Privacy Policy
SVIFA turns your activity photos and GPX routes into a 3D flyby. It is built to work on your phone by default. This policy explains what information the app handles, what stays on your device, what is sent to other services and when, and the choices you have.
Who is responsible
SVIFA is made by Sarat Penumarthy, an individual developer based in the United Kingdom (the “data controller” under UK and EU data-protection law). Contact: [email protected].
The short version
- Your photos and GPX files never leave your phone.
- Nothing optional is switched on until you choose it. You are asked once, during onboarding, and can change your choices any time in Settings.
- With your permission, the app sends only the locations of your photos (not the photos) to route-finding and map services to draw your route.
- If you create an account, your email address and a hashed password are stored on servers in the EU.
- You can delete your account and all server data from inside the app.
What stays on your device
- Photos. The app reads the date, time and location stored in the photos you select so it can place them on the map. The photos themselves are only ever read from your library and displayed; they are not uploaded anywhere.
- GPX files. Route files you import are parsed on the device and stored in the app’s local data. They are not uploaded. Heart rate, cadence and power data in a GPX file are ignored.
- Experiences. Titles, routes, settings and statistics you create are stored in the app’s local database on your phone.
- Guest mode. If you use the app without an account, everything above stays on the device. Leaving guest mode deletes it.
What is sent elsewhere, and when
Each of the items below is off until you turn it on.
| Feature | What is sent | To whom | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Route finding | The coordinates of the photos (or GPX points) in an experience, and the activity type | Mapbox (roads); OpenRouteService via our EU server (trails) | To calculate the path between your stops |
| Maps | Standard map-tile requests, which include your device’s IP address and the map area being viewed | Mapbox | To display the 3D map |
| Location lookup | A coordinate | Apple (CoreLocation geocoding) | To show a place name such as a town or trail. Results are cached on the device and never logged. |
| Area facts | Not yet available. Nothing is sent for this feature until it exists and you enable it. | ||
| Cloud sync | Accounts only; not yet available. When it ships, it will be a separate opt-in. | ||
| Analytics | Off by default. If you enable it, anonymous usage events (which screens are used, feature counts, crash reports) may be collected. No photos, locations, email addresses or file contents are ever included. | ||
We record each consent you give or withdraw, with the date and the version of this policy, so we can show what you agreed to.
Accounts
If you create an account we store your email address, a securely hashed password, your display name, the date you joined, whether your email is verified, and basic account status. Authentication is provided by Supabase on servers located in the European Union (Ireland). Verification and password-reset codes are sent by email through Resend from [email protected]. We do not store the codes after they expire.
Guest sessions use an anonymous identifier that is linked to your account if you later sign up, so your experiences carry over.
What we do not do
- We do not sell or rent your data.
- We do not show third-party advertising.
- We do not log email addresses, codes, coordinates or file contents in our systems.
- We do not use your photos or routes to train AI models.
Service providers
| Provider | Used for | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Apple (TestFlight, App Store, CoreLocation) | App distribution, beta crash reports and feedback, place names | Per Apple’s policy |
| Supabase | Accounts, authentication, server functions | EU (Ireland) |
| Mapbox | Maps and road routing | USA/EU |
| OpenRouteService (Heidelberg Institute for Geoinformation Technology) | Trail routing | Germany |
| Resend | Sending account emails | EU (Ireland) |
| Cloudflare | Hosting this website | Global |
Each provider only receives what is needed for its job, as described above, and is bound by its own privacy terms.
Beta testing through TestFlight
If you install SVIFA through TestFlight, Apple may collect crash logs, usage statistics and any feedback you submit through TestFlight and share them with us. Apple’s TestFlight terms and privacy policy govern that collection. Beta builds may contain bugs; please do not rely on them for anything important.
How long we keep data
- Device data: until you delete the experience, leave guest mode, or uninstall the app.
- Account data: until you delete your account.
- Consent records: for as long as your account exists, plus the period needed to show compliance.
- Server logs for route requests: a short rolling window used for abuse prevention and rate limiting; they contain no coordinates or email addresses.
Deleting your account
In the app: Profile → Delete Account. You will be asked to type DELETE and enter your password. This removes your account and all server-side data, then removes the app’s local data. It cannot be undone. You can also email [email protected] and we will do it for you.
Your rights
Under the UK GDPR and EU GDPR you can ask us to access, correct, delete or export your personal data, to restrict or object to its processing, and to withdraw consent at any time (which you can do yourself in Settings). Email [email protected]. You also have the right to complain to a supervisory authority; in the UK that is the Information Commissioner’s Office (ico.org.uk).
Children
SVIFA is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from them. If you believe a child has created an account, contact us and we will delete it.
Security
Connections to our services use HTTPS. Passwords are hashed and never stored in plain text. Server data is protected by per-user access rules so one account cannot read another’s data. No system is perfectly secure, so please use a strong, unique password.
Changes to this policy
If we change what data is collected or how it is used, we will update this page, change the date at the top, and ask for your consent again in the app where required.
This policy is written in plain language on purpose. If anything is unclear, email us and we will explain.