Privacy Policy
Last updated: 10 June 2026
1.Introduction
Lycan Cast is an Android application developed and maintained by Lycan Aerospace. The application allows pilots and operators to view, record, and capture still frames from a USB UVC video receiver connected to an Android device via a USB OTG cable.
Lycan Aerospace built Lycan Cast to be a focused tool with the smallest possible footprint on user privacy. The application does not require an account, does not transmit data over the network, and does not integrate any third-party analytics, advertising, or tracking frameworks. This policy describes, in concrete terms, what that means in practice.
Throughout this document, references to "we", "us", "our", and "Lycan Aerospace" refer to the company. References to "the application", "the app", or "Lycan Cast" refer to the Lycan Cast Android application published on the Google Play Store and any associated Android Package files distributed by Lycan Aerospace.
2.Scope of This Policy
This privacy policy applies to:
- The Lycan Cast Android application in all its distribution channels (Google Play Store, sideload APK, and internal test tracks).
- Any communication you initiate with Lycan Aerospace by email in connection with the application.
This policy does not cover websites, services, or products operated by third parties, including the manufacturer of any USB camera or video receiver that you connect to your Android device. Those third parties operate under their own privacy policies, which you should review separately.
3.Information We Do Not Collect
Lycan Cast does not collect, transmit, or share any personal information about you. We do not maintain any user accounts, server-side databases, or remote logs that are attributable to your installation of the application. Specifically:
- The application does not request or collect your name, email address, postal address, telephone number, date of birth, or any other identifying information.
- The application does not collect or transmit your device identifier (such as Android ID, IMEI, MAC address, or advertising ID).
- The application does not collect your location at any level of precision.
- The application does not collect lists of installed applications, contacts, call logs, calendar entries, SMS messages, browser history, or files outside of the application's own working directories.
- The application does not transmit video, audio, images, or any other content captured during use to Lycan Aerospace or any other party.
- The application contains no analytics SDKs, crash-reporting SDKs, advertising frameworks, or tracking pixels of any kind.
4.On-Device Processing
All operations that Lycan Cast performs happen locally on your Android device. This section describes the categories of data the application works with internally, none of which leaves the device.
4.1 Live video stream from the USB camera
When you connect a USB UVC video device, the application reads the live MJPEG video stream from that device, decodes individual frames in memory, and renders them to the application's display surface. The live stream is not saved unless you explicitly start a recording.
4.2 Recorded video files
When you press the record button, the application encodes the live stream as an H.264 MP4 file. The file is written to a folder of your choice (either the device's standard DCIM/LycanCast directory through Android's MediaStore, or to a folder you have explicitly selected through Android's system file picker). The file is yours; you can move it, copy it, share it, or delete it through any file manager on your device.
4.3 Screen captures
When you press the capture button, the application encodes the most recently displayed frame as a JPEG file in the same folder used for recordings. The same rules apply: the file is yours and remains under your control.
5.Permissions Used by the Application
The Android operating system requires that applications declare each permission they use. The table below lists every permission the application declares, why it is required, and whether the operating system will prompt you to grant it at runtime.
| Permission | Purpose | Prompt |
|---|---|---|
android.hardware.usb.host (feature) |
Required for the application to communicate with USB video receivers connected through a USB OTG cable. Without this, the application has no source of video. | Per-device, when you plug in a new USB camera. |
CAMERA |
Required by some Android device manufacturers to access USB video class devices through the standard Android camera permission model, even though the application does not use the built-in Android camera. | At first launch. |
FOREGROUND_SERVICE and FOREGROUND_SERVICE_CONNECTED_DEVICE |
Allows the live video stream to continue running while the user briefly switches to another application, and ensures the operating system does not terminate the application mid-recording. | Not user-prompted; granted at install. |
POST_NOTIFICATIONS |
Permits the application to display a status notification while a recording or live stream is active. Denial is non-fatal; the application continues to function without the notification. | At first launch on Android 13 and later. |
READ_MEDIA_VIDEO |
Allows the application to list recordings saved by previous sessions in the in-app recordings browser. Limited to videos within the application's own storage scope. | Not separately prompted on Android 13 and later. |
WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE (Android 9 and earlier only) |
Legacy storage permission used only on Android 9 or earlier. On Android 10 and later, the application uses scoped storage through MediaStore or Storage Access Framework instead, and this permission is not requested. | At first launch on Android 9 or earlier. |
The application does not declare the
INTERNET permission. The Android operating system
therefore prevents the application from making any network connection
whatsoever, including over Wi-Fi, mobile data, Bluetooth network
sharing, or any other transport. This is a hard guarantee enforced by
the operating system, not a promise made by the application.
