Privacy Policy

Last updated: 2026-10-27

RideDots provides gentle, touch-through animated motion cue dots along the screen edges designed to assist passengers in moving vehicles with visual orientation. The app makes no claim to prevent, treat or cure motion sickness (kinetosis). The app is available in English and German. This policy explains which data RideDots processes, where it stays and which services receive data.

Data Controller

The controller within the meaning of Art. 4(7) GDPR is the provider identified on the Impressum page, Paul Wolfmajer, a natural person publishing apps under the developer name Wolpa. For privacy-related requests, contact support@wolfmajer.com.

Motion Sensor Data and In-Memory Processing

While a motion session is active, RideDots reads real-time hardware motion sensors (linear acceleration and device movement). These readings are processed exclusively in volatile memory (RAM) in real-time to calculate the visual displacement of edge dots opposite vehicle motion.

Raw sensor data, acceleration metrics, device angles and motion profiles are never recorded, never stored on disk, never included in exports and never transmitted off your device. When your screen turns off or locks, or when you pause or stop RideDots, all sensor listeners are immediately unregistered to eliminate background processing and conserve battery.

No Location, GPS, Camera, Microphone or Account

RideDots does not request or access location or GPS data, camera hardware, microphones, audio recording, photo or media files, or device accounts. You do not create an account or password to use RideDots. The app creates no user identity and maintains no tracking profiles.

Permissions

• Display over other apps (SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW): Required to show two narrow, touch-through translucent edge dot strips over other apps (such as reading, video or web apps) while you travel as a passenger. The overlay strips are non-touchable and non-focusable; they do not capture, intercept or inspect your screen content, keystrokes or touch inputs.
• Notifications (POST_NOTIFICATIONS): On Android 13 and later, required to display an ongoing foreground service notification while motion cues are active. The notification shows the current session state and provides an immediate one-tap stop button.
• No battery optimisation exemption: RideDots does not request exemption from Android battery optimisation because all sensors and overlay drawing cease immediately whenever the screen is turned off or locked.

Native Foreground Service

When started, RideDots runs an Android foreground service with the declared subtype specialUse to keep edge dots accurately synchronized with vehicle movement while other apps are in use. The service starts only upon your explicit action (via the app, Quick Settings tile or home screen widget); it never starts automatically on device boot (boot-completed permission is not requested).

Settings Stored on the Device

RideDots stores only local configuration in private app storage: dot size, opacity, sensitivity, theme color, smoothness, app language (System, Deutsch or English), appearance, a versioned confirmation of the first-run legal notice, the cached version policy, the cached promotion file and dismissed campaign ID, and the expiration time of any banner pause earned with a rewarded video. Android cloud backup and device transfer of private app data are disabled (allowBackup="false").

Advertising and Google AdMob

RideDots shows Google AdMob banner ads on the settings screen and offers an optional rewarded video to pause banner ads. Rewarded video is shown only when you explicitly choose to watch one; a completed video pauses banners locally for 30 minutes. The Google Mobile Ads SDK may process IP address, advertising identifiers, ad interactions, diagnostics and approximate location derived from IP address for ad delivery, fraud prevention and reporting. RideDots never shares sensor data or motion information with Google.

Where required, RideDots uses Google’s User Messaging Platform (UMP) before requesting ads. Advertising choices are completely separate from the first-run legal notice. Declining advertising consent does not restrict the motion cue dots, settings, widget or Quick Settings tile. In addition, all ad loading, consent forms and retries are strictly gated: no ad setup or requests occur while a motion session is active or paused, while the app is in the background, or if the app is blocked.

Consent is the legal basis for ad personalization and related device access (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR, § 165(3) Austrian TKG 2021 and § 25 TDDDG in Germany). Storage or access strictly necessary for a service you requested falls under statutory exceptions. Fraud prevention and security rely on legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR). You can reopen advertising choices under Settings/Info → Manage advertising consent.

Voluntary Support via PayPal

Under Support, RideDots offers an external link to the provider’s PayPal contribution page (https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=KGSXU6XYQ6ZKY). Tapping it opens your system browser. The app contains no PayPal SDK, loads no payment pages in the background, and handles no payment or card details. Voluntary contributions unlock no exclusive features; all core functionality remains 100% free without donating. When you open PayPal, PayPal’s own privacy policy applies.

Website Hosting, Updates and Promotion File

When opened, RideDots requests a small version manifest (app-version.json) and promotion file (promo.json) from https://ridedots.wolfmajer.com hosted via Cloudflare Pages to check for mandatory updates and self-promotion apps. These requests send standard connection metadata (IP address, date/time and user agent). Cloudflare processes connection data under its standard security practices.

Support Email

If you contact support via support@wolfmajer.com, your email address, message and voluntary technical details are processed solely to assist you. Messages are handled through our email provider (IONOS) and retained only as long as necessary for handling or statutory retention. We do not use support emails for marketing.

Non-Medical Classification and Disclaimer

RideDots is an assistive passenger comfort tool providing visual cues. It is not intended as a diagnosis, therapy, treatment, prevention or cure for motion sickness (kinetosis) or any medical condition. It makes no clinical efficacy claims.

Your Rights and Supervisory Authority

Under the GDPR you have the right to access (Art. 15), rectification (Art. 16), erasure (Art. 17), restriction of processing (Art. 18), data portability (Art. 20) and objection (Art. 21). Contact support@wolfmajer.com for inquiries. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority, in Austria the Österreichische Datenschutzbehörde (Barichgasse 40–42, 1030 Wien, www.dsb.gv.at).

Changes to this Policy

Substantive changes will be published as a new dated version, requiring renewed confirmation on next launch. Published versions remain accessible at their dated URLs.