1. Executive Summary & Core Principles
NEXPAD is an open-source, ultra-low-latency virtual gamepad controller and customizable HUD client developed by Sanket Parmar. NEXPAD was purposefully architected on an offline-first, zero-telemetry, and peer-to-peer design principle.
NEXPAD does not collect, record, log, harvest, or transmit any Personally Identifiable Information (PII), geographic location coordinates, or device fingerprinting identifiers. No user accounts or logins are ever required.
2. Zero Personal Data Collection
NEXPAD operates entirely as a local hardware controller emulation client. We enforce strict data collection boundaries:
- No Personal Identifiers: We do not collect names, email addresses, phone numbers, contacts, or biometric data.
- No Financial Data: NEXPAD does not process in-app purchases, credit cards, or payment credentials.
- No Location Tracking: The application never accesses or derives GPS, fine, or coarse geographic location.
- No Device Fingerprinting: No Android Advertising IDs (AAID), IMEI numbers, MAC addresses, or persistent hardware identifiers are read or harvested.
- No Cloud Servers: NEXPAD operates without proprietary cloud servers or backend databases.
3. Local Transports & Network Architecture
NEXPAD provides three ultra-low-latency hardware transport layers to bridge virtual controller inputs to the companion NEXPAD Desktop software running on your personal computer:
A. Local Wi-Fi (UDP Protocol)
When connected over Wi-Fi, NEXPAD packages analog stick positions, trigger values, and button presses into compact binary UDP packets. These packets are transmitted directly to your computer's private local IPv4 address (e.g., 192.168.x.x) on local ports 26760 / 26761. Controller packets never leave your private local area network (LAN) and are never routed across the public internet.
B. Physical USB Connection (AOA 2.0 & ADB)
NEXPAD supports zero-driver wired connectivity via the official Android Open Accessory (AOA 2.0) protocol and ADB port forwarding. Controller inputs flow directly over the physical copper wire connecting your phone to your host PC. Data never touches any network interface.
C. Bluetooth RFCOMM (Serial Port Profile)
In Bluetooth mode, NEXPAD communicates point-to-point with your PC's Bluetooth adapter using native RFCOMM serial communication.
4. Sensors & Motion Processing
NEXPAD leverages your phone's on-board Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) sensors to provide precision 6-axis gyro motion aiming and virtual steering wheel emulation:
- Sensors Accessed: Gyroscope, Accelerometer, Gravity Vector, and Game Rotation Vector (Quaternion).
- In-Memory Processing: Motion signals are sampled at up to 200 Hz in real-time, curved through mathematical algorithms (deadzone filtering, non-linear acceleration, EMA smoothing), and streamed in memory directly to your local PC.
- Zero Logging: Sensor readings are volatile. They are never recorded to disk, never stored in databases, and never transmitted to third parties.
5. Android System Permissions & Hardware Usage
In strict compliance with Google Play Policy and Android security guidelines, NEXPAD requests only the minimal set of hardware permissions required to emulate a physical gamepad:
| Permission / Feature | Technical Purpose | Data Handling & Scope |
|---|---|---|
android.permission.INTERNET |
Opens local network UDP sockets to stream controller packets to your PC over your private Wi-Fi. | Data stays strictly on your local private network. Never routed to external internet servers. |
android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATEandroid.permission.ACCESS_WIFI_STATE |
Detects active local Wi-Fi connectivity to display your local IP and network latency in the diagnostic HUD. | Used solely for local UI diagnostics. Never transmitted. |
android.permission.BLUETOOTH_CONNECTandroid.permission.BLUETOOTH_SCAN |
Enables wireless Bluetooth RFCOMM gamepad connection with your PC on Android 12+ (API 31+). | Declared with android:usesPermissionFlags="neverForLocation" to cryptographically guarantee no physical location data is accessed. |
android.hardware.usb.accessory |
Enables direct zero-driver hardware communication over USB cable via Android Open Accessory protocol. | Direct physical wire communication with host PC. |
android.permission.VIBRATE |
Drives the phone's tactile vibration motor for button feedback and PC game force-feedback rumble. | Hardware motor control only. |
android.permission.WAKE_LOCK |
Prevents the screen from dimming or sleeping during active gameplay sessions. | Power management only. |
Hardware Sensorsaccelerometer, gyroscope |
Enables 6-Axis motion aiming and virtual steering wheel emulation. | Marked as required="false" so devices without gyros can still use standard button controls. |
6. Local Storage & Preferences
User preferences (such as joystick sensitivities, button positions, haptic feedback intensity, and saved PC IP addresses) are stored exclusively in your device's private sandbox storage via Android Jetpack DataStore / SharedPreferences. Custom layout exports (.nxlayout and .nxprc) are initiated solely by you via standard Android system storage pickers.
7. Third-Party Services & Advertising
NEXPAD contains zero third-party advertising SDKs (no AdMob, Unity Ads, AppLovin) and zero analytics SDKs (no Google Analytics for Firebase, Adjust, AppsFlyer, or Facebook SDK). The app is built strictly on official Google Android Jetpack open-source libraries.
8. Children’s Privacy (COPPA & GDPR-K Compliance)
NEXPAD does not knowingly collect or solicit personal information from children under the age of 13 (or under 16 in the European Economic Area). Because the application collects zero personal information, it complies fully with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and international child privacy frameworks.
9. Data Retention & User Rights (GDPR & CCPA / CPRA)
- GDPR & UK GDPR: Because NEXPAD collects zero personal data on remote servers, there is no personal data held by us to access, rectify, or delete.
- CCPA / CPRA: We do not sell, share, or monetize any user data.
- Complete Local Deletion: You can completely erase all locally stored preferences at any time by navigating to your device's Settings → Apps → NEXPAD → Storage → Clear Data, or by uninstalling the application.
10. Open Source Verification
NEXPAD is open-source software licensed under the Apache License 2.0. The complete source code is publicly accessible on GitHub. Anyone is welcome to inspect the code to independently verify our privacy and security claims.
11. Contact & Developer Information
If you have any questions, inquiries, or feedback regarding this Privacy Policy, please contact: