Privacy Policy
Introduction
PlayTow ("we", "our", or "the app") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how our mobile game controller application handles information when you use our service to connect your phone as a game controller to your PC.
Our Core Privacy Principle
PlayTow does not collect, transmit, or store any personal data on external servers.
All communication happens directly between your phone and your PC over your local network. We do not have any central servers that collect your data, and we cannot access your usage information.
Note: The free version of our Android app displays ads provided by Google AdMob. Please see the "Advertising Services" section below for details on how AdMob processes data.
Data We Do NOT Collect
PlayTow does not collect:
- Personal information (name, email, phone number, etc.)
- Account credentials or login information
- Usage analytics or statistics
- Game titles or gameplay data
- Location data
- Crash reports or error logs sent to external servers
- Any data from your phone beyond what's necessary for controller functionality
Exception for Free Version: The free version of our Android app uses Google AdMob for advertising. AdMob may collect device identifiers and advertising-related data as described in the "Advertising Services" section below. This does not apply to the Pro version or Windows applications.
Local Data Processing
PlayTow processes the following data locally on your device and PC for functionality purposes only:
Android App
- Device Name: Used to identify your phone when connecting to the PC receiver (e.g., "John's Phone"). You can optionally set a custom device name in settings.
- Touch Input: Screen touch coordinates to simulate controller buttons and joysticks
- Motion Sensor Data: Gyroscope and accelerometer readings for motion controls (when enabled)
- Network State: To detect if you're connected to a Wi-Fi network
- User Settings: Control mode preferences, button configurations, and vibration settings stored locally
- Local Logs: Debugging information stored locally on your device for troubleshooting purposes
Windows PC Receiver
- Connection State: Tracks which phones are connected to which controller slots
- Input Data: Controller input received from phones to simulate gamepad commands
- Local Settings: Your preferences (auto-start, controller mode, etc.) stored locally
- Local Logs: Debug logs stored in
%LocalAppData%\PlayTow\logs
Important: All this data stays on your local network and is never transmitted to external servers or third parties.
Permissions Required
Android App Permissions
Required to discover and connect to your PC over your local Wi-Fi network.
Required on Android 12+ to scan for PlayTow servers on your local network. We explicitly use the neverForLocation flag - this permission is not used for location tracking.
Required for network discovery via UDP broadcast.
Required to provide haptic feedback for button presses and rumble effects.
Required to keep your screen on while using the controller.
Windows Receiver Permissions
Required to allow incoming connections from your phone on the local network.
Required to create virtual game controllers that Windows games can recognize.
Network Communication
PlayTow uses direct peer-to-peer communication between your phone and PC:
- Protocol: UDP (User Datagram Protocol) for low-latency input transmission
- Ports: 9526 (discovery), 9527 (data), with fallback ports if needed
- Network Scope: Local network only (your home/office Wi-Fi)
- Encryption: Currently unencrypted (see Security Warning below)
Security Notice
PlayTow uses unencrypted UDP communication for low-latency controller input. For your security:
- Only use PlayTow on trusted networks (home/office Wi-Fi)
- Do not expose the server to public networks or the internet
- Anyone on your local network can potentially see the controller input data
Third-Party Services
PlayTow does not integrate with or transmit data to any third-party analytics or tracking services for our own purposes.
Advertising Services (Free Version Only)
The free version of the PlayTow Android app displays ads provided by Google AdMob and uses the Google User Messaging Platform (UMP) to obtain consent for personalized ads in accordance with GDPR, CPRA, and other privacy regulations.
- Device identifiers (Advertising ID)
- IP address
- Device model and OS version
- App usage data for ad personalization
- Ad interaction data (clicks, views)
To display relevant advertisements and measure ad performance. You can manage your ad preferences through the consent dialog shown when you first use the app.
- You can opt out of personalized ads in the consent settings
- You can upgrade to the Pro version to remove ads entirely
- Manage your Google ad settings at adssettings.google.com
Note: The Pro version of PlayTow (Android) and the Windows receiver application do not include any advertising services and do not connect to AdMob or any other ad networks.
Other External Resources
- Google Fonts: This website loads the Space Grotesk font from Google Fonts for display purposes
- Google AdMob Privacy Policy: policies.google.com/privacy
- Google Privacy & Terms: How Google uses data from sites that use their services
Data Storage
All data is stored locally on your devices:
Android App
- Settings: Stored in app private storage (Android SharedPreferences) - includes control preferences, button layouts, custom device name, etc.
- Logs: Stored in
app_files/logs/(accessible only by the app) - Retention: Logs are automatically rotated when they exceed 5MB
- Ad Consent (Free Version): Your advertising consent preferences are stored locally and managed by Google's User Messaging Platform
Windows Receiver
- Settings: Stored in
%LocalAppData%\PlayTow\config.json - Logs: Stored in
%LocalAppData%\PlayTow\logs\
You can delete all locally stored data by uninstalling the application or manually removing the storage directories.
Children's Privacy
PlayTow does not knowingly collect any information from anyone, including children under 13. Since we do not collect any personal data, our service can be used by all ages. However, parental guidance is recommended for younger users setting up network connections.
Data Deletion & Your Rights
Since PlayTow operates locally, you have direct control over your data deletion:
- Delete Local Data: You can delete all locally stored data (settings, logs, profiles) by simply uninstalling the app or clearing the app storage in Android settings.
- Delete Advertising Data: For the free version using AdMob, you can reset your Advertising ID in your device settings (Settings > Google > Ads) to disassociate your device from past ad data.
- Right to Access: All functionality data resides on your device.
- Right to Object: You can stop using the service at any time.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify users by updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy and, where appropriate, provide additional notice through the app or website.
Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or PlayTow's privacy practices, please contact us through the support channels provided in the application.
Privacy Policy Summary
No data collection by PlayTow: We don't collect your personal information
No external servers: All controller data stays between your phone and PC
No tracking by us: No PlayTow analytics or user profiling
Local only: Controller functionality works on your local network
Ads in free version: Google AdMob displays ads and collects device identifiers (upgrade to Pro for ad-free experience)
Security note: Use only on trusted networks (unencrypted local communication)