Privacy Policy | Anchor Launcher

1. Introduction & Privacy Commitment

Welcome to Anchor Launcher ("we," "our," or "us"). We are committed to safeguarding your personal privacy and providing transparent, secure, and high-performance home screen software for Android devices.

Anchor Launcher is engineered around a local-first architecture. Your personal files, contacts, app lists, notification contents, and daily usage habits belong exclusively to you. Primary feature processing occurs locally on your device, and we never sell, rent, or monetize personal information with third-party advertisers or data brokers.

This Privacy Policy complies with global data protection standards, including the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA/CPRA).

2. System Permissions & Operational Scope

To function as a primary Android home screen desktop replacement (android.intent.category.HOME), Anchor Launcher requests specific device permissions. The operational purpose for each permission is detailed below:

App Packages Access

QUERY_ALL_PACKAGES

Purpose: Primary launcher core feature. Required to detect, categorize, display, search, and launch installed applications from your home screen desktop and app drawer.

Handling: 100% Local On-Device Queried strictly on-device. Package inventories are never transmitted off your device.

Digital Wellbeing & Usage

PACKAGE_USAGE_STATS

Purpose: Special app access. Powers built-in screen time tracking, daily app usage metrics, and alert popups when custom usage limits are reached.

Handling: 100% Local On-Device Usage statistics remain in private local application storage.

Notification Listener

BIND_NOTIFICATION_LISTENER

Purpose: Special access. Reads active notification counts to render visual notification dots and unread badge indicators on app icons.

Handling: 100% Local On-Device Notification text is processed ephemerally on-device solely to compute badge counts and is not stored.

Contacts Search

READ_CONTACTS

Purpose: Optional runtime permission. Allows searching for phone contacts and dialing numbers directly from the search overlay.

Handling: 100% Local On-Device Contact details are indexed and queried exclusively on your device.

Weather Location

ACCESS_FINE/COARSE_LOCATION

Purpose: Optional runtime permission. Retrieves local geographic coordinates to display live weather forecasts and temperatures on your home screen.

Handling: Ephemeral HTTPS Coordinates are sent ephemerally to the privacy-friendly Open-Meteo API over HTTPS. Location history is not logged or tracked.

Voice Search

RECORD_AUDIO

Purpose: Optional runtime permission. Enables hands-free voice input in the search bar via Android speech recognition.

Handling: 100% Local On-Device Audio input is converted to text locally by system services and is not retained.

Widgets & Customization

BIND_APPWIDGET & SET_WALLPAPER

Purpose: Primary launcher core feature. Enables hosting native system widgets on the desktop and setting home screen wallpapers.

Handling: 100% Local On-Device Managed strictly via native Android operating system APIs.

3. Data Collection, Handling & Transit Safety

The table below provides a comprehensive summary of all data types processed by Anchor Launcher, their storage location, transit encryption status, and purpose:

Data Category	Data Type	Storage / Processing	Encrypted in Transit?	Requirement	Purpose
Location	Approximate & Precise Location	Ephemeral (Open-Meteo)	Yes (HTTPS / TLS)	Optional	App Functionality (Weather Forecast)
Contacts	Contact Names & Phone Numbers	Local Only	N/A (Local)	Optional	App Functionality (Search & Dialing)
App Activity	Installed Packages & Usage Stats	Local Only	N/A (Local)	Required	Launcher Core & Digital Wellbeing
App Info & Performance	Crash Logs (Firebase Crashlytics)	Collected Off-Device	Yes (HTTPS / TLS)	Required	Diagnostics & App Performance
App Info & Performance	Usage Analytics (Firebase Analytics)	Collected Off-Device	Yes (HTTPS / TLS)	Required	Analytics & Diagnostics
Device IDs	Device / Instance IDs (Firebase)	Collected Off-Device	Yes (HTTPS / TLS)	Required	Analytics & App Stability
Audio	Voice Input (Speech-to-Text)	Local Only	N/A (Local)	Optional	App Functionality (Voice Search)

4. Data Security & Third-Party Integrations

We enforce strict security protections across all components of Anchor Launcher:

Encryption in Transit: 100% of network requests to external APIs (weather requests and stability telemetry) are encrypted using Transport Layer Security (TLS / HTTPS).
Encrypted Local Storage: User preferences, task items, and usage statistics are stored securely in a local SQLite database (using drift) inside private application storage.
No Data Commercialization: Anchor Launcher does not include third-party advertising SDKs or tracking networks. We do not sell or trade user data.
Third-Party Services Used:
- Open-Meteo API: Provides live weather data without tracking user identities or storing location logs.
- Google Firebase (Analytics & Crashlytics): Collects anonymized crash diagnostics and system interaction metrics to improve application stability.

5. User Rights, Data Retention & Deletion Instructions

Users have complete authority to manage or request deletion of their data:

Revoking System Permissions: You can manage or revoke optional permissions (Location, Contacts, Microphone) at any time via Android Settings > Apps > Anchor Launcher > Permissions.
Clearing Stored Local Data: You can permanently erase all local application databases and configuration files via Android Settings > Apps > Anchor Launcher > Storage > Clear Storage / Data or by uninstalling the application.
Data Deletion Requests: You may submit inquiries or request deletion of telemetry records by emailing our privacy support team at heliosbytes@outlook.com.

6. International Privacy Rights (GDPR & CCPA)

Under applicable international data protection regulations (such as EU GDPR and California CCPA/CPRA), users hold specific rights to access, correct, or request erasure of personal data. Because Anchor Launcher processes personal data locally on your device, these rights are directly executable by clearing or deleting local data on your device.

7. Children's Privacy

Anchor Launcher is not directed at children under the age of 13 (or under 16 in applicable jurisdictions). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a minor has submitted personal data to us, please contact us for prompt removal.

8. Policy Revisions

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect app enhancements or legal updates. Revisions will be posted on this page with an updated "Last Updated" date.

9. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or data deletion requests regarding this Privacy Policy, please contact us at:

heliosbytes@outlook.com