📡 PULSECODE 📡

Privacy Policy

Last updated: 6 April 2026

This policy applies to the PulseCode mobile application on iOS (App Store) and Android (Google Play), unless stated otherwise below.

1. Introduction

PulseCode (“we”, “our”, or “the app”) is an offline-first communication and experimentation tool that lets you send, detect, and experiment with signals using light (e.g. camera, flash, screen, Morse-style patterns, calibration, and brightness analysis), sound (custom frequencies, tone patterns, and real-time signal detection), and local Wi‑Fi (discovering nearby devices on the same network and exchanging messages with a display name — without requiring the public internet for that feature).

This Privacy Policy explains what information we may collect, how we use it, and your choices. By using PulseCode, you agree to this policy.

2. Information We Collect

Depending on how you use the app and your device permissions, we may process the following:

2.1 Information you provide

• Display name — For local Wi‑Fi discovery and messaging, you may set a name shown to nearby users on the same network. This is typically stored on your device and used only for local identification unless you choose to share it through the app’s features.
• Messages or payloads — Content you send over local Wi‑Fi features may be processed on your device and transmitted only on your local network as designed by the app. We do not intend to route this traffic through our servers for core offline/local functionality.
• Preferences and calibration data — Settings related to light/sound tools (e.g. calibration, patterns) may be stored locally to improve your experience.

2.2 Sensor and device data (on-device)

• Camera and flash / screen — Used for light-based signaling, Morse-style features, calibration, and analysis (e.g. brightness patterns). Video or image streams are processed as needed for these features; we do not intend to upload your camera feed to our servers for the core app experience.
• Microphone — May be used for sound generation, tone playback, and/or real-time audio analysis for signal detection, depending on features you enable.
• Local network / Wi‑Fi — The app may use local network access to discover peers and exchange data on the same LAN. This does not require a connection to the public internet for those local features.
• Device information — Device type, operating system, app version, and similar technical data may be collected to ensure compatibility, fix bugs, and improve stability.
• Advertising identifier — If the app displays ads, we may use the advertising ID (IDFA / GAID) for ads and limited ad-related analytics. You can limit or reset this in your device settings.

2.3 Data processed with third-party services

• Firebase (Google) — We may use Firebase for analytics (e.g. crashes, usage) and, if offered, optional cloud-related features. Data sent to Firebase is subject to Google’s Privacy Policy.
• Google AdMob — If ads are shown, AdMob may collect device and advertising identifiers and use cookies or similar technologies. See Google’s Privacy Policy and AdMob help.

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide light, sound, and local Wi‑Fi features (signaling, detection, calibration, local messaging).
• Improve reliability, performance, and safety of the app.
• Show ads and measure ad performance where applicable (via AdMob).
• Operate analytics and crash reporting (via Firebase, where enabled).
• Comply with applicable laws.

4. Third-Party Services

Our app may use the following services, each with their own privacy practices:

Service	Purpose	Privacy / opt-out
Firebase	Analytics, optional backend features if enabled	Google Privacy
Google AdMob	In-app advertising (if enabled)	AdMob, Ad settings

We recommend reading their policies for details on how they process data.

5. Data Retention

• Local preferences and calibration — Stored on your device until you change or remove them or uninstall the app.
• Advertising-related data — Governed by Google’s and AdMob’s policies; you can reset your advertising ID in device settings.
• Analytics data — Retained according to Firebase retention settings (often on the order of months unless configured otherwise).

We may delete or anonymize data when it is no longer needed for the purposes above.

6. Security

We use reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect data. Local features rely heavily on your device; no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. Use local Wi‑Fi and signaling features responsibly and only in environments where you accept the risk of nearby parties observing or intercepting local traffic.

7. Children’s Privacy

PulseCode is intended for a general audience. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 (or the equivalent age in your country) without parental consent. If you believe we have collected such information, contact us and we will take steps to delete it.

8. Your Rights and Choices

• Permissions — You can grant or revoke camera, microphone, and local network permissions in your device settings; some features will not work without them.
• Advertising — You can limit personalized ads in your device settings (e.g. iOS: privacy settings for tracking; Android: ads personalization).
• Deletion — Uninstalling the app removes local data from your device; data held by third-party providers is subject to their retention policies.

If you are in the EEA or the UK, you may have additional rights (access, rectification, erasure, restriction, portability, objection). Contact us to exercise them.

9. International Transfers

Data may be processed in countries where our service providers (e.g. Google) operate, including the United States. Where required, we rely on appropriate safeguards such as standard contractual clauses.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will post the updated version with a new “Last updated” date and, where required by law, notify you (e.g. in the app). Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.