Privacy Policy

ClearEther for Android

Last updated: 7 October 2026

            In short: ClearEther has no account, no analytics, no advertising and no backend.
            Your readings and your location history stay on your phone. The only data that
            leaves it goes to the map tile server when you open the map, to OpenCellID if you
            add your own key, and to Google Play when you buy the unlock.
        

Introduction

ClearEther ("the App") is an Android app that reports the radio activity around you, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, the cellular network and the magnetic field, using your phone's built-in radios and sensors. It is an independent project. This policy describes what data the Android app processes and how. The iOS and macOS apps have their own policy.

Data we don't collect

ClearEther does not collect, transmit, sell or share:

your name, email address, phone number or any other contact details
advertising IDs or device identifiers
crash logs, telemetry or usage analytics of its own (Google Play Billing's diagnostics are described under Network access)
an account: the App has no sign-up and no login

ClearEther lists the Bluetooth devices and Wi-Fi networks around you to measure them. It never connects to them, and their names and addresses are not stored or sent anywhere.

Data stored on your phone

The App keeps, in its private storage on your phone only:

Measurement history: the time, the score for each signal type, device counts, the cellular radio type, the magnetic field reading and, if you allow location, the coordinates where the reading was taken
Settings: scan interval, history retention, alert threshold, appearance and similar preferences, and your OpenCellID key if you add one
Trial and purchase state: when your free trial started and whether the unlock was bought

This data is excluded from Android backup and device transfer, is not accessible to us, and is deleted when you clear history in Settings or uninstall the App. History older than the retention period you choose is deleted automatically. A CSV export is written only to a location you pick.

Location

Android shares Wi-Fi networks, cell details and Bluetooth beacons only with apps that have location permission, so ClearEther asks for it. Location is also used to tag your readings so they can appear on the history map.

If you turn on continuous measurement and allow location "all the time", ClearEther collects location data in the background, even when the App is closed or not in use, to list Wi-Fi networks, read cell details and tag readings on your map. A notification is shown for as long as this runs, and you can pause it from there or turn it off in Settings. Background location stays on your phone, like all other location data, and is only sent to OpenCellID if you add your own key, as described below.

Network access

The App makes outbound HTTPS requests only to:

OpenFreeMap (tiles.openfreemap.org), when you open the map tab or a cell tower map, to download map tiles. Like any web server, it sees your IP address and which part of the map is being drawn. No readings are sent. See the OpenFreeMap site for its terms.
OpenCellID (opencellid.org), only if you add your own free OpenCellID API key in Settings. To look up nearby cell towers, the App sends your approximate coordinates, a search radius and your key. Without a key, nothing is sent. How OpenCellID handles requests is governed by its own privacy policy.
Google Play, through Google Play Billing when you view, buy or restore the one-time unlock, and through the Google Play In-App Review prompt. Payment is handled entirely by Google; the App never sees your payment details. The Google Play Billing Library built into the App also sends Google its own diagnostic data about the purchase flow. Google's privacy policy applies.

Links in the App, such as the ICNIRP and WHO pages or the battery settings guide, open in your browser.

Permissions

Nearby devices: to scan for Bluetooth devices and Wi-Fi networks in range
Location, while in use and optionally all the time: see Location above. You can deny it; the magnetic field is still measured, and the rest as far as Android allows
Notifications (optional): for the background measurement notification, the live score and exposure alerts. Alerts are generated on your phone from your own readings
Battery optimisation exemption (optional): so Android does not stop continuous measurement while the screen is off
Run at startup: to resume continuous measurement after a restart, only if you turned it on

The App does not request access to your contacts, camera, microphone, photos, phone calls or SMS.

Disclaimer

ClearEther is informational only. It is not a medical device, gives no medical advice and does not measure SAR. Readings are approximate signal-strength indicators rather than absolute power density. For exposure guidelines refer to ICNIRP and the WHO.

Children's privacy

The App is not directed at children under 13 and does not knowingly collect any information from children.

Your rights

Because the App sends no personal data to us, we hold nothing to access, export or delete on your behalf. You stay in control of the data on your phone:

export or clear history from the App's Settings
remove your OpenCellID key from Settings
revoke permissions in Android Settings
uninstall the App, which deletes everything it stored

Policy changes

Changes to this policy will be posted on this page with a new "Last updated" date.

Contact

For questions about this privacy policy, email pawels.apps@gmail.com.

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