NoiseGaugePrivacy Policy
Effective November 2, 2026
The short version
- NoiseGauge has no ads, no account, no analytics and no third-party tracking.
- The app uses the microphone only to measure sound levels. Sound is never recorded, stored or sent anywhere.
- The app has no internet access at all. Everything it measures, and any photo or location you add, stays on your phone. We never receive it.
- The optional Pro upgrade is bought through Google Play. We don't see your payment details.
Who we are
This policy covers the NoiseGauge app for Android (package com.noisegauge) and this website. NoiseGauge is developed by Realmbit, LLC ("Realmbit", "we", "us"). Questions are welcome at apps@realmbit.com.
Microphone
NoiseGauge asks for microphone permission because it needs to hear sound to measure how loud it is. While the meter runs, the app reads the microphone in short blocks, calculates the sound level from each block and then discards the audio. No audio is ever written to storage, kept in memory longer than that, or sent off the phone. Nobody, including us, can listen to what the microphone picks up.
Normally the meter only runs while the app is open on screen, and it stops using the microphone when you switch to another app or turn the screen off.
If you have NoiseGauge Pro and turn on background or scheduled recording, the meter keeps measuring while the app is not on screen. Android then shows a notification for as long as the microphone is in use, and you can stop at any time from that notification. The audio is handled exactly the same way: only the levels are kept.
What the app stores and why
| Information | Why | Where it goes |
|---|---|---|
| Sessions you save: sound levels (ten numbers per second), the date and time, statistics, and the name and note you give them | So you can review and compare measurements | Stored privately on your phone until you delete them or uninstall the app |
| Settings: weighting, response time, calibration, alert, screen and theme preferences | To remember your choices | Stored privately on your phone |
| A photo you add to a session, from the camera or your gallery | To remember where or what you measured | A resized copy is stored privately on your phone until you remove it or delete the session |
| Your location, only when you tap "Add current location" on a session | To remember where you measured | The coordinates are stored with that session on your phone. The app asks for location permission at that moment and never uses location in the background. |
| Calibration profiles and the microphone you chose | To switch between phones and external microphones | Stored privately on your phone |
If you have turned on Android's backup, Android may include the app's sessions and settings in your device backup with Google, so they can be restored on a new phone. That backup is handled by Google under your Google account; we have no access to it. You can turn backup off in Android Settings.
Exporting and sharing
When you export a session as a CSV file or PDF report, or share a summary, Android's share sheet lets you choose where it goes, for example email, a messaging app or a cloud drive. Once it leaves NoiseGauge, what happens to it is up to you and the app or service you pick.
Notifications
Background and scheduled recording show an ongoing notification with the current level, as Android requires. On Android 13 and newer the app asks for notification permission when you turn these on.
Vibration
If you turn on the loud-noise alert, the app uses vibration permission to buzz when the level goes above the alert level you choose. Nothing else is involved.
What we don't do
- We don't record audio.
- We don't collect personal information, and we have no servers that receive data from the app. The app doesn't have internet access.
- We don't use advertising, analytics or crash-reporting SDKs.
- We don't sell or share personal information, and we don't track you across apps or websites.
- This website sets no cookies, uses no analytics and loads no third-party content.
Google Play and purchases
NoiseGauge Pro is a one-time purchase made through Google Play Billing. Google handles the payment under its own terms and the Google Privacy Policy; we never see your card or payment details. The app asks the Play Store app on your phone whether you own Pro, and Google Play shows us the order (for example, the date and amount) in our developer account, as it does for any purchase. We don't link it to anything else about you.
If you install NoiseGauge from Google Play, Google processes information such as your download history under the Google Privacy Policy. If you have chosen to share usage and diagnostics with app developers in your Android settings, Google may give us aggregated, anonymous statistics such as crash rates.
Your choices and rights
Because your data stays on your phone, you stay in control of it:
- Delete individual sessions in the app, or remove a session's photo or location.
- Remove all app data in Android Settings, under Apps, NoiseGauge, Storage, Clear storage, or by uninstalling the app.
- Revoke microphone, location or notification permission at any time in Android Settings. The meter needs the microphone; the others are optional.
Data protection laws such as the GDPR and the CCPA give you rights to access and delete personal data a company holds about you. We hold no personal data from the app, but you are welcome to contact us with any request.
Children
NoiseGauge is a general-audience utility and is not directed at children under 13. It collects no personal information from anyone, including children.
Changes to this policy
If we change this policy, for example because a new feature works differently, we'll update this page and the effective date above. Significant changes will also be mentioned in the app's release notes.