1. Introduction
Welcome to Fitstrail. This application is developed and operated by Furkan Kaynar ("we," "our," or "us"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring you have a positive experience on our app.
This Privacy Policy explains how we handle your data. The core philosophy of Fitstrail is privacy by design. We do not require user accounts, and we do not store your personal health data on our servers. Your walking data lives on your device.
2. Data We Collect and How We Use It
2.1. Health and Fitness Data (Steps) via Apple HealthKit and Google Health Connect
Fitstrail integrates with Apple HealthKit (iOS) and Google Health Connect (Android) to read your step count data. This integration is essential for the app's core functionality of tracking your virtual walking journey.
Data Type Accessed: We access step count data (number of steps) from HealthKit / Health Connect. We do NOT access distance, heart rate, sleep, or any other health metrics. Distance shown in the app is calculated locally by multiplying your step count by an average step length (0.75 meters).
HealthKit Integration (iOS): Fitstrail requests read-only access to your step count data from Apple HealthKit. We do not write any data to HealthKit. The app requires this permission to function, as step counting is the core mechanic of the virtual journey experience.
Health Connect Integration (Android): Fitstrail requests read-only access to your step count data from Google Health Connect. We do not write any data to Health Connect. The app requires this permission to function, as step counting is the core mechanic of the virtual journey experience.
Purpose: Step data is used solely to:
- Calculate your walking progress on virtual routes between cities
- Unlock checkpoints and border crossings as you progress
- Track daily step counts for "Streaks" and "Daily Challenges" features
- Display your walking history for the past 14 days
2.1.1. Body Weight (Optional, User-Entered)
Fitstrail allows you to optionally enter your body weight (in kilograms) in the app settings. This is NOT read from HealthKit or Health Connect.
Purpose: Your weight is used solely to provide a more accurate estimate of calories burned during walking sessions. If you do not enter your weight, a default estimate of 70 kg is used for calorie calculations.
Storage Location: Your weight value is stored ONLY on your device in a local database (Hive). It is NOT transmitted, uploaded, or stored on any external server or cloud service.
Sharing: We do NOT share your weight data with any third parties, advertisers, or analytics services. Your weight never leaves your device.
How to Delete: You can remove your weight at any time from Settings within the app, or by uninstalling the app.
Storage Location: All step data is stored ONLY on your device in a local encrypted database (Hive). We do NOT transmit, upload, or store your step data on any external server or cloud service.
Data Retention: Step history is retained on your device for 14 days for streak tracking. Older step data is automatically deleted from the local database. Your cumulative progress (total distance walked on routes) is retained until you delete the app.
Sharing: We do NOT share, sell, or transmit your health data to any third parties, advertisers, or analytics services. Your step data never leaves your device.
How to Delete Your Health Data:
- iOS: Go to Settings > Health > Data Access & Devices > Fitstrail > Delete All Data from Fitstrail
- Android: Go to Settings > Apps > Fitstrail > Storage > Clear Data
- Or simply uninstall the app to remove all locally stored data
2.2. Location Data
Real-World Location: Fitstrail does not track or store your real-world GPS location. We do not know where you are physically walking.
Virtual Location: We calculate a "virtual" location on a pre-defined route (e.g., Vienna to Bratislava) based solely on the distance you have walked (step count × step length).
2.3. Device and Usage Data (Anonymous)
We use third-party services to ensure the app works correctly and to improve the user experience. These services may collect anonymous data:
Firebase Crashlytics: Collects crash reports to help us fix bugs.
Firebase Remote Config: Used to deliver app updates (like motivational messages) without requiring a store update.
Firebase Analytics: Collects anonymous usage data (e.g., "Screen A visited," "Route Completed") to help us understand how the app is used.
2.4. Advertising Data
We use Google AdMob to display banner ads and rewarded video ads.
Banner Ads: Displayed throughout the app to support free access to the service.
Rewarded Video Ads: Certain features allow you to watch a voluntary rewarded video ad. Watching these ads is entirely optional.
iOS Users: You will be presented with an App Tracking Transparency (ATT) prompt asking for permission to track your activity across other companies' apps and websites. If you allow tracking, ads may be personalized based on your activity. If you deny this, ads will still show, but they will not be based on your cross-app data.
Android Users: Google may use your advertising ID to serve relevant ads.
2.5. Social Sharing Data
When you choose to share your progress to Instagram Stories or TikTok, the App generates an image and passes it to the respective social media app. We do not track or store what you share. The social media platforms' privacy policies govern how they handle the shared content.
3. Third-Party Services
We use the following third-party service providers. Their use of information is governed by their respective privacy policies:
Google AdMob & Firebase: Google Privacy Policy
Spotify: If you interact with the "Route Playlists" feature, you may be redirected to the Spotify app. Spotify Privacy Policy
Instagram & TikTok: If you use the social sharing feature, you will interact with these platforms. Instagram Privacy Policy / TikTok Privacy Policy
4. Data Retention
Local Data: All personal progress (steps, passports, stamps, routes) remains on your device until you delete the app or clear the app data.
Backups: Since we do not have a cloud backend, if you delete the app without a device backup (like iCloud or Google Drive backup), your progress will be lost permanently.
5. Your Rights (GDPR & CCPA)
Depending on your location, you may have rights regarding your data:
Access & Deletion: Since your data is stored locally, you have full control. You can delete your data by uninstalling the app or clearing its storage in your phone settings.
Health Permissions: You can revoke Fitstrail's access to HealthKit or Health Connect at any time via your device's Settings app.
6. Children’s Privacy
Fitstrail is not intended for use by children under the age of 13, or under the age of 16 in the European Economic Area (EEA) and United Kingdom. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child without parental consent, we will take steps to remove that information.
7. Changes to This Policy
We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date.
8. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at: Email: devappgea@gmail.com