JS8 Firefly privacy policy

Effective October 26, 2026

JS8 Firefly is made by Nathan Rigg (NR5P). It collects no personal data. There are no accounts, ads, analytics or tracking, and the app never sends anything about you to me or to anyone else.

What stays on your device

Your callsign, grid locator, station info, saved frequencies, radio settings, inbox messages and the stations and conversations you hear are stored only on your device, in the app's own storage. Deleting the app deletes them.

Permissions the app asks for

• Microphone: used to receive audio from your radio interface (such as a Digirig or a QMX) so JS8 signals can be decoded. Audio is processed live on the device. It is not recorded, saved or sent anywhere.
• Bluetooth: used only to connect to a Bluetooth CAT adapter on your radio.
• Local network: used only to control your radio through a server you set up, such as Hamlib rigctld, flrig or a network serial bridge.
• Notifications: local alerts on your device when a message is addressed to you. They don't go through any server.
• Location (optional): used only to work out your Maidenhead grid locator, when you tap Set grid from current location or turn on Update grid from GPS. Your location is converted to a grid on the device and is never stored or sent anywhere. Only the grid itself is kept, like one you type in.

What you transmit is public

JS8 is an amateur radio mode. Anything you send, including your callsign, grid locator, station info and messages, goes out over the air and can be received by anyone listening. Other stations, and services they choose to use, may log what they hear. Amateur radio rules require you to identify with your callsign, and in most countries they don't allow encrypted messages. Don't send anything over the air that you want to keep private.

Children

The app collects no information from anyone, including children.

Changes

If this policy changes, the new version will be posted on this page with a new effective date.

Contact

Questions? Email nathan@nr5p.com. JS8 Firefly is open source, so you can also check exactly what it does in the source code on GitHub.