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1. Introduction

Subway Run ("we," "us," or "our") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application (the "App").

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Location Information

GPS Location Data:

• Real-time Location: Your current GPS coordinates to find nearby subway stations and calculate walking routes
• Background Location (Premium only): When you enable premium notifications, we may track your location in the background to send timely train alerts
• Walking Routes: Calculated routes between your location and subway stations

How Location Data is Used:

• Finding nearby subway stations
• Calculating accurate walking times and routes
• Determining whether to recommend walking or running to catch trains
• Sending location-based train notifications (premium feature only)

Location Data Storage:

• GPS coordinates are processed and stored locally on your device only
• We do not transmit precise GPS coordinates to our servers
• Only station IDs and names (not coordinates) are sent for analytics purposes
• Location data is temporarily stored on your device for app functionality (movement detection, walking calculations)
• Background location tracking (premium feature) stores location updates locally for notification timing

2.2 Device Information

Device Identifier:

• A unique device ID generated for subscription and notification management
• Format: [platform]_[timestamp]_[random] (e.g., ios_1704211200_abc123)
• Stored locally on your device using AsyncStorage

Advertising Identifiers:

• Device advertising ID (IDFA on iOS, AAID on Android) may be collected by Google AdMob
• Used for serving advertisements (personalization can be controlled in device settings)
• Can be reset or limited through your device's privacy settings

Push Notification Tokens:

• Generated by your device's operating system for sending notifications
• Only collected if you enable premium notifications
• Used exclusively for sending train arrival alerts

2.3 App Usage Information

Basic Usage:

• Which subway stations you view
• When you open/close the app
• Feature usage patterns (stored locally on device)

Premium Feature Usage:

• Notification preferences and settings
• Which stations you monitor for alerts
• Notification delivery status

Optional Anonymous Analytics (Opt-In Only):

You can choose to help us improve Subway Run by sharing anonymous usage data. This is completely optional and can be disabled at any time. All analytics data is fully anonymized and uses only a random device identifier - no personal information is ever collected or stored.

If you choose to enable analytics, we may collect:

• Station Usage: Which subway stations you visit and track trains from (station names only, no GPS coordinates)
• Train Selections: When you select trains to track, including train lines, directions, and timing data
• App Features: Which app features you use, such as premium subscriptions, notifications, and favorite stations
• Usage Patterns: How long you use the app, which screens you visit, and general engagement patterns
• Success Feedback: If you choose to report whether you caught or missed tracked trains (helps improve our recommendations)
• Technical Data: Anonymous device identifier, platform (iOS/Android), app version for compatibility and performance improvements

How We Use Anonymous Analytics (Only If You Opt-In):

• Improve Recommendations: Analyze train catching success rates to make better walk/run suggestions
• Optimize Performance: Understand which stations and features are most used to improve app speed and reliability
• Enhance User Experience: Identify peak usage times and popular routes to optimize the app experience
• Fix Issues: Use crash and performance data to identify and resolve app problems
• Guide Development: Understand which features are most valuable to focus our development efforts

Your Privacy is Protected:

• All analytics data is completely anonymous - we cannot identify individual users
• No personal information, names, or contact details are ever collected
• Data is aggregated and analyzed only in groups, never individually
• You can opt-out at any time in the app settings

Analytics Data Storage (Secure & Anonymous):

• If you opt-in, anonymous analytics data is securely transmitted to our servers using encryption
• Only station names and anonymous usage patterns are stored - never GPS coordinates or personal data
• All data uses random device identifiers that cannot be linked back to you personally
• Data is used only to improve the app experience for all users
• You maintain full control - opt-out anytime in app settings or during initial setup

2.4 Subscription Information

Premium Subscriptions:

• Subscription status (active, expired, cancelled)
• Billing cycle (monthly, yearly)
• Subscription start and end dates
• Payment is processed by Apple App Store or Google Play Store (we don't store payment information)

3. How We Use Your Information

3.1 Core App Functionality

• Station Discovery: Use your location to find nearby subway stations
• Walking Calculations: Calculate real walking routes and times using mapping services
• Train Information: Provide real-time train arrival information from MTA feeds
• Smart Recommendations: Determine whether you should walk or run to catch trains

3.2 Premium Features

• Background Notifications: Send alerts when trains are approaching stations you can catch
• Location Monitoring: Track your proximity to favorite stations for timely notifications
• Subscription Management: Verify premium access and manage subscription status

