Open Alert Viewer Privacy Policy

24 October 2024 · edited 20 March 2025 · Sandpiper Codes

Contact Info

Open Alert Viewer is made by Sandpiper Codes and other Open Alert Viewer authors. Sandpiper Codes may be reached at support@sandpiper.codes, or via the “Support” menu item in the app.

Data Use

Open Alert Viewer (“the app”) is libre / open source software, so it respects your freedom to use, study, change and share the code. It also respects your privacy: Usernames, passwords and remote server addresses (“credentials”) that you enter into the account settings of the app are used by the app in only two ways by the app: They are stored on your device’s storage, and they are transmitted to the remote servers you specify according to those credentials.

These two behaviors are for the app’s main functionality, which is to fetch and display server alert data from remote servers using the credentials that you configured. These credentials are typically only given by an administrator, employer, or are created by you, an administrator of servers that you control. Once entered into the app, the credentials sent to those remote servers are encrypted in transit by HTTPS when the app tests those credentials, and when fetching active alerts. The app’s default behavior is to automatically fetch alerts while it’s running in the background.

The app only transmits data to servers that are specified in the app settings. The app’s authors do not send data to any other servers or third parties.

Because the app only connects to servers you specify, data is only sent internationally if you configure the app to connect to a third party server that is hosted across international borders, or that itself shares data with another server that is.

The locally stored credentials that you enter into the app are yours to access, control, correct, delete from the app, restrict or port to another app or service. You also have the right to be informed and to object to the use of your data by this app, as described in this privacy policy.

Data Storage

In addition to the credentials you enter, the app keeps a cache (local copy) of the latest fetched alert data for quickly displaying info when you open the app.

The app’s data, credentials, cache and settings are stored unencrypted on your device’s file system, however your device may encrypt some or all of that data with a password. If unencrypted data concerns you, consider learning about whether your device supports data decryption with a secure password when starting or logging into your device.

Anyone who has physical access to your device while its screen is unlocked may be able to view the account credentials you entered into the app, including stored passwords, by looking at the in-app account settings. For this reason, we recommend locking your device’s screen when you’re not using it.

Data Deletion

You are in control of when credentials in the app may be deleted from your device. Besides removing app data from your device’s backups, to delete the data entered into the app, open the app settings, then select each unwanted account, and choose “Remove Account”. Credentials and caches for removed accounts should clear out from the local database, and eventually its write-ahead log, some time after the next data fetch.

If backups are enabled on your device, copies of the app’s credentials may be stored in backups, beyond control of the app. That data may be accessible to you again for a time, even after deleting all of the app’s local data. Some backup systems may automatically restore data upon re-installing the app, so consider learning about how your backups are handled if you want to remove backed-up versions of the data you entered into the app.

Third Parties

Sites linked to from the app, such as GitHub and Buy Me a Coffee, are not controlled by Sandpiper Codes, so the owners of those sites are responsible for their own privacy policies.

The owners of remote servers you configure the app to connect to are responsible for their own privacy policies regarding the handling and recording of user names, passwords, IP addresses and the access history generated when you connect to them. Removing your credentials from the app is likely not sufficient to remove those credentials from remote servers, and would have to be coordinated with those third parties.

Changes to this Policy

Sandpiper Codes may occasionally update this privacy policy for Open Alert Viewer. When we do, we’ll change the date that it was last edited at the top of the page of the website-hosted version at sandpiper.codes. We suggest visiting that page from time to time to be notified of any changes.

For older versions of the app with outdated embedded privacy policies, the user may choose to use the version embedded in the app, or the one posted on the website.