Car Penguin Server (Android)

Overview

• Car Penguin Server runs a lightweight HTTP server on your phone to share content with your car head unit over your local Wi‑Fi network.
• The server operates on-device and does not send your data to our servers or third parties.

Data we process on-device

• Shared items you choose to send: text, URLs, and media references (e.g., content URIs, filenames).
• Connectivity metadata to enable delivery: head‑unit IP address, user-agent, last seen time, port, round‑trip time (RTT).
• Transfer status and error info: item ID, creation time, status changes (Pending, Transferring, Completed, Failed), and error messages.
• We do not collect account data, contacts, call logs, messages, precise location, or analytics.

Storage and retention

• Shared items and their statuses are stored locally in the app database on your device.
• You can delete individual items or clear completed items from within the app; uninstalling the app removes local data.
• Transient logs are retained on-device only; there is no background upload.

Network communications

• The app exposes a local HTTP endpoint on your phone for the head unit to connect over the same Wi‑Fi/LAN.
• Traffic is local-only; the app does not communicate with external servers. Do not expose the phone’s server to the public internet.
• Service discovery uses Android’s Network Service Discovery (NSD) to advertise a device name and port on the LAN.

Permissions and how they’re used

• Internet and network state: to run the local server and check connectivity.
• Wi‑Fi state: to operate reliably on local networks.
• Foreground service (data sync/connected device): to keep the server active while displaying a persistent notification.
• Android 13+ media: READ_MEDIA_AUDIO, READ_MEDIA_VIDEO, READ_MEDIA_IMAGES to access files you share.
• Android 12L and below legacy media: READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE (limited to max SDK 32) for the same purpose.
• Location (ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION/ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION): required by newer Android versions for certain Wi‑Fi/NSD operations; the app does not use or store location data.
• The current release does not request phone, contacts, SMS, or Bluetooth permissions.

Data sharing and selling

• We do not sell your data.
• We do not share your data with third parties.
• No third‑party analytics or advertising SDKs are used.

Security

• Data remains on-device and on your local network.
• Authentication for remote control commands is not enabled in this version; only use on trusted networks and with trusted devices.
• Avoid port‑forwarding or exposing the server to the internet.

Children’s privacy

The app is not directed to children under 13 and should be used by adults.

Legal bases (where applicable)

Processing is necessary to provide the service you request (sharing items to your head unit) and relies on your consent to grant the relevant permissions.

Your choices and controls

• You can remove items or clear completed items within the app, and revoke app permissions in Android settings.
• You can stop the foreground service/server or uninstall the app at any time.

Contact

For privacy questions or requests, please use the contact details on our website’s Contact page.