Privacy Policy

Last updated: April 20, 2026

ESP Frame ("the App") is the companion app for the open-source esp32-photoframe project. This policy describes what data the App accesses, how it is used, and your choices.

1. Data We Collect

We do not collect, transmit, or store any personal data on external servers. The App communicates only with ESP32 photo frame devices on your local network. There is no analytics, telemetry, or tracking of any kind.

2. Information Stored on Your Device

The App stores the following data locally on your device using shared preferences:

• Saved devices — hostname, port, and display name of ESP32 photo frame devices you have connected to.
• Cached metadata — album names and image file names for each saved device, used to speed up the user interface.

This data never leaves your device and can be cleared at any time by clearing the App's data or uninstalling it.

3. Network Communication

• Local network only — the App communicates with your ESP32 photo frame over your local Wi-Fi network (HTTP) to manage images, settings, and firmware updates.
• mDNS discovery — the App uses multicast DNS to automatically discover photo frame devices on your network.
• AI image generation (optional) — if you choose to use the AI image generation feature, the App sends your text prompt directly to the API provider you select (OpenAI or Google Gemini) using the API key stored on your device. No data passes through any intermediary server. Your use of these third-party APIs is subject to their respective privacy policies.

4. Permissions

The App requests the following permissions, all of which are used solely for the features described:

• Camera & photo library — to select or capture photos for display on your photo frame.
• Location (Android) — required by Android to perform Wi-Fi scanning during device setup. The App does not track or store your location.
• Local network / Bonjour (iOS) — to discover photo frame devices on your network.
• Wi-Fi state — to connect to the photo frame's setup hotspot during initial provisioning.

5. Third-Party Services

The App does not embed any third-party SDKs for analytics, advertising, or crash reporting. The only external services the App may contact are:

• OpenAI — when you use AI image generation with an OpenAI model.
• Google Gemini — when you use AI image generation with a Gemini model.

These services are entirely optional and require you to provide your own API key.

6. Children's Privacy

The App is not directed at children under 13 and does not knowingly collect any personal information from children.

7. Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date.

8. Contact

If you have questions about this privacy policy, please open an issue on the GitHub repository.