Privacy Policy — TRVLR
Last updated: July 8, 2026
TRVLR ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains what data we collect, how we use it, and your rights.
1. Information We Collect
Account & Profile
- Apple Sign In: We receive your Apple ID, name, and email (or anonymized relay address if you choose to hide your email) when you sign in.
- Profile data you provide: Display name, username, profile photo, home location, bio, travel status, and linked social media handles.
Travel Data
- Visits: Location names, countries, cities, coordinates, dates, notes, photos, and categories you log.
- Travel Plans: Destinations, travel dates, packing lists, and expense records.
- Bucket List: Destinations you mark as places you want to visit.
Photos & Media
- Photos Library: When you use Photo Import, we read photo metadata (GPS coordinates, dates) from photos you select to suggest visit entries. We do not upload your full photo library; only selected thumbnails and metadata are used.
- Camera: If you take photos within the app, they are stored locally in your visit records.
Location
- When in Use: Used to show your position on the map and to tag visits.
- Always On (Background): Used for geofencing — to detect when you arrive at a saved travel plan destination and send you a local notification. You can disable this in iOS Settings at any time.
Health Data (Optional)
- HealthKit: Steps walked and distance traveled, used to display travel activity in the app. This data is never transmitted off your device or shared with third parties.
Contacts (Optional)
- Contacts Access: Used only to help you find and invite friends by matching contact email addresses against TRVLR accounts. Contact data is not stored on our servers.
Nearby Chat
- Local Network / Bluetooth: Used for peer-to-peer encrypted Nearby Chat with people physically near you. No data is routed through our servers for this feature.
Communications
- Messages: Direct messages and group chats are stored encrypted in Firebase. Push notification tokens are stored to deliver message alerts.
- Stories & Posts: Travel stories, freeform posts, and social activity you share with friends are stored in Firebase Firestore.
Device & Usage Data
- Device Identifier (IDFA): With your permission (via the App Tracking Transparency prompt), we share your device advertising identifier with Google AdMob to show relevant ads. You may decline this at any time; ads will still appear but may be less relevant.
- Analytics: Firebase Analytics collects anonymized usage data (screens visited, feature usage frequency) to help us improve the app.
- Crash Reports: Firebase Crashlytics collects crash logs to help us fix bugs.
2. How We Use Your Data
| Data | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Account & profile | Display your profile to you and friends you follow |
| Visit & travel data | Populate your world map, statistics, trip history, and social feed |
| Location (when in use) | Map display and visit tagging |
| Location (always) | Geofencing arrival notifications |
| Photos & metadata | Suggest visit locations from your photo history |
| HealthKit | Display travel activity stats in-app only |
| Contacts | Friend discovery (matching only; not stored) |
| Push tokens | Deliver push notifications for messages and activity |
| IDFA | Personalized advertising via Google AdMob |
| Analytics & crash data | App stability and improvement |
3. Data Sharing
We do not sell your personal data. We share data only with:
- Firebase (Google) — Authentication, database, storage, analytics, crash reporting, and push notifications. Firebase Privacy Policy
- Google AdMob — Advertising, including use of IDFA with your consent. Google Privacy Policy
- Apple — Sign In with Apple, CloudKit sync, HealthKit, and WeatherKit. Apple Privacy Policy
- Law enforcement — Only when required by applicable law or valid legal process.
4. Data Retention
- Account data: Retained while your account is active. You may delete your account at any time from the app (Profile → Settings → Delete Account), which removes all your data from our servers.
- Analytics: Retained for up to 14 months per Google's default policy.
- Crash logs: Retained for 90 days.
5. Your Rights
Depending on your location, you may have the right to:
- Access, correct, or delete your personal data
- Opt out of targeted advertising (via iOS Settings → Privacy & Security → Tracking)
- Withdraw HealthKit or location access at any time in iOS Settings
- Request a copy of your data
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at the address below.
6. Children's Privacy
TRVLR is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.
7. Security
We use industry-standard security measures including TLS encryption in transit, Firebase Security Rules for access control, and optional end-to-end encryption for direct messages within the app.
8. Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes via the app or by updating the "Last updated" date above. Continued use of the app after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
9. Contact
If you have questions or requests regarding this privacy policy, contact us at:
Email: ztj87@me.com
App: TRVLR — Travel Tracker
Developer: Zach Jenkins