Last updated: 31 October 2026
RetroForge is a front end for playing your own games on Android. This policy covers the RetroForge app on Google Play
(com.retroforge.app.play) and on GitHub (com.retroforge.app).
Nothing about you. RetroForge has no RetroForge account, no analytics, no advertising, no tracking and no crash reporting service. The developer receives no data from the app.
Your library, play history and playtime, favourites, playlists, notes, covers, settings, themes, save files, save states, ROM Manager history, and any keys, logins or tokens you add (Steam, RetroAchievements, ScreenScraper, SteamGridDB, TMDB, PS3 Online and network drives) are kept in RetroForge’s private storage on your device. Uninstalling RetroForge deletes them. Android’s device backup is turned off for this data. Backups and save sync write only to a folder or drive you choose.
RetroForge reads only the folders you choose. It changes files only when you confirm an action (ROM Manager, the patch tool, moving or deleting files in Files). Your games and files are never uploaded.
Only for features you use, and only to the service that feature is for. Each service has its own privacy policy.
| Feature | Sent to | What is sent |
|---|---|---|
| Box art | libretro thumbnails (thumbnails.libretro.com) | system and game names |
| Box art | ScreenScraper (screenscraper.fr) | a game’s file name, size and checksum; your ScreenScraper login if you added one |
| ROM hacks | hack catalogue addresses you added | a normal request when you add or refresh a catalogue |
| Updates (GitHub version only) | GitHub | a check for the latest RetroForge release |
| Box art | SteamGridDB (steamgriddb.com) | your search and your own API key |
| Film posters | TMDB (themoviedb.org) | film titles and your own API key, only if you added one |
| System artwork, bezels, cheats, game lists | GitHub and libretro servers | which file is wanted |
| Emulator cores and graphics drivers | libretro’s buildbot and GitHub | which file is wanted |
| Achievements | RetroAchievements (retroachievements.org) | your RetroAchievements login and the games you play with achievements on |
| Steam games | Valve’s Steam servers | your Steam login (sent only to Steam) and the games you download or play |
| PS3 Online | RPCN, the fan-run PS3 network | your RPCN login, when the PS3 Player plays online |
| Radio | Radio Browser (radio-browser.info) | your country (for nearby stations) and your searches |
| Retro news | the news sites’ own feeds | a normal request for each feed |
| Netplay, link cable, save swap | the other players’ devices; your router (to open a port) | game input and saves, directly between devices |
| Streaming from your PC | your own PC (Moonlight and Sunshine) | the stream, directly on your network |
| Network drives | your own PC or NAS | the login you entered for that drive |
| Links you open | your browser | the page address |
RetroForge never sells or shares data, and never sends one service’s login to another.
RetroForge isn’t aimed at children. Kiosk mode and child lock let a parent set a PIN for settings and deleting.
If this policy changes, the new version is posted here with a new date. Questions: https://github.com/RetroForgeFrontEnd/RetroForge/issues