Why Remocat needs it
Android does not let an ordinary app know that someone failed to unlock the device. The Accessibility Service is the only way to receive that event. Remocat uses it for one purpose: when a failed unlock attempt happens, it takes a photo with the front camera so you can see who tried.
What it observes
- Only unlock attempt events. Remocat does not read, store or transmit the content of your screen, your notifications, what you type, or which apps you use.
- The face recognition itself never runs through this service: it runs on the camera image, on your device, with a local TensorFlow Lite model.
Where the photo goes
- The photo is saved on your device and uploaded to your own Google Drive, in a folder named “Remocat Intruders”, using the Google account you signed in with.
- It never reaches our servers. We have no access to your Drive folder and no copy of your photos.
- Alongside the image, the file carries the moment of capture and the name and identifier of the device that took it, so you can tell your devices apart.
- Only strangers are reported. If the face matches the one you registered, nothing is saved.
Turning it on and off
- Open your device Settings, then Accessibility.
- Find “Remocat Accessibility Service” and turn the switch on.
- You can turn it off from the same screen at any time. With it off, Remocat can no longer detect unlock attempts and monitoring stops.
More detail
The full picture of what is collected, where it is stored and for how long is in Privacy.