Privacy Policy

for Android App "LawnChair"

Other Privacy Policies:

What data is collected

The minimum personal information needed for the functionality of the application is collected.

Data Sharing

Your email or other personal information will not be shared with third parties without your consent - excepting a court order.

Why LawnChair needs so many permissions

LawnChair is meant not only to be a simple launcher, which alone requires many rights, but to be an all-purpose launcher and to have a "child-mode" that makes it difficult for children to do things the owner does not want. Many things require rights to launch, so maintaning generality requires those rights: only in newer versions of Android is it possible for the user to grant or deny individual rights.

Also, planned but not yet implemented: LawnChair should allow launching of specific intents on certain states. For example, turning off data when wifi is connected / turning on data when wifi disconnects.

Note that unless otherwise noted, all these permissions are only used when the user specifically creates an icon / option to do so.

The permissions required:

ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE - Allows applications to access information about networks. Example: do something if connected to home network.

ACCESS_WIFI_STATE - Allows applications to access information about Wi-Fi networks. Example: do something if in range of a specific wifi network.

BATTERY_STATS - Allows an application to collect battery statistics. Example: do something if the battery is draining too quickly.

CALL_PHONE - Allows an application to initiate a phone call without going through the Dialer user interface for the user to confirm the call. Example: one touch call to parents in child-mode.

CHANGE_CONFIGURATION - Allows an application to modify the current configuration, such as locale. Example: One-touch change of language for a shared phone.

CHANGE_NETWORK_STATE - Allows applications to change network connectivity state. Example: One-touch (dis)connect from data network.

CHANGE_WIFI_STATE - Allows applications to change Wi-Fi connectivity state. Example: One-touch (dis)connect from wifi network.

EXPAND_STATUS_BAR - Allows an application to expand or collapse the status bar. Example: allow the status bar to be hidden in child-mode.

FLASHLIGHT - Allows the app to control the flashlight. Example: you want to turn the flashlight on or off without leaving the launcher.

GET_PACKAGE_SIZE - Allows an application to find out the space used by any package. As a launcher, it is generally good to have access to package information - no use case yet, but also not dangerous.

INTERNET - Allows applications to open network sockets. Required for sending of bug reports. You will always be asked beforehand and allowed to discard a bug report.

KILL_BACKGROUND_PROCESSES - Allows an application to kill background processes. Needed to prevent access to forbidden processes in child-mode.

MANAGE_DOCUMENTS - Allows an application to manage access to documents, usually as part of a document picker. Allows LawnChair to manage the menu documents it exports and imports.

MODIFY_AUDIO_SETTINGS - Allows an application to modify global audio settings. Example: one-touch silent mode.

READ_CONTACTS - Allows an application to read the user's contacts data. Example: opening of a specific contact with one touch.

READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE - Allows an application to read from external storage. Needed to import the menu files it exports.

READ_PHONE_STATE - Allows read only access to phone state, including the phone number of the device, current cellular network information, the status of any ongoing calls, and a list of any PhoneAccounts registered on the device. Example: Do something if in a particular cell phone network.

REORDER_TASKS - Allows an application to change the Z-order of tasks. Since LawnChair must deal with tasks for child-mode anyway, this leaves the way open to extend it to act as a general task manager as well.

REQUEST_INSTALL_PACKAGES - Allows an application to request installing packages. Example: create/import a menu with installation recommendations and one-touch installs.

SEND_SMS - Allows an application to send SMS messages. - Example: one-touch sending of "I'm on my way home" SMS.

SET_WALLPAPER - Allows applications to set the wallpaper. A home screen needs this feature.

SET_WALLPAPER_HINTS - Allows applications to set the wallpaper hints. Needed to set dimensions of wallaper.

VIBRATE - Allows access to the vibrator. LawnChair gives a short vibration as feedback when one has long-pressed a button.

WAKE_LOCK - Allows using PowerManager WakeLocks to keep processor from sleeping or screen from dimming. Example: keep screen from dimming while using an app that fails to prevent dimming (a common problem with apps providing reading material).

WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE - Allows an application to write to external storage. Needed for LawnChair's export function.

WRITE_SETTINGS - Allows an application to read or write the system settings. Example: one-touch changing the ringtone in a shared phone.

INSTALL_SHORTCUT - Allows an application to install a shortcut in Launcher. Allows LawnChair to add a shortcut to itself to the home screen - some users may want to use LawnChair without it being the home screen.

This privacy policy is subject to change without notice.