Handheld Commander
Privacy policy
Effective October 18, 2026 · Applies to the Handheld Commander app for Windows and this web page.
In short: Handheld Commander is a file manager that runs on your PC. It has no account, no ads, no analytics and no telemetry, and it doesn't send your files or information about you to us or to anyone else. What it stores, it stores on your PC.
Who we are
Handheld Commander is made by Manic Trash Panda Software Labs (“we”, “us”). For any question about this policy or your data, write to support@manictrashpanda.dev.
What we collect
Nothing through the app. Handheld Commander has no sign-in, makes no connection to our servers, and contains no advertising, analytics, crash-reporting or tracking code. We cannot see your files, folders, file names or how you use the app.
What the app stores on your PC
To work, the app keeps these files on your PC, in %LOCALAPPDATA%\HandheldCommander. They never leave your PC unless you copy them somewhere yourself.
| File | Contents |
|---|---|
preferences.json | Your settings: language, theme, layout, the folders each pane was showing, tabs, bookmarks, favorites, pinned or hidden games and saved network folder paths. No passwords. |
plugins.json and plugins/ | Imported plugin copies, configuration, status and priority. |
custom-theme.json | Colors you edited in the theme editor. |
transfers.jsonl, operations.jsonl, mutations.jsonl | Journals of copy, move, rename and folder operations, including the file and folder paths involved, so interrupted work can be reported and checked. |
trash.jsonl | Restore records for items placed in the legacy Commander Trash by version 1.0. Version 1.1 keeps these records for restoring existing items. |
Version 1.1 sends deleted items to the Windows Recycle Bin by default, where Windows manages their storage and recovery. Permanent deletion is available explicitly in the delete review or as a confirmed preference; locations without a Recycle Bin also require permanent deletion. Version 1.0 used a hidden .HandheldCommanderTrash folder on the same drive. Version 1.1 no longer adds items there, but existing items and their restore records remain available for recovery from Settings.
Because the journals contain file and folder names, anyone with access to your Windows account can read them. To remove everything the app stores, uninstall it and delete the HandheldCommander folder above and any .HandheldCommanderTrash folders. Deleting a trash folder permanently deletes the items in it.
Network folders and passwords
If you open a shared network folder, the app asks Windows to connect to the computer or storage device you chose, using your Windows sign-in or the user name and password you type. That connection goes only to the device you named, never to us. The app opens it as a temporary connection and saves neither your user name nor your password. If you save a network location, only its path (for example \\nas\media) is kept in preferences.json.
Other apps and Windows features
- Opening files. When you open a file, Windows starts the program associated with it. That program's own privacy terms apply.
- On-screen keyboard. Text fields use the standard Windows touch keyboard. Your Windows settings control its suggestions and history.
- Media previews. Audio and video previews use the Windows Media Player component on your PC, in a separate helper process.
- Command line. The optional command line is off by default. If you turn it on and run a command, it opens a Windows Command Prompt, and anything that command does is up to you.
Games and plugins
Game detection reads launcher files and Windows game records on your PC; it does not contact game stores. Launching a game opens its launcher or executable, which may connect to the internet under its own terms. Custom covers come from local files you choose. Imported plugins are copied to the app’s local storage. Plugins can access files and the network with your Windows account’s permissions, even when running in a helper process. Import only plugins you trust; their own privacy terms apply.
Microsoft Store
Handheld Commander and its separate demo are available on the Microsoft Store. For purchases through the Store, Microsoft handles your purchase, payment, downloads and updates under the Microsoft Privacy Statement. Microsoft gives developers aggregated reports through Partner Center, such as acquisition counts, ratings and reviews, and app health reports like crash counts. We use these to improve the app. We don't receive your payment details, and we don't combine these reports with any other data about you.
When you contact us
If you email support or the suggestions box at box@manictrashpanda.dev, we receive your email address and whatever you include in the message. We use it to answer you, consider your suggestions and fix problems you report. The suggestions link opens your email app with Handheld Commander in the subject and a page link in the body; nothing is sent until you choose to send the email. We keep these emails for as long as needed to handle your request and then delete them, and you can ask us to delete them at any time. Please don't send passwords or files you'd rather keep private.
This website
This page is a static website served by Cloudflare. Cloudflare keeps ordinary request logs (IP address, browser user agent, time) for a short period to deliver and protect the site. The Handheld Commander pages set no cookies, have no analytics or advertising, and load no third-party scripts or fonts.
Selling and sharing
We don't sell, rent or share personal information, and we don't use it for advertising.
Children
Handheld Commander doesn't collect personal information from anyone, including children under 13.
Your choices and rights
Because the app keeps its data on your PC, you control it: you can view, edit or delete the files listed above at any time. Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access or delete personal information a company holds about you. For anything we hold, which is only support or suggestion emails you sent, write to support@manictrashpanda.dev.
Changes to this policy
If a future version of the app changes what it stores or sends, we will update this page and its effective date before that version is released, and we will describe the change in the release notes.
Contact
Manic Trash Panda Software Labs · support@manictrashpanda.dev · manictrashpanda.dev/tools/hc