship records?
No. Worship tracking, the Heart Journal, intentions, missed-prayer and zakat records never leave your phone. The only thing that reaches us, if switched on, is a daily count that tells no one apart.
Mümin 360 - Namaz Kıble Zikir is free on the App Store: see Mümin 360 on the App Store. If you’re planning an app that handles sensitive data, see our custom software and mobile apps page.
