App Privacy Policy

App: HSS Online Status Check

Effective date: 23 July 2026

Last updated: 23 July 2026

HSS Online Status Check (“the app”, “we”, “us”, or “our”) is an independent mobile app that helps people in South Africa check the status of their housing subsidy application. This Privacy Policy explains what information the app handles, why, and the choices you have. By using the app, you agree to the practices described here.

Who we are

HSS Online Status Check is a separate, independent app. We are not associated with, endorsed by, or authorised by the Human Settlements / Housing Subsidy System (HSS), the National Department of Human Settlements, or any government department. When you run a check, the app queries the official government service on your behalf and shows you the result. That is the full extent of the relationship.

Privacy at a glance

  • We do not ask you to create an account or sign in.
  • The only personal detail you enter is the 13-digit South African ID number on the application you want to check.
  • That ID number is sent only to the official government status service. We do not keep it on any server of ours.
  • Your list of recent checks is stored on your own device, never on our servers.
  • We show adverts through Google AdMob, and we send occasional service updates through Firebase Cloud Messaging.
  • We never sell your personal information.

Information the app handles

1. The ID number you enter

To run a status check, you enter the 13-digit South African ID number used on the housing subsidy application. The app sends this number over a secure connection to the official government status service (hssonline.gov.za) for the sole purpose of retrieving that application’s status. We do not operate our own database of applicants, and we do not store your ID number on our servers.

2. Your recent checks (stored on your device only)

To power the Recent Checks feature, the app saves the ID numbers you have checked and the date of each check in local storage on your device. This information stays on your device. It is not uploaded to us or to anyone else. You can delete individual entries or clear the whole history at any time from the Recent Checks screen, which also cancels any reminders linked to those entries.

3. Notifications and your push token

If you allow notifications, the app does two things. First, it schedules local reminders on your device (about every 15 days) to prompt you to recheck saved applications. Second, it may deliver occasional service updates about the housing subsidy system through Firebase Cloud Messaging, a Google service. To deliver those messages, Firebase assigns your device an anonymous push token. No name, ID number, or check history is attached to that token. You can turn notifications off at any time in your device settings.

4. Advertising identifiers and usage signals

The app displays adverts served by Google AdMob. To serve and measure those adverts, AdMob may access device identifiers (such as an advertising ID) and usage signals, as described in Google’s Privacy Policy. We do not share the ID numbers you check, or your check history, with AdMob or any other advertising partner.

How your information is shared

We share information only in the limited ways needed to make the app work:

  • Official government status service (hssonline.gov.za). The ID number you enter is sent to this service to retrieve your application status. This is the core function of the app.
  • Google AdMob. Receives advertising identifiers and usage signals to serve and measure adverts. See Google’s Privacy Policy at https://policies.google.com/privacy and Google’s advertising information at https://policies.google.com/technologies/ads.
  • Firebase Cloud Messaging (Google). Receives an anonymous device push token so we can deliver service update notifications.

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share your ID number or check history for advertising or marketing.

Security

All communication between the app and the services above uses encrypted HTTPS connections. Release builds of the app block unencrypted (cleartext) network traffic. Please remember that no method of transmission or storage is ever completely secure, and your check history is only as protected as the device it sits on, so keep your device locked and secured.

Data retention and deletion

  • Your check history lives only on your device. It disappears when you clear it from the Recent Checks screen or when you uninstall the app.
  • Status results are shown to you in the app at the time of the check. We do not retain them after the check completes.
  • Your ID number is used only to make the status request and is not stored on our servers.

Because there is no account and no server-side copy of your personal data, the way to delete your data is to clear your history in the app or uninstall the app.

Your choices and rights

  • Clear your history. Delete individual entries or clear all of them from the Recent Checks screen at any time.
  • Notifications. Allow or block notifications, including reminders and service updates, from your device settings at any time.
  • Advertising. You can reset or limit your advertising identifier in your device settings (Google Settings on Android, or the privacy settings on iOS) to reduce ad personalisation.

If you are in South Africa, the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) gives you rights over your personal information, including the right to ask what personal information is held about you, and to have it corrected or deleted. Because the app keeps your check history only on your own device and does not store your ID number on our servers, you can exercise these rights directly by managing or clearing your data in the app. If you have any questions or requests, contact us using the details below.

Third-party services

The app relies on the third-party services listed below. Their handling of data is governed by their own privacy policies:

Children’s privacy

The app is intended for adults who are applying for housing subsidies. It is not directed at children under 18, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided information through the app, please contact us so we can help.

Where your information is processed

The official government status service is operated in South Africa, and status requests are processed there. Google’s advertising and messaging services may process data on servers in other countries. By using the app, you understand that your information may be processed in these locations.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the “Last updated” date at the top of this page, and material changes will ship with an app update. Your continued use of the app after an update means you accept the revised policy.

Contact us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how your information is handled, contact us at:

Email: support@hssonlinestatus.co.za Website: https://hssonlinestatus.co.za/

This policy is also available inside the app on the Privacy Policy screen.