Effective September 30, 2026
Motion Detection Camera turns a phone into a motion-triggered security camera. Because it's a camera and microphone app, this page is deliberately thorough about what stays on your device and what, if anything, ever leaves it.
Motion Detection Camera requests camera access to show a live preview and record motion-triggered clips, and microphone access so those clips include audio. Both are used only while the app is open on screen (the app keeps the screen on while you are monitoring) to capture and store video locally. We do not stream, transmit, or otherwise send this camera or microphone feed anywhere in real time.
Recorded clips, thumbnails, the rolling pre-roll buffer, and the list of motion events are written to the app's private storage on your device (Android's app cache/files directory). This data is not synced to any server by default, is not tied to an account, and is removed automatically by the app's own storage-quota cleanup or when you delete an event, clear app storage, or uninstall the app. Recordings are excluded from Android's automatic cloud backup and device-to-device transfer. Motion is detected from pixel changes in the camera feed; if Smart Vision is unlocked, an AI model bundled inside the app (Google MediaPipe) runs a second, on-device pass to classify what moved (person/pet/vehicle) so unwanted motion can be filtered out. Detection results are used only to decide whether to record and what to show you — they are not sent off the device.
Detection sensitivity, Smart Vision filters, exclusion-zone masks, auto-arm schedule, dark-screen-mode preferences, and alert sound/ringtone choices are saved only in the app's local storage on your device so they persist between launches. They are never transmitted by the app to any server; they may be included in your device's standard Android backup to your own Google account if you have that turned on. Spoken voice alerts use Android's built-in, on-device text-to-speech — no audio or text is sent anywhere to generate them.
Smart Vision, the Pre-Roll Buffer, Exclusion Zones, Auto-Arm Schedule, Cloud Backup, and Ad/Watermark Removal are each an individual one-time purchase, or included in a lifetime or monthly Pro bundle, via Google Play Billing. Unlocking any of these only changes what the app lets you configure locally or, for Cloud Backup, what it's allowed to upload — it does not, by itself, send any new data anywhere.
Cloud Backup is an optional Pro feature. If you choose to use it, you sign in with your Google account (we request your email address and Drive access scoped only to drive.file — files the app itself creates — never broad access to your existing Drive contents). When enabled, newly recorded clips are uploaded, over Wi-Fi only by default (configurable), to a folder Motion Detection Camera creates in your own Google Drive. We do not operate a server of our own in this flow: your clips travel from your device directly to your Google Drive account under Google's own infrastructure and privacy policy. You can disconnect your Google account or turn off auto-sync at any time in the app's Cloud Backup settings; doing so stops future uploads but does not delete clips already uploaded to your Drive — those remain there under your control, in your own account, like any other file you own.
Free-tier use of the app may show ads served by Google AdMob, and exporting or sharing a clip on the free tier adds a watermark unless you watch a short rewarded ad to remove it for that export. Owning the Ad/Watermark Removal Pro unlock (or a Pro bundle) skips ads and watermarks entirely. Serving ads may involve AdMob collecting an advertising identifier and other device/usage signals to select and measure ads, under Google's own privacy policy. You can reset or opt out of ads personalization for your device's advertising ID in your Android system settings at any time.
Some Pro features can be tried for a limited time by watching rewarded video ads. Trial start and expiry times are stored locally on your device (and are not included in Android backups). The rewarded ads are served by Google AdMob as described above.
The app uses Google Firebase Analytics to understand which features are used and to fix problems, such as screens viewed and purchase-funnel events. It does not send your recordings, camera or microphone data, or detection results. Analytics may involve an app-instance identifier and device information handled by Google under Google's privacy policy. Where required (for example in the EEA and UK), the app asks for your consent through Google's User Messaging Platform before collecting analytics or serving personalized ads, and you can change that choice later in Settings → Privacy Options.
Pro upgrades — individual feature unlocks, the lifetime bundle, or the monthly bundle subscription — are purchased through Google Play's in-app billing. Your payment method, card details, and billing address are handled entirely by Google Play and are never seen by us; we only receive confirmation of which entitlements you own so the app can unlock the matching features.
Android permissions this app requests, and why:
| Permission | Why |
|---|---|
CAMERA | Required for the live preview and to record motion-triggered clips. The core purpose of the app. |
RECORD_AUDIO | Lets recorded clips include audio alongside video. |
POST_NOTIFICATIONS | Lets the app notify you when a rewarded-video Pro trial ends while the camera is armed. |
WAKE_LOCK | Keeps the screen/processor active while actively monitoring, so motion isn't missed if the device would otherwise sleep. |
INTERNET, ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE | Needed only for the optional Cloud Backup upload, ads, and Play Billing. Core motion detection and recording work fully offline. |
WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE (API 24–28 only) | Lets older Android versions save an exported clip to the public gallery/DCIM folder when you choose to export or share one. Not used, and not requested, on modern Android (API 29+), which uses scoped storage instead. |
Motion Detection Camera is a general-purpose security-camera tool, not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us information, contact us at the address below and we'll act on it.
Local recordings and events persist on your device until removed by the app's storage-quota cleanup, by you deleting them, or by uninstalling the app. Clips you choose to back up live in your own Google Drive under your control and Google's retention terms. Ad-measurement data is retained under Google AdMob's own policies. We do not operate a backend database of our own that stores your recordings, detections, or personal information.
If this policy changes in a way that matters, we'll update the effective date above. Continuing to use the app after a change means you've accepted the update.
Questions, requests, or feedback about this policy or your data:
simplycodesoftware@gmail.com