Privacy Policy

Fold Control — for Folding@home • Last updated: March 28, 2026

Overview

Fold Control is a native Android client for the Folding@home distributed computing project. It provides the full functionality of the official web client — including real-time monitoring of work units, machine status, points per day, as well as complete control over your folding machines (start, pause, stop, configure resources and project keys). It connects directly to your Folding@home account and nodes via the same protocol as the official client.

We are committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains what data the app handles and how.

Data stored on your device

The app stores the following data locally on your device only, using Android DataStore:

• Folding@home account email — used to log in to the F@H API
• Account passphrase — used for authentication (stored locally, never transmitted to us)
• Node URL — your F@H node address for WebSocket connection
• App preferences — dark mode, PPD calculation mode

This data never leaves your device except to communicate directly with Folding@home's official servers (api.foldingathome.org and your personal node). We have no access to it.

Network communications

The app communicates exclusively with:

• api.foldingathome.org — Folding@home's official API for authentication and account data
• Your personal F@H node — encrypted WebSocket relay (AES-256-CBC) for real-time machine data, work unit status, and sending control commands (fold, pause, stop, configuration changes)
• Google AdMob — for displaying advertisements (see below)
• Google Play Billing — for processing the "Remove Ads" in-app purchase

We do not operate any servers. There is no backend, no analytics, no crash reporting, and no telemetry.

Advertising (Google AdMob)

The free version of the app displays a small banner advertisement powered by Google AdMob. Google may collect and use the following data for ad personalization:

• Device advertising identifier (AAID)
• Approximate location (IP-based)
• App usage data (ad impressions, interactions)
• Device information (model, OS version)

Your choices:

• On first launch (in applicable regions), a consent dialog lets you accept or refuse personalized ads
• You can change your ad preferences anytime in Settings > Privacy & Data > Manage Ad Preferences
• You can remove all ads permanently with a one-time in-app purchase
• If you refuse consent, no ads are displayed

For more information on how Google handles data, see Google's Privacy Policy.

In-app purchases

The "Remove Ads" purchase is processed by Google Play Billing. Google handles all payment data. We do not receive or store any payment information.

Children's privacy

This app is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect data from children.

Data deletion

All app data is stored locally on your device. To delete it:

• Clear app data: Android Settings > Apps > Fold Control > Storage > Clear Data
• Uninstall: removes all locally stored data
• Ad preferences: reset your advertising ID in Android Settings > Privacy > Ads

Open source acknowledgment

This app was built independently as an original work. The communication protocol was implemented by referencing the open-source Folding@home web client and Folding@home client, which are published under the GNU General Public License v3.0 by foldingathome.org (Copyright © 2001-2026).

Fold Control does not contain, copy, or redistribute any F@H source code. It is an independent implementation that interoperates with the Folding@home ecosystem using the same open protocol. All application code is original.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy to reflect changes in the app. The "Last updated" date at the top will be revised accordingly.

Contact

If you have questions about this privacy policy, contact us at:

frodothehobbit at gmail dot com

(Replace with your actual email address before publishing)