Verify that a phone is using the most secure cell protocols.
About this app
Privacy Cell is a small app that displays the cell phone protocol information.
At the time of this writing, many cell phone networks are switching from 4G (4th Generation) to 5G networks. The 5G network protocols were specifically designed to protect against some of the known insecurities of the older protocols, including those that allowed stingrays (IMSI catchers) to perform man-in-the-middle attacks on cell phone networks. To ease deployment and backwards compatibility, 4G and 5G networks can run together in what is known as 5G NR (New Radio) NSA (Non-Standalone) mode. This uses the 4G network for the control channel and the 5G network for the data communication. However, 5G NR NSA does not provide protection against stingrays. Android has access to all the information it needs to know if it is connected to a 5G NR NSA or a 5G NR SA (Standalone) network, but it doesn’t display that information to the user. The purpose of Privacy Cell is to make that information easy to access.
Privacy Cell can also warn you when you are connected to antiquated 2G and 3G networks.
Licensed under GPL-3.0-or-later, by Soren Stoutner.
What's New in v1.12.2
Imported from the F-Droid repository index.
- • Fix the F-Droid builds by using the default Java version.
Version history
Apr 4, 2026 · 2.3 MB · Android API 30–36 · code 16
Imported from the F-Droid repository index.
- • Fix the F-Droid builds by using the default Java version.
SHA-256 9944f5280af964708375854ba13220788eca68981c631755222863997cdf2cc5
Dec 23, 2025 · 2.9 MB · Android API 30–36 · code 14
Imported from the F-Droid repository index.
- • Bump the target API to 36 (Android 16), adding a large icon to the expanded notifications.
- • Make the additional network info text color always match the data network text color.
- • Consider 3G networks antiquated by default.
SHA-256 8499cddcae6dc5dc1ec2fee1d3a1129b2d495633fdcf2573840a5200957e9bc2
May 6, 2025 · 2.7 MB · Android API 30–35 · code 13
Imported from the F-Droid repository index.
- • Indicate which SIM card is used for each connection.
- • Add support for searching the logcat.
- • Bump the target API to 35 (Android 15).
SHA-256 faa9a2fe1766b2cd200c3d36997be80bf1186c07344cf544e6e7bbf07b23eac4
Will it run on your device?
60%
- Targets newer Android builds, so legacy devices may be excluded.
- ABI coverage is focused on newer 64-bit devices.
- Aligned with the latest Android target SDK expectations.
Installation Guide
Open Settings on your Android device
Go to Security → Unknown sources (or Install unknown apps)
Enable "Allow from this source" for your browser or file manager
Open the downloaded APK file from your Downloads folder
Tap "Install" and wait for installation to complete
Launch the app from your home screen
Make sure to re-enable Unknown Sources restrictions after installation for security.
How to install this safely
How to verify the file you downloaded
Before you install anything, confirm the file is the one described here. On a computer, run shasum -a 256 your-download.apk (macOS or Linux) or certutil -hashfile your-download.apk SHA256 (Windows), then compare the output character-for-character with the SHA-256 on this page. If a single character differs, the file is not the build we recorded — delete it.
What the signing certificate proves
Every Android app is signed with a private key that only its developer holds. The fingerprint on this page is a hash of the matching public certificate, and it proves continuity rather than identity: it tells you a build came from whoever signed the earlier ones. Android enforces this at install time — if a package claiming to be com.stoutner.privacycell is signed with a different key, the system will refuse to install it over your existing copy. A fingerprint that changes between releases is worth pausing on, because a repackaged app that has been modified by someone else cannot keep the original signature.
How to roll back to an earlier version
If the current release misbehaves, 1.12 is the last build before it. Android will not install an older version code over a newer one, so you must uninstall Privacy Cell first — which clears its local data unless you have a backup. Reinstall the older APK only if its signing fingerprint matches the build you already trust, and check the API range: an older release may target an Android version your device has moved past.
Why we list sources instead of hosting everything
The official store channel is almost always the right choice: it updates automatically and carries the publisher's own distribution guarantees. A direct APK is useful when a device has no store access, when a rollout has not reached your region, or when you need a specific version — and only when the publisher has authorized that copy. APKBrowse does not list pirated, cracked, or unauthorized rebuilds of Privacy Cell, and a listing is removed when the evidence for it stops holding up.
Get Privacy Cell
Every source we list for com.stoutner.privacycell is legality-reviewed. Pirated or cracked builds are never offered.
Other sources
F-Droid listing
officialF-Droid builds this app from source and signs it. This is its official listing, with older builds and full release notes.
Source code
verified publisherThe upstream repository this build is compiled from.
We check legality and signature continuity, but device behaviour still varies. Install at your own discretion.
App Information
Security Verification
We record provenance; we do not run malware scans. Verify the hash yourself before installing.
SHA-256 Hash
9944f5280af964708375854ba13220788eca68981c631755222863997cdf2cc5
Signing certificate
d7285959d2601f13ea75b9db23661de4a7ce04180987e89c7ccb2368be0855ae
Permissions Required
What each permission lets Privacy Cell do. A highlighted one is worth a second look — not necessarily wrong, just worth asking whether this app needs it.
Previous Versions
The signing certificate fingerprint for this release is on record, so a build that does not match it did not come from this publisher.
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