3.3 App Improvement and Analytics

• Usage Pattern Analysis: Analyze comprehensive app usage patterns to improve functionality and user experience
• Station Popularity Insights: Understand which stations and train lines are most used to optimize data loading and performance
• Success Rate Analysis: Analyze train catching outcomes to improve walking time calculations and recommendations
• Engagement Measurement: Track user engagement patterns to identify areas for app improvement
• Feature Usage Analytics: Monitor which features are most/least used to guide development priorities
• Performance Optimization: Use session data and crash analytics to improve app stability and performance

4. Information Sharing

4.1 Third-Party Services

MTA (Metropolitan Transportation Authority):

• We access public MTA real-time data feeds for train information
• No personal information is shared with MTA
• MTA data is publicly available

Google Maps/Apple Maps:

• Walking route calculations may use mapping services
• Location coordinates are sent to calculate routes
• Subject to Google/Apple privacy policies

Google AdMob:

• We use Google AdMob to display banner advertisements
• AdMob may collect device advertising identifiers (IDFA/AAID)
• Ads may be personalized based on your device's advertising preferences
• Subject to Google's privacy policy

Expo Push Notification Service:

• Push notification tokens are processed through Expo's servers
• Required for delivering premium notifications
• Subject to Expo's privacy policy

4.2 No Sale of Personal Data

• We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information
• We do not directly share your personal data with advertisers or marketing companies
• Third-party advertising services (Google AdMob) may collect their own data as described in their privacy policies
• We do not create user profiles for advertising

4.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose information if required by law, such as:

• Responding to valid legal requests
• Protecting our rights and property
• Ensuring user safety and app security

5. Data Security

5.1 Security Measures

• Precise GPS location data is processed locally on your device only
• All server communication uses HTTPS encryption
• Analytics data uses anonymous device identifiers with no personal information
• Subscription data is stored securely in our database
• Push notification tokens are handled securely

5.2 Data Retention

• GPS Location Data: Not stored on servers, processed locally only
• Device IDs: Stored on servers until you uninstall the app or request deletion
• Subscription Data: Retained for the duration of your subscription plus 1 year for records
• Notification Logs: Kept for 30 days for debugging purposes
• Analytics Data: Station analytics (station IDs/names only), train tracking events, and usage data retained for up to 2 years for trend analysis
• Aggregated Analytics: Summary analytics data may be retained indefinitely as it contains no personally identifiable information
• Crash and Performance Data: Retained for 90 days for debugging and app improvement

6. Your Privacy Rights

6.1 Location Permissions

• Grant/Revoke: You can enable or disable location permissions in your device settings
• Always vs. When Using: Basic features work with "When Using App" permission; premium notifications require "Always Allow"
• No Penalty: Basic app functionality continues even if you revoke location permissions

6.2 Premium Features

• Opt-in: Premium features are entirely optional
• Cancel Anytime: You can cancel premium subscriptions through your app store
• Data Deletion: Premium data is automatically deleted when you cancel

6.3 Analytics Control (Your Choice)

• Always Optional: Analytics are completely opt-in - you choose whether to help improve the app
• Easy Opt-Out: Disable analytics anytime in the app's settings or during initial setup
• Data Deletion: Request deletion of your anonymous analytics data by contacting support
• No Penalties: The app works exactly the same whether you enable analytics or not
• Future Control: We're working on more granular controls for different types of analytics

6.4 App Removal

• Complete Removal: Uninstalling the app removes all locally stored data
• Server Data: Any server-stored data (subscription records, analytics data) can be deleted upon request
• Anonymous Data: Aggregated anonymous analytics may be retained for statistical purposes but cannot be linked back to you

7. Children's Privacy

• Our App is not directed at children under 13
• We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13
• If we discover we've collected information from a child under 13, we will delete it immediately
• Parents should monitor their children's app usage

8. Changes to This Policy

8.1 Policy Updates

• We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements
• Changes will be posted on our privacy policy website with an updated "Last Updated" date
• For significant changes, we may notify users through app updates or other communication methods

8.2 Continued Use

• Continued use of the App after policy changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy
• If you disagree with changes, please discontinue using the App

9. Data Protection Compliance

9.1 Regional Compliance

• United States: This app is designed for use within the United States and complies with applicable US privacy laws
• CCPA (California): We comply with California privacy rights for California users

9.2 Your Rights

Under applicable US privacy laws, you may have rights to:

• Access your personal data
• Correct inaccurate data
• Delete your data
• Object to data processing
• Data portability

11. Technical Implementation

11.1 Local Data Processing

• Most data processing happens locally on your device
• Location calculations and route planning occur on-device when possible
• Minimal data transmission to servers

11.2 Data Minimization

• We collect only the minimum data necessary for app functionality
• Analytics data is used solely for app improvement and performance monitoring
• No social media integration or data sharing

Last Updated: October 3, 2025