Privacy Policy

1. About Universal TV Remote

Universal TV Remote (Package: com.kappuapps.universaltvremote) is a fast, versatile consumer utility application for Android developed and published by KappuApps. The application empowers users to control Smart TVs, streaming players, set-top boxes, and standard infrared appliances directly from their Android mobile device.

The application supports dual-mode operation designed around high performance and user privacy:

• Smart TV Mode (Wi-Fi / Local Area Network): Discovers and communicates with compatible Smart TVs (including Samsung Tizen, LG webOS, Android TV, Google TV, Roku, Fire TV, Sony Bravia, and other DLNA/UPnP-compatible television sets) over your local private Wi-Fi network.
• Infrared (IR Blaster) Mode: For mobile devices equipped with built-in hardware Consumer IR emitters, transmits optical infrared command sequences to control conventional televisions, sound systems, and AV receivers without requiring network access.

2. Independent Utility & Non-Affiliation Disclaimer

Universal TV Remote is an independent utility application developed and published exclusively by KappuApps.

All product names, brand trademarks, logos, and registered trademarks referenced within the application are the property of their respective owners. These brand references are utilized strictly for descriptive compatibility purposes to help users identify and pair their respective television devices.

3. Core Architectural Principle: Clear Data Distinction

At KappuApps, we believe in radical transparency regarding how your data is handled. We maintain an uncompromising architectural boundary between data processed locally on your device/local network and technical data processed by third-party advertising partners:

KappuApps does NOT run centralized user account databases, does NOT track your television viewing habits, does NOT record button press sequences to the cloud, and does NOT sell or broker your personal information.

4. Local-Network TV Discovery & Wi-Fi Pairing

To enable Smart TV remote control over Wi-Fi, the application performs communication strictly within your private Local Area Network (LAN):

• Multicast Device Discovery: When you search for nearby Smart TVs, the app broadcasts standard discovery queries (such as SSDP/UPnP, mDNS, and manufacturer-specific broadcast discovery) across your local Wi-Fi subnet. Responses containing the TV's local IP address, friendly device name, and model information are held in temporary memory on your device to display the pairing list.
• Direct Device Pairing & Authentication: When connecting to a Smart TV for the first time, your TV may display a pairing PIN code or an on-screen authorization prompt. Once approved, a secure authentication token or cryptographic pairing key generated by the TV is saved exclusively in your device's private local application sandbox.
• Direct Command Transmission: Remote control commands (such as volume adjustments, navigation inputs, power toggle, channel switching, and media controls) are sent directly over local HTTP, WebSocket, or TCP sockets from your phone to the TV's local IP address.

5. Infrared (IR Blaster) Functionality

For smartphones and tablets that incorporate an integrated Infrared (IR) transmitter hardware module:

• The application utilizes Android's native Consumer IR API (android.hardware.consumerir) to emit standard infrared frequency light pulses matching your appliance brand's protocol (e.g., NEC, RC5, Sony, Panasonic standards).
• 100% Offline & Physical: Infrared command transmission operates purely through physical light modulation. It does not utilize the internet, does not use local Wi-Fi, and involves absolutely zero data collection or external transmission.
• If your Android device does not feature a physical IR Blaster, the IR remote control mode will indicate that hardware support is absent, while Smart TV Wi-Fi features remain fully operable.

6. Information Stored Locally on Your Device

To maintain your paired remotes and provide an effortless user experience across app restarts, Universal TV Remote saves minimal configuration records strictly on your local device storage (via Android SharedPreferences / local application sandbox):

• Paired TV Profiles: Saved records of configured TVs, including user-assigned friendly names, local IP addresses, manufacturer profiles, and authorized pairing keys.
• Recently Used Remotes: A list of your most recently accessed remote control layouts for instant switching.
• Favorite Channels & Custom Shortcuts: Custom-configured channel shortcuts, input presets, or pinned keys created by the user.
• App Preferences: Client-side settings such as haptic vibration on touch, sound feedback toggle, default launch remote, and dark mode interface theme.

This information remains isolated within your Android device's secure application sandbox. KappuApps cannot access, view, extract, or restore your locally saved TV configurations.

7. Third-Party Advertising via Google AdMob

Universal TV Remote is provided as a free utility and is supported financially through advertising served by Google AdMob (Google Mobile Ads SDK). Advertising revenue allows KappuApps to continually update the application, add new television brand compatibility profiles, maintain protocol libraries, and ensure ongoing Android OS compatibility.

