Privacy Policy
Last updated: May 1, 2026
Signal Sense ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. Signal Sense is a local-first signal monitoring and network diagnostics application. This Privacy Policy explains what information the app accesses, how it is used, and what leaves your device.
Information We Collect
Signal Sense accesses and displays technical data directly from your device's modem, radios, sensors, and Android system APIs to provide live diagnostics while you use the app:
- Location: GPS position, accuracy, motion, and satellite information. Location also helps associate readings with nearby Wi-Fi and cell tower context.
- Cellular and SIM Data: Signal strength and quality metrics such as RSRP, RSRQ, RSSI, SINR, CQI, carrier, network type, serving and neighbor cell information, and cell identifiers such as PCI, TAC, CID, PLMN, and subscription ID.
- Phone and SIM Identifiers: Where Android allows access, the app may display phone number/MSISDN, IMSI, ICCID, IMEI, carrier, and SIM/subscription details for local network diagnostics.
- Wi-Fi Metrics: Current connection and nearby network details such as SSID, BSSID, RSSI, frequency, channel, security type, link speed, and congestion levels.
- Device Diagnostics: Battery, memory, storage, display, sensor, camera, processor, Android version, and related device context.
- Network Diagnostics: Ping, traceroute, subnet scan, and speed test results when you run those tools.
- Optional Usage Analytics: If enabled, app usage events such as screen views and feature interactions.
- Optional Crash and Performance Data: If enabled, crash reports, stack traces, device model, OS version, app version, performance timing, and crash context.
How We Use Information
- Live Diagnostics: Signal, Wi-Fi, GPS, and device data are used to display live diagnostics while you use the app.
- Background Monitoring: Signal Sense does not continuously log in the background during normal use. Ongoing signal history is collected only when you turn on Background Monitoring. Background Monitoring runs as a foreground service with a persistent notification.
- Local History: When Background Monitoring is enabled, the app stores cell signal, carrier/network type, Wi-Fi SSID/RSSI, location, accuracy, and timestamps in an on-device database. Monitoring entries older than 24 hours are automatically purged.
- User-Initiated Exports: Logs, NMEA records, and diagnostic summaries leave the device only when you explicitly export, copy, or share them.
- App Improvement: Optional usage analytics and performance data help identify confusing workflows and performance issues.
- Crash Reporting: Optional crash reports help identify and fix technical issues.
Third-Party Services
Signal Sense may use Google Firebase to improve app stability and performance. Firebase collection is optional and controlled by you in the app:
- Firebase Analytics: If enabled, helps us understand app usage through events such as screen views and feature interactions.
- Firebase Crashlytics: If enabled, provides crash reports and stack traces.
- Firebase Performance Monitoring: If enabled, monitors app responsiveness and performance timing.
Signal logs, coordinates, exported files, phone numbers, and SIM/device identifiers are not intentionally attached to Firebase analytics events.
Your Choice: Optional telemetry is off unless you enable it. You can change Usage Analytics and Crash Reports at any time by going to Settings > Privacy & Diagnostics within the app.
Data Storage and Sharing
We do not sell your data. Signal logs and location history are stored locally on your device by default and are not transmitted to our servers. User-initiated exports and shares are controlled by you. Optional Firebase telemetry is the only built-in third-party transmission path.
You can clear stored signal logs in the app. Background Monitoring entries older than 24 hours are automatically purged.
Permissions
- Location: Used for GPS diagnostics, Wi-Fi/cell context, and user-enabled signal history logging.
- Foreground Service Location: Used only for user-started Background Monitoring with a persistent notification.
- Notifications: Used to show the foreground monitoring notification.
- Phone State and Phone Numbers: Used for SIM/subscription state, radio state, network diagnostics, and line information where Android permits access.
- Nearby Wi-Fi Devices and Network State: Used for Wi-Fi diagnostics and connection details.
- Internet: Used for network diagnostics such as ping, traceroute, subnet scanning, speed tests, privacy policy access, and optional Firebase telemetry.
Signal Sense does not request Android's background location permission. Background Monitoring uses while-in-use location access through a foreground service that you start manually.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us through our GitHub repository.