Privacy Policy — SquadCom Android App

Effective date: April 8, 2026
Provider: Bareways

Bareways (“Bareways”, “we”, “us”, or “our”) provides SquadCom, a private peer-to-peer communication app for groups (“squads”).

This Privacy Policy explains how SquadCom accesses, uses, stores, and shares information when you use the app.

SquadCom is designed so that communications occur directly between devices in a squad. Bareways does not operate a production backend that stores user accounts, chat messages, live locations, or recoverable account data for SquadCom. Because of this architecture, if a device is lost, deleted, reset, or its local app data is removed, Bareways generally cannot restore that data for you.

Even without a Bareways backend, SquadCom may still access and process information on your device and may transmit information directly to other members of your squad as part of the app’s core functionality.

1. What SquadCom does

SquadCom lets users create or join invite-based private squads, exchange end-to-end encrypted messages, and optionally share live location and movement status with selected squad members.

The app does not require a traditional account based on a phone number, email address, or centrally managed username.

2. Information SquadCom accesses and processes

Depending on the permissions you grant and the features you use, SquadCom may access and process the following categories of information.

a. Messages and squad content

SquadCom processes content you create or receive in the app, including:

  • text messages;
  • squad names and locally stored squad information;
  • invite information such as QR codes or invite codes;
  • live location updates you choose to share;
  • movement status derived from activity recognition, where enabled;
  • audio you choose to record and send.

This information is primarily stored locally on your device and transmitted directly to squad members as part of the features you use.

b. Location data

If you enable location sharing, SquadCom may access your device’s precise location and, where supported or selected, approximate location in order to:

  • show your location on a shared map;
  • transmit your live location to members of your squad; and
  • support ongoing location sharing while the feature is active.

If you grant background location permission, SquadCom may continue accessing location while the app is not actively open so that live location sharing can continue in the background.

c. Activity and motion data

If you grant the Activity Recognition permission, SquadCom may process activity state information such as whether your device appears to be stationary, walking, running, cycling, or in a vehicle.

This is used only for SquadCom’s core location-sharing functionality, including:

  • determining whether a live location update should be transmitted;
  • reducing unnecessary transmissions while you are not moving; and
  • optionally indicating movement status to squad members.

SquadCom does not use activity recognition for health, fitness, medical, wellness, step-counting, or calorie-related purposes.

d. Audio / microphone

If you use the audio message feature in SquadCom, the app may access the microphone to capture audio that you intentionally choose to record or send.

SquadCom does not access the microphone for advertising or unrelated background profiling.

e. Device-to-device communication identifiers

Because SquadCom uses a peer-to-peer architecture, the app may process and share device-level communication endpoints needed for direct connectivity, including:

  • a device’s Tor onion address, which is shared only with relevant squad members as part of direct communication; and
  • a device’s advertised local name or similar local-network identifier when devices communicate or discover each other on the same Wi-Fi or local network.

These identifiers are used only to enable peer-to-peer communication and squad connectivity.

f. Nearby, Wi-Fi, and local network information

Where required for app functionality, SquadCom may use permissions and device capabilities related to Wi-Fi state, nearby Wi-Fi devices, multicast, or local network communication in order to discover or communicate with other devices on the same network.

g. Operational and notification data

SquadCom may process limited technical information necessary to run the app, such as:

  • notification state for incoming messages or sharing activity;
  • whether foreground services are active for messaging or location sharing; and
  • whether app components should restart after device reboot, if that functionality is enabled.

3. How SquadCom uses information

SquadCom uses the information it accesses only to provide the app’s user-facing functionality, including to:

  • create, join, and manage private squads;
  • send and receive end-to-end encrypted messages;
  • transmit live location to squad members when you enable location sharing;
  • continue location sharing in the background when you have enabled that feature and granted the necessary permission;
  • determine whether you are moving or stationary so the app can decide when to send location updates;
  • optionally display movement status, such as walking or driving, to squad members;
  • record and send audio that you intentionally choose to share;
  • discover and connect to peers over Tor or over the same local Wi-Fi network; and
  • deliver notifications and maintain core messaging and sharing services.

We do not sell personal data or personal and sensitive user data.