6.Local Storage and Data Retention
Files created by the application (video recordings and screen captures) are saved to one of the following locations, depending on your settings:
- The shared DCIM/LycanCast directory on your device's primary storage, accessible to any application with media-access permission.
- A folder that you have explicitly selected using the Android Storage Access Framework picker. In this case, the application receives access only to the folder you selected.
Lycan Aerospace does not retain any of these files. They exist only on your device and are subject to your control. Uninstalling the application does not delete the files; you may keep, move, or delete them through any file manager.
The application also writes a small amount of preference data (selected save folder, last-used settings) to the standard Android SharedPreferences store. This data is stored privately within the application's sandbox, is never transmitted, and is deleted automatically when the application is uninstalled.
7.Third-Party Services
The application bundles the following open-source software components, which run locally on your device. None of these components transmits data to any external service:
- libusb and libuvc (LGPL / BSD) — used to communicate with the USB video device.
- libjpeg-turbo (BSD) — used to decode JPEG frames in software when needed.
- AndroidX support libraries (Apache 2.0) — standard Android user-interface components published by Google.
Source attribution and licence texts are included in the application's About screen.
The application is distributed through the Google Play Store. When you download or update the application through Google Play, Google collects information independently in accordance with the Google Privacy Policy. Lycan Aerospace has no control over and no access to that information.
8.Data Security
Because the application does not collect or transmit user data, traditional server-side data-breach scenarios do not apply. There are no Lycan Aerospace databases that hold user records that could be exposed.
Within your device, files written by the application are protected by the standard Android sandbox model, which restricts access to the application's private storage to the application itself and to system-trusted backup processes. The application explicitly disables Android's auto-backup feature for its own data so that recordings and captured frames are not copied to Google Drive or any other cloud backup service.
9.Your Rights and Choices
Different jurisdictions grant users different rights with respect to personal data. Because Lycan Cast does not collect personal data, most of these rights are satisfied automatically. The summary below explains how each commonly-cited right maps onto the application.
9.1 Right to access
Lycan Aerospace holds no personal data about you. There is no record for us to produce on request.
9.2 Right to rectification
Not applicable, for the same reason.
9.3 Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten")
Files created on your device are erased by deleting them through your file manager. Uninstalling the application removes the application's private storage and preferences.
9.4 Right to data portability
Video and image files produced by the application are stored in standard, widely-supported formats (H.264/MP4 and JPEG). You can copy them off your device using any standard file transfer method.
9.5 Right to opt out of sale or sharing (California residents)
We do not sell or share personal data, so there is nothing to opt out of. Lycan Aerospace makes no money from your use of Lycan Cast.
9.6 Right to lodge a complaint
Residents of the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, and certain other jurisdictions have the right to lodge a complaint with their local data-protection authority. The contact details for these authorities are publicly available from each authority's official website.
10.Children's Privacy
Lycan Cast is intended for use by adult hobbyist and professional drone operators. The application is not designed for, marketed to, or directed at children under the age of 13 (or under 16 where applicable under the General Data Protection Regulation).
Because the application does not collect any personal information, the requirements of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) are satisfied by default. Parents who are concerned about their child's use of the application can uninstall it through the standard Android application manager at any time.
11.International Users
The application is published worldwide through the Google Play Store wherever Google Play is available. Because no personal data is collected, transmitted, or stored on Lycan Aerospace servers, no cross-border data transfer takes place when you install or use the application.
Users in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, and other jurisdictions with comprehensive data-protection regulation may treat this policy as satisfying the disclosure requirements of their applicable law. Users in California may treat it as the notice required by the California Consumer Privacy Act and the California Privacy Rights Act.
12.Changes to This Policy
If the application's behaviour changes in a way that affects this policy, Lycan Aerospace will publish an updated version at the same URL. Significant changes (for example, the introduction of a network feature or the addition of an analytics component) will be accompanied by a clear notice within the application before the new behaviour takes effect, giving you an opportunity to discontinue use if you wish.
13.Contact Information
If you have any question or concern relating to this privacy policy, or to your privacy rights with respect to Lycan Cast, please contact Lycan Aerospace at lycanaerospace@gmail.com.
For matters related to the Google Play Store listing itself, please also refer to the Google Privacy Policy.