Privacy Policy

1. Overview

HostGenie is a local Android network monitoring utility. It executes scheduled connection checks (Pings, TCP socket checks, HTTP/HTTPS downloads, and SNMP queries) to verify the availability and health of server infrastructure. All queries are initiated and run directly from your device, and all logs, statistics, and configurations are saved locally on your phone's private storage.

2. Android System Permissions

HostGenie requires specific permissions to function as a reliable background monitor. We use these permissions only for their intended technical purposes:

• Internet Access (INTERNET): To send network probes (ICMP, TCP, HTTP, SNMP) to your specified hosts.
• Local Network Access (ACCESS_LOCAL_NETWORK): Required on Android 15+ to discover and monitor devices on your local area network (LAN), such as home servers or local routers.
• Network & Wi-Fi State (ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE, ACCESS_WIFI_STATE): To detect if the device has an active connection before attempting scheduled checks, preventing unnecessary battery drain.
• Location (ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION): This permission is required by the Android system to retrieve the Wi-Fi SSID. HostGenie uses this only if you enable "Wi-Fi Only" restrictions for a task, ensuring it only runs when connected to a specific network. We do not track or store your physical location.
• Boot Completion (RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED): To automatically restart the monitoring scheduler after your device reboots.
• Notifications (POST_NOTIFICATIONS): To alert you immediately in the system tray when a host status changes (e.g., from Up to Down).
• Exact Alarms (SCHEDULE_EXACT_ALARM): To ensure monitoring tasks execute precisely at the intervals you define (e.g., exactly every 60 seconds).
• Foreground Services (FOREGROUND_SERVICE): To prevent the Android system from killing the monitoring process while it is performing background checks. A persistent notification is shown when the service is active.
• Battery Optimization (REQUEST_IGNORE_BATTERY_OPTIMIZATIONS): Optionally requested to ensure the Android "Doze" mode does not suspend your critical network checks.

3. Data Storage & Security

All sensitive information, including server addresses, SNMP community strings, custom HTTP headers, and API keys, is stored in a private, sandboxed SQLite database. This database is encrypted at rest using Android's Keystore system where available.

Backups: HostGenie disables standard Android Auto-Backup by default to prevent credentials from being synced to the cloud. If you choose to manually export a configuration backup, it is encrypted with a password of your choice before being saved to your local storage.

4. No Telemetry or Third Parties

HostGenie contains zero advertisements, zero analytical trackers (like Google Analytics or Firebase), and zero crash reporting telemetry. Your monitoring logs and target configurations are entirely private and stay on your device.

5. Contact

If you have any questions or feedback about HostGenie or this privacy policy, feel free to contact us at dev@firedfox.com.