Privacy, permissions, and your controls
Argus uses a combination of on-phone protection and online services. This guide explains practical feature behaviour; read the Terms and Conditions and any privacy information presented by Argus and Google before granting access.
Local network filtering does not mean all security analysis is local or all data stays on the phone.
Information used by each feature
| Feature | Information involved |
|---|---|
| Account and sign-in | Account and profile information used to sign in and retrieve your account's services. |
| App scanning and monitoring | App identifiers, installation and usage events, file fingerprints, and extracted security characteristics can be used in online assessment and security records. |
| Network protection | Connection destinations, app association, timing, and related network information are used for filtering and security monitoring. |
| Message Protection | Sender and message text available in supported messaging-app notifications are assessed on the phone. |
| Gmail protection | Authorised recent inbox messages, including text and relevant message details, are retrieved from Gmail for assessment on the phone. Flagged findings are stored for review. |
| Family protection | Linked devices publish security summaries, app findings, and protection status. Email-summary sharing is separately controlled. |
| Exports and support | A report or diagnostic file can contain details about apps, devices, findings, and connections. Sharing it gives the chosen recipient access to those details. |
Online app checks can use external security-reputation services, including lookups based on a file fingerprint. These checks and account-linked records should not be described as anonymous or entirely on-device.
Permissions explained
| Permission or approval | Why Argus requests it | If unavailable |
|---|---|---|
| Usage access | Identify app-use activity for real-time monitoring. | Background app monitoring cannot operate as intended. |
| VPN connection | Apply network filtering and collect connection information. | Argus network restrictions and live traffic coverage are unavailable. |
| Notifications | Show warnings and service-status notifications. | You may miss alerts even when another protection feature is enabled. |
| Display over other apps | Show the Application Blocked screen over a quarantined app. | Do not rely on the blocked-app screen appearing. |
| File access / All files access | Locate and read downloaded APKs for scanning and support relevant file operations. | File discovery and scanning can be limited. |
| Camera | Scan a trusted device's pairing QR code. | You can still display a QR invitation for another device to scan. |
| Notification access | Receive supported messaging-app notification text for checking. | Message Protection cannot inspect those notification previews. |
| Google Gmail authorisation | Read recent inbox messages and support your Mark as spam action. | Gmail protection and spam actions cannot operate. |
Android permission wording can be broader than the feature description. Read the actual system prompt before granting access. For example, All files access is broad file permission; it should not be described as technical access only to APK files.
The setup tour requires its marked access steps before completion. Optional features such as Gmail protection require additional choices later.
What family linking exposes
Family summaries can show device names, platforms, update times, app names and identifiers, security findings and explanations, and some file-location details. Other members can also see protection events and website-policy status where supported.
With Share flagged email subjects and senders enabled, sender, subject, date, and risk status can be shared. Email bodies and attachments are not included in the family email summary. A subject or app name can still reveal personal information.
Only link trusted devices. The pairing approval also grants the joining device the ability to invite other devices. See family setup and controls.
Control access and sharing
- Pause Gmail checking: turn off Gmail Email Protection.
- Revoke Gmail authorisation: review the Argus connection in your Google Account settings.
- Stop message-notification access: revoke Argus Message Protection in Android's Notification access settings.
- Stop sharing flagged-email summaries: turn off Share flagged email subjects and senders on the linked-devices page.
- Leave a family: use Disconnect this device and wait for confirmation.
- Change monitoring or network protection: use Detection preferences and review the resulting reduction in coverage.
- Change Android permissions: use the Argus entry in Android Settings or the relevant Special app access screen.
- Request account or data deletion: contact Argus support.
Changing a switch does not necessarily delete previously stored information. Disconnecting a device cannot retract information others already viewed or saved.
History, exports, and deletion
Clear Telemetry History clears supported security-history records and recent views. It is not account deletion, a full privacy-data erasure command, or malware removal.
Exported PDFs and text files can remain in your chosen storage location. Clearing app history does not delete those copies. Gmail findings, family records, and Google authorisation are separate from the telemetry-history control.
For retention details, access requests, or deletion of data beyond the available controls, use the Argus Sentinel contact page.
Share support information carefully
Begin with the error wording, app version, phone model, Android version, and what happened. Send a report only when relevant.
Review screenshots and exports for account addresses, email subjects, device names, file locations, and connection destinations. Remove unnecessary personal information from the copy you share. Never send passwords, reset links, sign-in codes, or family pairing QR codes.
Use reports and support to select the appropriate export.