The application implements standard, compliant Google AdMob ad formats, which may include:

Google AdMob and its advertising technology partners operate as independent data controllers regarding advertising delivery and telemetry. For comprehensive details regarding Google's data handling practices, please review:

• Google Privacy & Terms Policy
• How Google uses information from sites or apps that use our services
• Google AdMob Data Privacy and Security Overview

8. Advertising Identifiers & Technical Telemetry

When advertisements are requested and loaded, the Google Mobile Ads SDK and Google Play Services may automatically process certain technical device identifiers and telemetry:

• Google Advertising ID (GAID / AAID): A unique, user-resettable pseudonymous identifier provided by the Android OS used to measure advertising performance and deliver relevant ads.
• Device & Hardware Specifications: Device model, manufacturer, hardware build, operating system version, screen resolution, device language, and system locale.
• Network & Approximate Location: General internet connection characteristics (Wi-Fi / cellular carrier) and IP address, which Google uses to infer coarse, city/country-level geographic location for contextual ad serving and fraud protection.
• Ad Performance & Diagnostic Telemetry: Metrics regarding ad requests, impressions, click interactions, render performance, and invalid traffic / bot-prevention signals.

KappuApps does not link these advertising identifiers to your real-world personal identity or contact details.

9. Consent Management (Google UMP) & Privacy Controls

In accordance with global privacy frameworks — including the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), UK GDPR, and the ePrivacy Directive — the application integrates the official Google User Messaging Platform (UMP) SDK.

In jurisdictions requiring prior consent:

• Users are presented with an interactive consent dialogue upon initial app launch to select their advertising preferences (Personalized Ads vs. Non-Personalized / Limited Ads).
• Users residing in the EEA, UK, or Switzerland can review, update, or revoke their advertising consent at any time via the Privacy Settings / Ad Consent option located in the application's Settings screen.

10. Android Permissions and Why They Are Needed

Universal TV Remote requests only the technical permissions necessary to deliver local device control and ad functionality. The table below provides a complete breakdown:

11. Third-Party Services and SDKs

The application bundles only verified, industry-standard software development kits necessary for core operations and advertising:

• Google Mobile Ads SDK (AdMob): Used to request, render, and manage mobile advertisements and protect against invalid traffic.
• Google User Messaging Platform (UMP) SDK: Used to manage user regulatory consent in compliance with GDPR, UK GDPR, and international data protection standards.
• Google Play Services: Core underlying Android libraries for security verification, app licensing, and standard runtime execution.

12. Data Retention, Deletion, and User Control

Because your paired TV configurations, tokens, and preferences are stored exclusively on your device, you retain absolute authority over your data at all times:

• In-App Deletion: You can remove individual paired TVs or delete customized remote layouts at any time through the app's device management screen.
• Clearing Application Storage: You can instantly purge all locally saved TV pairing records, settings, and cached data by clearing app data in Android system settings (Settings > Apps > Universal TV Remote > Storage > Clear Storage / Clear Data).
• Uninstalling the App: Uninstalling Universal TV Remote completely and irrevocably deletes all local application configuration records and pairing tokens from your device.
• Ad Data Retention: Data collected independently by Google AdMob is retained according to Google's standard data retention policies.

13. Data Security Safeguards

KappuApps prioritizes the security of your home device ecosystem:

• Android Sandbox Isolation: All pairing tokens and TV credentials reside strictly inside the Android application sandbox, preventing unauthorized access by other installed mobile apps.
• Encrypted Transport Where Supported: For Smart TV manufacturers that enforce TLS/SSL or token-based WebSocket handshakes (e.g., modern Samsung Tizen, LG webOS, and Android TV pairing), the app strictly adheres to manufacturer encryption protocols.
• Zero Cloud Vulnerability: Because we do not store your TV credentials on a central server, there is no centralized remote database vulnerable to cloud data breaches.

14. Children's Privacy (COPPA & International Compliance)

Universal TV Remote is a general-audience consumer utility intended for household appliance management. It is not directed at children under the age of 13 (or under 16 in the European Economic Area). KappuApps does not knowingly collect, process, or solicit personal information from children.

If you are a parent or legal guardian and have reason to believe that personal data has been inadvertently provided to us, please reach out to us at kappuapps03@gmail.com, and we will take immediate measures to rectify the situation.

15. User Rights Under Global Privacy Laws

Depending on your geographic jurisdiction, you may hold specific legal rights regarding personal data processing:

• Right to Know / Access: The right to be informed of what data is collected and how it is processed (fulfilled through this Policy).
• Right to Deletion: The right to delete your personal data (exercisable by clearing app data or uninstalling).
• Right to Restrict or Object to Processing: The right to opt out of personalized advertising via the Google UMP consent banner or Android device settings.
• Right to Non-Discrimination: KappuApps will never discriminate against any user for exercising their statutory privacy rights.

16. External Links

The application or this policy page may include links to external websites, such as Google Play, Google's Privacy Policies, or television manufacturer documentation. KappuApps has no control over and assumes no responsibility for the privacy practices, terms, or content of third-party websites. We encourage you to review the privacy documentation of any external service you visit.

17. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect new app features, updated Smart TV communication protocols, Android operating system updates, or evolving regulatory standards. When changes are made, the Last Updated date at the top of this page will be revised accordingly.

We recommend checking this page periodically to stay informed about how we safeguard your privacy.

18. Contact Us

If you have any questions, inquiries, feedback, or concerns regarding this Privacy Policy or Universal TV Remote, please contact us directly: