Privacy Policy

Last updated: September 2026

RoadTrippin ("we," "our," or "the app") is operated by Joshua Cooper. This policy explains what data we collect, how we use it, and your rights. It applies to the iOS app, the Android app, and the web version at roadtrippin.vercel.app.

Age Requirement

RoadTrippin is intended for users 18 years of age or older. By using the app you confirm you are at least 18 years old. We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 18.

Data We Collect

Identity

• Anonymous profile. When you open the app, Firebase Authentication assigns your device a random anonymous profile — no sign-up, email address, phone number, or password required. Your display name, visits, saved trips, and group activity are attached to this profile, and it can be deleted at any time in-app (see Your Rights below).
• Name. Your first and last name, entered during age verification. Stored only on your device to recognize you on return visits and greet you by name. Never uploaded or shared.
• Username / display name. An optional display name you choose (or a generated "Tripper#" ID). Displayed next to your community contributions and your group chat messages. Treat it as a public identifier; do not use personal information as your username.

Location

• Precise location. Location is optional. GPS coordinates are collected only when you log a visit to a geocache, park, museum, historic site, viewpoint, or trailhead, or when you ask for directions from your current position. Logged coordinates are shared on the community map attributed to your username. Location may also be accessible to Google AdMob for ad targeting (see Third-Party Services).

Community Visit Logs

• Place visits you submit, including place name, category, optional GC code, GPS location, nearest address, timestamp, your anonymous user ID, and your display name. Stored in Firebase Firestore and displayed on the community map, which is visible to all app users. Do not log locations you wish to keep private.

Groups

• Group membership. When you create or join a group we store the group's name, its invite code, the anonymous user IDs of its members, which member is the owner, and when ownership last changed. Group details are visible only to the group's members. Anyone who knows the invite code can join the group; share it only with people you trust.
• Ownership requests and notices. When an owner asks another member to take over, or ownership changes hands, we store the user IDs involved, the requesting person's display name, and the time. These are shown only to the members concerned.

Group Chat

• Messages. Text you send in a group chat, along with your anonymous user ID, your display name at the time, and a timestamp. Messages are visible only to current members of that group. If you edit a message, the earlier versions are kept and can be viewed by other members of the group, and the message is labeled as edited.
• Photos. Photos you take or choose from your library and send in a group chat. The image file is uploaded to and hosted by Cloudinary (see Third-Party Services); the chat stores only the link to it. Photos are shown to members of that group. Camera and photo library access is requested only when you tap the camera or library button, and you may decline.
• Reports. If you report another member's message, we record your anonymous user ID, the reported message's ID and text, the sender's ID, the group, and the reason you give. Reports are reviewed by the app operator and are not shown to other users, including the person who sent the message.

Usage Analytics & Feedback

• Usage events. Anonymous events such as which features you use, which pages you visit, and how many days in a row you open the app. Linked only to your anonymous user ID and used to understand and improve the app.
• Comments / contact messages. Text you submit on the Comments page. No name or email is required, though you may include contact details in the message if you want a reply.

Third-Party Services

Google Firebase. Anonymous authentication and the Firestore database that stores community logs, groups, chat messages, reports, and analytics events. Hosted on Google Cloud. Privacy policy: firebase.google.com/support/privacy

Cloudinary. Hosts photos sent in group chats. Uploaded images are stored on Cloudinary's servers under an unguessable link; they are not listed publicly, but anyone who has the exact link can open it. Privacy policy: cloudinary.com/privacy

Google AdMob (iOS and Android apps). RoadTrippin displays ads provided by Google AdMob. AdMob may collect your device's advertising identifier (IDFA/GAID), approximate location, and app interaction data to serve and measure ads. On iOS, the app asks for your permission through Apple's App Tracking Transparency prompt; if you decline, ads are still shown but are not personalized. You can change this at any time in your device Settings under Privacy & Security → Tracking. AdMob may also work with other ad networks through mediation, which are bound by the same choices.

Google AdSense (web version). The web version at roadtrippin.vercel.app may display ads provided by Google AdSense, which may use cookies and similar technologies to serve and measure ads. Visitors in the EEA, UK, and Switzerland are shown a consent choice before any personalized ads are served.

Google's privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy

OpenStreetMap services. Route planning and place search use public OpenStreetMap-based services (Nominatim geocoding, OSRM routing, and the Overpass API). The place names and coordinates you type or select are sent to these services in order to return results. No account information is sent.

Wikipedia / Wikidata. When a place has a linked Wikipedia article, the app fetches a free public summary from the Wikipedia REST API. No personal data is sent in this request.

How We Use Your Data

• Provide core app features (route planning, place discovery, visit logging, community map)
• Run groups and group chat so you can share plans, messages, and photos with people you choose
• Review reported messages and act on misuse
• Verify your age and recognize you on return visits
• Display your contributions on the community map under your chosen username
• Understand how the app is used and improve it
• Show ads via Google AdMob (mobile) and Google AdSense (web)

Data Sharing

We do not sell your personal data. Location and visit data on the community map is visible to other app users. Group details, chat messages, and chat photos are visible to the members of that group. Reports are seen only by the app operator. Google AdMob and AdSense receive device identifiers, approximate location, and interaction data as described above. Cloudinary receives the photos you send in chat. We will disclose data if required by law.

Data Retention

• Community map entries are retained until you delete them from the app.
• Groups and their chat history are retained until the group is deleted by its owner (or by its last remaining member).
• Chat messages can be deleted at any time by the person who sent them. Deleting a message removes it from the chat immediately; a photo file may remain on Cloudinary's servers until we remove it, which you can request at the email below.
• Reports are retained for as long as needed to review them and keep a record of moderation decisions.
• Your name and username are stored on your device and cleared if you uninstall the app.

Your Rights

You may delete any visit you have logged, any chat message you have sent, and any group you own at any time from within the app. You may leave any group at any time.

Delete your account and data. In the app, go to My Account and tap "Delete My Account & Data." This permanently removes your display name, saved trips, trip history, logged visits, and past entries; removes you from every group (handing off ownership first if you own one with other members in it); and deletes the anonymous identifier itself, so nothing further can be linked back to your device. This cannot be undone.

If a chat photo needs to be removed from hosting separately, or you'd rather not use the in-app option, contact us at the email below with the subject line "Data Deletion Request."

Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top reflects the most recent revision. Continued use of the app after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact

Joshua Cooper
coop.a.loop.apps@gmail.com