1. What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files placed on your device (computer, smartphone, or tablet) by websites or apps you visit. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently, provide a better user experience, and give site owners information about how their platform is used.
In addition to traditional cookies, we also use similar technologies such as:
Local Storage: Browser storage for saving user preferences without expiry dates
Session Storage: Temporary storage that clears when you close the browser tab
Pixel Tags / Web Beacons: Tiny image files used to track page visits and email opens
Device Identifiers: Unique identifiers on mobile devices used in place of cookies
Firebase SDK: Google's analytics and performance monitoring toolkit
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First-Party vs. Third-Party Cookies
First-party cookies are set directly by Afro UniSphere. Third-party cookies are set by external services we use (like Google Analytics). Both types are explained in detail below.
2. How We Use Cookies
We use cookies and similar technologies to:
Keep you logged in securely across sessions
Remember your search filters, preferences, and university favorites
Understand how you navigate the platform and which features you use most
Improve platform performance, speed, and reliability
Detect and prevent fraudulent activity and unauthorized access
Measure the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns
Provide personalized university and program recommendations
Analyze aggregate usage patterns to improve our services
3. Types of Cookies We Use
Below is a detailed breakdown of every category of cookie we use on Afro UniSphere. Toggle the ones you prefer in the consent panel above.
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Essential Cookies
Required for core platform functionality
Cookie Name
Purpose
Duration
auth_token
Authentication & session management
Session
csrf_token
Security — Cross-Site Request Forgery protection
Session
_expo_session
Expo Router navigation state
Session
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Analytics Cookies
Help us understand how users interact with the platform
Cookie Name
Purpose
Duration
_ga
Google Analytics — distinguishes unique users
2 years
_gid
Google Analytics — session identifier
24 hours
firebase_analytics
Firebase — feature usage tracking
14 days
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Preference Cookies
Remember your settings and personalization choices
Cookie Name
Purpose
Duration
lang_pref
Stores your language preference
1 year
theme_pref
Stores dark/light mode preference
1 year
search_filters
Remembers your last search filters
30 days
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Marketing Cookies
Used to deliver relevant advertisements and measure campaign effectiveness
Cookie Name
Purpose
Duration
_fbp
Facebook Pixel — ad attribution (only if enabled)
90 days
_gcl_au
Google Ads — conversion tracking (only if enabled)
90 days
4. Third-Party Cookies
Some cookies on our platform are set by trusted third-party services that we use to improve our platform. These third parties have their own privacy and cookie policies which we encourage you to review.
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Google Analytics
Provides aggregated usage statistics, page views, and user behavior insights. Data is anonymized and cannot be used to identify you personally.
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Firebase (Google)
Powers authentication, real-time database, push notifications, and performance monitoring throughout the platform.
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Paystack
Processes payments securely. Paystack may set cookies during the payment flow to prevent fraud and secure transactions.
5. Mobile App Tracking
Our mobile applications (Android and iOS) use device-level tracking technologies instead of browser cookies:
Firebase Analytics SDK: Tracks feature usage, screen views, and user engagement within the app
Firebase Crashlytics: Collects anonymized crash reports to help us fix bugs quickly
Push Notification Tokens: Device tokens stored to deliver push notifications (you can disable in device settings)
AsyncStorage: Local on-device storage for saving preferences and recent search state
Device Identifiers: Anonymized device IDs used for analytics (we do not use Advertising IDs for targeted ads without consent)
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Controlling App Tracking
On iOS, you can use App Tracking Transparency to control whether apps can track your activity. On Android, you can opt out of personalization in your Google account settings. You can also disable push notifications in your device settings at any time.
6. Your Cookie Choices
You have several ways to manage and control cookies on Afro UniSphere:
6.1 Our Consent Panel
Use the interactive consent panel at the top of this page to enable or disable optional cookie categories. Your preferences will be saved for 12 months.
6.2 Browser Settings
Most browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can:
Block all cookies (note: this may break essential platform features)
Delete cookies already stored on your device
Set your browser to notify you when cookies are set
Accept or block cookies from specific websites
Browser-specific instructions:
Chrome: Settings → Privacy and Security → Cookies
Firefox: Options → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data
Safari: Preferences → Privacy → Manage Website Data
Edge: Settings → Privacy, search, and services → Cookies
6.3 Google Analytics Opt-Out
To opt out of Google Analytics tracking across all websites, you can install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on at tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.
7. Do Not Track Signals
Some browsers include a "Do Not Track" (DNT) feature that sends a signal to websites requesting that your browsing activity not be tracked. Because there is no universally agreed-upon standard for how websites should respond to DNT signals, we currently do not alter our data collection practices in response to DNT signals.
We do, however, honor your preferences set through our own Cookie Consent Panel (above), which gives you direct control over which tracking technologies are active on our platform.
8. Updates to This Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy periodically to reflect changes in regulations, technology, or our data practices. We will notify you of significant changes by:
Updating the 'Last Updated' date at the top of this page
Displaying a cookie consent banner prompting you to review updated preferences
Sending an email notification for important changes
© 2026 Afro UniSphere. All rights reserved.