Privacy policy
Switchback: Explore Every Road
- Location is used to draw the roads you explore, only while a trip is running.
- Your exploration history is stored on your device first.
- An optional account (Firebase) is used for friend pairing and shared trips.
- The free version shows ads from Google AdMob; a one-time purchase removes them.
This policy explains what Switchback: Explore Every Road ("Switchback" or "the app") collects, why, and what you can do about it. Switchback is published by Elevate Entertainment Enterprises.
Information the app uses
| Data | Why | Where it goes |
|---|---|---|
| Precise location (GPS) | Records the roads you drive during a trip so they can be revealed on your map, and powers "Get Me Home" routing. | Stored on your device. Shared with a paired friend only during a trip you choose to share. |
| Background location | Keeps recording while the app is in the background during an active trip only. A persistent notification shows whenever a trip is being logged. Tracking stops when you end the trip. | Stored on your device. |
| Trip history, explored roads, landmarks, settings | Core app features: completion stats, trip summaries, badges. | Stored on your device. You can export or import a backup file yourself. |
| Home address (optional) | Downloads offline map data for your home area and powers "Get Me Home." | Stored on your device. |
| Account info (optional): email address and account ID | Sign-in, pairing with friends, and shared trips. | Google Firebase Authentication. |
| Shared trip data: live position, trip details | Shows each paired user's position during a shared trip. | Google Cloud Firestore, visible only to the users in that shared trip. |
| Advertising ID, device and usage info | Shows banner ads in the free version. | Google AdMob. |
| Purchase status | Unlocks the ad-free version. | Google Play Billing / Apple App Store. I never see your payment details. |
Third-party services
Switchback relies on these services. Each has its own privacy policy:
- Google AdMob (ads): may collect your device's advertising ID, IP address, and app interaction data to serve and measure ads. See How Google uses information from sites or apps that use its services. You can reset or opt out of personalized ads in your device settings.
- Google Firebase (accounts and shared trips): Firebase privacy and security.
- Google Play Billing / Apple App Store (the one-time ad-free purchase).
- Map and routing data providers: Map data comes from OpenStreetMap contributors. When the app downloads map areas or calculates a route, the server providing that data receives your IP address and the area or route requested, as with any web request.
What the app does not do
- It does not track your location when no trip is running.
- It does not sell your location or personal information.
- It does not share your trips with anyone you haven't paired with.
Retention and deleting your data
On your device: uninstalling the app or clearing its data removes your trip history, explored roads, and settings. Export a backup first if you want to keep them.
Your account: you can delete your account and the data stored with it (email, account ID, pairings, and shared-trip data) by using the delete-account option in the app's settings, or by emailing ElevateEntertainment@proton.me from the address on your account with the subject "Switchback account deletion." Requests are completed within 30 days. Shared-trip data is otherwise kept only as long as the trip is active or saved.
Ads and purchases: data held by Google or Apple is governed by their policies and controls.
Children
Switchback is not directed at children under 13, and I do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided personal information through the app, email me and I will delete it.
Your rights
Depending on where you live (for example, the EU, UK, or California), you may have the right to access, correct, delete, or export personal information about you, and to object to certain processing. Because most of this app's data never leaves your device, the simplest way to delete it is to clear the app's data or uninstall it. For anything held elsewhere, email ElevateEntertainment@proton.me and I will respond within 30 days. I do not sell your personal information.
Security
Data sent over the network uses encrypted connections (HTTPS). No method of storage or transmission is perfectly secure, but I keep data collection to the minimum the app needs to work.
Changes to this policy
If this policy changes, the updated version will be posted on this page with a new effective date. Significant changes will also be noted in the app's release notes.
Contact
Elevate Entertainment Enterprises
Developer: Logan Daugherty
Email: ElevateEntertainment@proton.me