Privacy Policy

1. The short version

Warden is an on-device VPN firewall. It uses Android's VPN interface to create a local, private tunnel so it can inspect and block network connections directly on your phone. Your traffic is not routed to our servers — in fact, we don't operate servers that see your browsing at all.

• We do not collect, transmit, sell, or monetize your personal data or browsing activity.
• We do not require an account, email, or sign-in to use the app.
• All firewall rules and connection history stay on your device and never leave it unless you choose to export or email them to us.
• Because Warden is a local firewall, it does not hide your IP address from the sites you visit or anonymize your traffic like a remote "privacy VPN" would.

2. Information we collect

Our goal is to collect as little as possible. In normal use, Warden collects no personal information and sends nothing about your activity off the device.

Processed only on your device (never transmitted to us)

• Blocked connection attempts — when an app you have blocked tries to reach the network, Warden records the time, the network type, the destination IP address, and — where the attempt was a DNS lookup it could read — the hostname the app asked to resolve (for example graph.facebook.com). That name is the point: it is what lets you see who an app was really calling. Only blocked attempts are inspected; traffic from an app you have allowed bypasses Warden entirely and is never examined or logged. These records are pruned automatically (the most recent few hundred per app, nothing older than seven days) and never leave your device.
• Your firewall configuration — per-app allow/block rules, schedules, network policies, and preferences.
• Installed-app information — app names/icons needed to present the per-app rule list.

Information you choose to send us

• Support & bug reports — if you use a contact form or email us, we receive the details you provide (e.g., name, email, device model, and your description). We use these only to respond to you.

We do not embed third-party advertising or analytics SDKs. If a future build offers optional, opt-in diagnostics, this policy will be updated to describe exactly what is shared and with whom.

3. How the firewall works

When you enable protection, Android asks for your consent to route the device's traffic through Warden's local VPN interface. Warden then applies your per-app rules entirely on the device. Traffic from an app you have allowed bypasses Warden altogether and goes straight to its destination. Traffic from a blocked app is routed into the local interface, where the packets are simply discarded — they are never forwarded anywhere. Because everything is local, SoftwareDevTeam never receives the contents or destinations of your traffic.

Warden makes no network requests of its own. It has no servers, downloads no blocklists or configuration, and contains no advertising, analytics, or crash-reporting code.

4. Permissions we request

Warden requests only the permissions needed to function as a firewall:

• VPN service — to establish the local tunnel that lets the app filter connections. This is the core permission and Android shows a key/VPN indicator while it is active.
• Notifications — to show the ongoing foreground-service notification required by Android while protection is running, and to alert you to important events.
• Query installed apps / usage access — to list your apps for per-app rules and to attribute connections to the correct app. On some Android versions, connection attribution may be limited or unavailable.
• Run at startup — so protection can automatically restore after a reboot, if you enable "always-on".

You can review or revoke these in your device's system settings at any time; some features will be limited without them.

5. On-device data & retention

Firewall rules, preferences, and connection history are stored locally on your device. Connection history is capped and older entries are pruned automatically. You can clear this data at any time by clearing the app's storage in Android's system settings, and it is removed when you uninstall the app. Because we don't receive this data, there is nothing for us to retain on our side.

Support messages you send us are retained only as long as needed to resolve your request and comply with any legal obligations, then deleted.

6. Sharing & disclosure

We do not sell, rent, or trade personal information. We do not share your data with advertisers or data brokers. We may disclose the limited information you send us (e.g., a support email) only where required by law, to protect our legal rights, or with your explicit direction.

7. Third-party services

The app itself is designed to run without third-party trackers. However, actions you take outside the app are governed by others' policies, including:

• App store — downloading the app and any store metrics are handled by Google Play under its own privacy policy.
• Donations — Buy Me a Coffee, Ko-fi, PayPal, and GitHub Sponsors process any contribution under their own terms and privacy policies. We never receive your full payment details.

8. Security

Because your sensitive data stays on your device, the primary safeguard is your device itself — keep it updated and protected with a screen lock. We design the app to minimize the data it holds and apply reasonable technical measures to protect any information you send us. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure.

9. Children's privacy

Warden is not directed to children under 16, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has sent us personal information, contact us and we will delete it.

10. Your rights

Depending on where you live (for example under the GDPR or CCPA/CPRA), you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or port your personal data, and to object to certain processing. Since the app stores your data locally and we hold little to nothing about you, you can exercise most of these rights directly on your device. For any information you've sent us, contact us at the address below and we'll respond consistent with applicable law. Governing law and venue: Greece.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the app evolves or the law changes. Material changes will be reflected by an updated "Last updated" date and, where appropriate, an in-app notice. Continuing to use Warden after an update means you accept the revised policy.

12. Contact us

Questions about privacy? Email us at info@softwaredevteam.gr, or use the General Query form. Data controller: SoftwareDevTeam, Fyli 13461, Athens, Greece.