We do not use data accessed through SquadCom for advertising, advertising profiling, or health-related purposes.

4. How information is shared

a. Shared with squad members

SquadCom’s core purpose is to let users communicate directly with selected squad members. As a result, information you choose to share through the app may be transmitted to members of the relevant squad, including:

  • messages you send;
  • audio you send;
  • live location, when enabled;
  • movement status, when enabled; and
  • communication endpoints such as your device’s onion address or local-network advertised identity as required for direct connectivity.

This sharing is part of the service you actively use and is initiated by your participation in a squad.

b. Not stored on a Bareways production backend

Bareways does not operate a production backend for SquadCom that stores user accounts, central message history, or centrally recoverable live location history.

SquadCom is designed so that communications are exchanged directly between devices, including via Tor onion services and, where applicable, local-network communication between devices on the same Wi-Fi network.

Because Bareways does not maintain a central account system for SquadCom, Bareways generally cannot recover deleted accounts, lost-device data, old messages, or prior squad state for you.

c. No promise about copies on other members’ devices

Although Bareways does not centrally store squad content, information you share with other squad members may be stored locally on their devices. Deleting data from your own device does not necessarily remove copies that have already been delivered to other squad members.

d. Legal Process and Disclosures

SquadCom is designed so that squad communications and shared live location are exchanged directly between users’ devices, not through a central Bareways production backend. As a result, Bareways generally does not possess users’ message content, live location history, or recoverable squad data and is generally not able to disclose such data to third parties. Bareways may disclose only limited information that it actually possesses, such as information you provide when contacting Bareways directly, if required by applicable law, regulation, legal process, or enforceable governmental request.

5. Data storage and retention

SquadCom is designed to store app data locally on your device, including messages, squad information, and related app state.

Because Bareways does not maintain a central production backend for SquadCom:

  • deleting app data, removing the app, or losing your device may permanently remove your local data;
  • Bareways typically cannot restore your prior state; and
  • data already received by other squad members may remain on their devices until they delete it.

6. Android permissions used by SquadCom

Depending on your device, Android version, and the features you use, SquadCom may request permissions including:

  • INTERNET — to communicate with peers over the network.
  • RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED — to restart certain app functionality after device reboot, where applicable.
  • FOREGROUND_SERVICE, FOREGROUND_SERVICE_REMOTE_MESSAGING, FOREGROUND_SERVICE_LOCATION — to support active messaging or location-sharing functions in a user-visible way.
  • ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION and ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION — for live location sharing and related map features.
  • ACCESS_BACKGROUND_LOCATION — to continue location sharing while the app is in the background, if enabled.
  • ACTIVITY_RECOGNITION — to determine whether the device is moving or stationary, and the general motion state, in support of core location-sharing features.
  • RECORD_AUDIO — to record audio you intentionally choose to send.
  • POST_NOTIFICATIONS — to notify you of messages, calls, or active sharing.
  • VIBRATE — to support alerts and notifications.
  • CHANGE_WIFI_MULTICAST_STATE, ACCESS_WIFI_STATE, CHANGE_WIFI_STATE, NEARBY_WIFI_DEVICES — to support local network and nearby connectivity features where applicable.

Some features may not work unless the relevant permission is granted.

7. Background location and prominent disclosure

If you enable ongoing live location sharing, SquadCom may access your location while the app is in the background in order to continue sharing your live location with your squad.

8. Security

According to the app’s technical design, SquadCom uses peer-to-peer communication and end-to-end encryption for squad messaging, including communication over Tor.

No method of transmission, device storage, or peer-to-peer networking is completely risk-free. Users should share information only with squad members they trust, because information delivered to other members may remain stored on their devices.

9. Your choices and controls

You can generally control SquadCom’s access to sensitive device data through your device settings and in-app controls, including:

  • location permissions;
  • background location access;
  • microphone access;
  • activity recognition access; and
  • notifications.

You can also stop sharing live location or movement status by turning off the relevant feature in the app.

Because SquadCom does not use a centrally managed account system, traditional server-side account recovery or deletion workflows may not apply in the same way they do for account-based services.

10. Changes to this Privacy Policy

Bareways may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The latest version will be posted at the privacy policy URL provided for SquadCom.