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Legal · AuraOS WiFi File Explorer

Privacy Policy

Last updated — 2026-04-13

This Privacy Policy describes how AuraOS: WiFi File Explorer ("the app", "we") handles information when you use it on your Android device. We designed the app to be privacy-first: your files never leave your local Wi-Fi network, and we do not operate any backend server.

1. Data we collect

The app itself does not collect, store, or transmit any personal data, files, usage analytics, or device identifiers to us. There is no user account, no cloud sync, and no server owned by us.

Files you choose to share are served only over your local Wi-Fi network, directly from your device to the browser you point at it. We never see, proxy, or receive those files.

2. Third-party services

The app displays advertisements through Google AdMob, a service provided by Google LLC. AdMob may collect and process limited data to serve and measure ads, including:

We do not receive this data in personally identifiable form. Google's use of this data is governed by the Google Privacy Policy and the AdMob data disclosures. You can reset or opt out of your Advertising ID in your Android settings (Settings → Privacy → Ads).

Where required by law (e.g. GDPR in the EEA/UK), the app shows a Google UMP consent form before personalized ads are served.

3. Permissions we request and why

01INTERNET
Required to run the embedded HTTP server that serves files to other devices on your LAN, and to load AdMob ads.
02ACCESS_WIFI_STATE
Used to detect your current Wi-Fi network and display the local IP address / URL you should open on the other device.
03WAKE_LOCK
Keeps the CPU awake while the server is actively serving a download or stream, so transfers do not stall when the screen is off.
04 FOREGROUND_SERVICE FOREGROUND_SERVICE_SPECIAL_USE
Android 14+ requires apps that run long-lived background work to declare a foreground service type. The server runs as a foreground service so Android does not kill it mid-transfer. The declared subtype is "LAN file-sharing server": the user explicitly starts the server, and it stops when the user stops it.
05POST_NOTIFICATIONS
Android 13+ requires this to show the persistent notification that indicates the server is running and lets you stop it with one tap.
06 READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE Android 12 and below
Legacy storage read permission, only requested on Android 12 and older devices where All files access is not available.
07 WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE Android 10 and below
Legacy permission used only on Android 10 and older devices. Not used on modern Android (scoped storage).
08 MANAGE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE All files access
Required so the app can act as a general-purpose file manager and expose any folder the user chooses — including non-media files such as documents, archives, APKs, source code, and configuration files — over the LAN. This is the app's core purpose, and the permission is granted only after the user explicitly confirms it in system Settings. Files are never uploaded anywhere; they are only served on the local network when the user starts the server. See the dedicated section below for the full justification.

4. Why the app uses "All files access" (MANAGE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE)

Google Play requires apps that request the "All files access" permission to clearly explain why it is needed. This section documents that justification.

AuraOS: WiFi File Explorer is a file manager that lets users browse, manage, and share files from their Android device over a local Wi-Fi network through a web browser on another device (PC, tablet, TV). File management is an explicitly permitted use case for "All files access" under Google Play's Developer Program Policies.

The Storage Access Framework (SAF) is not sufficient for this app because:

  1. General-purpose file manager scope. Users expect to browse, search, rename, move, copy, delete, and zip arbitrary files — including non-media types such as documents, archives, APKs, source code, and configuration files — across any folder on their device. SAF's media-oriented and per-tree model is designed for narrower access patterns.
  2. Remote, interactive browsing sessions. The core use case is browsing the Android device from a web browser on another device. The user is not in front of the Android device during the session, so SAF's per-file consent dialogs would be impossible to respond to and would break the remote browsing flow entirely.
  3. Recursive operations over deep directory trees. The app performs recursive search, folder zipping, and large-tree enumeration. These operations rely on direct filesystem access through java.io.File; the equivalent operations under SAF go through Binder IPC to a system ContentProvider, which in internal benchmarks is 5–15× slower for recursive enumeration and significantly degrades the user experience for the app's primary use case.
  4. Local-only data handling. All file access is strictly local: files are read from the device and served only over the user's own Wi-Fi network, on demand, while the user has explicitly started the server. No file data leaves the local network, no data is sent to any cloud backend, and no data is collected by the developer. The permission is used solely to enable the file-manager functionality the user installed the app for.

The permission is requested only once, through the standard Android system settings screen, and the user may revoke it at any time from Settings → Apps → AuraOS: WiFi File Explorer → Permissions.

5. Data retention

Because we do not collect your data, we have nothing to retain. Any logs the app writes (e.g. server access logs) stay on your device and are cleared when you clear the app's data or uninstall it.

6. Children

The app is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect any information from children. Ads are served via AdMob using Google's standard policies.

7. Your rights

Since we do not hold your personal data, there is nothing for us to export or delete on our side. For data held by Google/AdMob, please refer to Google's privacy controls. You can uninstall the app at any time to stop all processing.

8. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be reflected by updating the "Last updated" date at the top of this page.

9. Contact

Questions or requests: support@elfatihi.com