Privacy policy
Effective 12 October 2026 · Developer: mattapps
In short: GearPad collects no personal data. There is no account and no advertising. If you agree, it sends anonymous usage data to help improve the app. Nothing is ever sold or shared for advertising. This website sets cookies only if you accept them.
What stays on your phone
Your button layouts and settings, and whether you own the unlock, are saved only in the app's private storage on your device. If Android backup is turned on, Android may include them in your device backup to your Google account. Google handles that backup under its own privacy policy.
Anonymous usage data (only if you agree)
When you first open GearPad it asks whether you want to share anonymous usage data. Nothing is sent unless you say yes, and you can change your mind anytime from the ⋮ menu. If you turn it off, the app stops sending data.
If you agree, GearPad sends:
- How the app is used: setup steps reached, whether a computer connected, which layout is in use (only the built-in layout names, never names you type), how many times each key was sent per session, whether the paywall was shown and whether the unlock was bought.
- Technical details: phone model and manufacturer, Android version, app version, screen size and language. This shows which phones can't act as a Bluetooth keyboard.
- A random identifier created by the app, to count sessions. It is not linked to you, your account or your phone number, and it is excluded from Android backups.
GearPad never sends the name of your computer, the names or labels you give layouts and buttons, your location, your contacts or anything you type.
The data is processed by PostHog, which hosts it in the European Union, acting on our behalf. Location from your IP address is turned off.
Bluetooth
GearPad registers your phone as a Bluetooth keyboard and sends key presses only to the computer you pair it with. The app shows the name of the connected computer, but does not store or send it anywhere.
Permissions:
- Nearby devices (Bluetooth): to act as a keyboard, to connect to your computer and to make the phone visible while pairing.
- Notifications: to show the notification that keeps the keyboard connected while GearPad is in the background.
- Internet: to talk to Google Play for the unlock, and to send anonymous usage data if you agreed.
Purchases
The optional unlock is sold and processed by Google Play. GearPad never sees your payment details. It only asks Google Play whether you own the unlock. Google's Privacy Policy applies to the purchase.
This website
This website is hosted by Cloudflare, which processes technical data such as your IP address to deliver the pages and protect the site from abuse.
Cookies and analytics
We use PostHog, hosted in the European Union, to understand how people use this website. On your first visit a banner asks for your choice, and you can change it anytime from Cookie settings at the bottom of every page.
- If you accept: PostHog stores a random identifier in a first-party cookie and in local storage (named
ph_…_posthog, kept for up to one year) to recognize your browser on later visits. It records the pages you view and what you click, and may record your visit as a session replay. Anything you type in forms, like your email, is masked and never recorded. The legal basis is your consent. - If you reject or close the banner: nothing is stored on your device. PostHog counts your visit using a one-way hash of your IP address, browser, this site and a random value that changes every day and is then deleted, so it can't tell who you are or recognize you on another day. The legal basis is our legitimate interest in knowing how many people visit the site.
Either way, your choice is saved in your browser's local storage so we don't ask again. PostHog does not keep your IP address, and nothing is used for advertising or sold.
iPhone waitlist
If you leave your email to hear about the iPhone version, we store it with Resend, our email provider, which processes it on our behalf and may store it outside the European Union with the safeguards the GDPR requires. We use it only to tell you when GearPad is on the App Store, and we keep it until we have sent that email or until you ask us to remove it. The legal basis is your consent (GDPR art. 6(1)(a)). To remove your email, write to us or use the unsubscribe link in the email.
Children
GearPad is not directed at children under 13 and collects no personal data from anyone.
Changes
Any change to this policy will be posted on this page, with a new effective date.
Contact
Questions about this policy: hello@gearpad.app