Effective 1 September 2026

Privacy policy

TimeWalk creates spoken stories for your surroundings while you walk. During a location-aware walk, your foreground location, direction, chosen topic and nearby mapped context may be sent securely to the services that create the story. We do not sell your data, show personalised ads or request Android background-location permission.

Who is responsible for your data

TimeWalk is operated by Roundbear Ltd (company number 12858345), Farthing Corner, Dean Road, West Tytherley, Salisbury, Hampshire SP5 1NR, United Kingdom. Questions or privacy requests can be sent to timewalk@roundbear.org.

Information TimeWalk handles

• Account: if you sign in with Google, TimeWalk receives a Firebase user identifier and profile information Google makes available, such as a display name. Sign-in is used to restore narration credit and purchases across devices.
• Walk content: the topic you enter, generated stories, walk settings, progress, and completion history.
• Movement and permissions: step counts and, during an active location-aware walk, precise or approximate foreground location, direction, speed and distance. TimeWalk does not request Android background-location permission.
• AI and map requests: your topic, current location, direction and nearby mapped context may be sent to the TimeWalk backend, Google Gemini and OpenStreetMap Overpass to select or create a local story. Narration text is sent to Google Gemini or ElevenLabs when you select a compatible premium voice.
• Narration and purchases: signed-in users have a server-held narration balance and playback ledger. Google Play handles checkout; TimeWalk receives product and purchase status, an order reference and a protected purchase-token representation, but not your card or bank details.
• Reusable stories: generated story text, compatible audio, source context and a geographic anchor may be stored and reused for nearby walkers. Reusable records are not stored with the originating account identifier.
• Product analytics: app opens, onboarding, timeline-generation outcomes, walk starts and finishes, approximate duration and progress, broad topic category, selected voice, and technical fallback or error categories.
• Diagnostics: crash reports and technical context such as app version, device model, operating-system version, and the part of the app that failed.
• Feedback you choose to send: tapping Feedback opens WhatsApp with technical app and device details pre-filled. Nothing is sent until you choose to send the message in WhatsApp.

How and why we use it

We use this information to provide the walk you request, select and speak local stories, preserve history, restore and meter narration credit, verify purchases and refunds, reuse suitable stories and audio, keep an active walk running with a visible foreground-service notification, understand whether the product works, diagnose failures, prevent misuse, and improve TimeWalk.

Where UK or EEA data-protection law applies, the legal bases are performing the service you request and our legitimate interests in operating, securing, diagnosing, and improving an early-stage product. Where permission is required for device sensors or notifications, Android asks you directly and you can decline.

Services that process data

• Google Firebase and Google Cloud: provide authentication, backend functions, account storage, App Check, analytics and crash diagnostics.
• Google Gemini: processes prompts that may contain a topic, current location and mapped context to generate stories, and processes narration text for compatible premium speech.
• OpenStreetMap Overpass: receives a location-centred map query to return nearby named features.
• ElevenLabs: processes narration text only when an ElevenLabs-backed premium voice is selected.
• Google Play: handles app distribution, checkout, purchase verification, consumption and refund notifications.
• Google Firebase Analytics: processes limited usage events and device/app identifiers so we can understand product use.
• Google Firebase Crashlytics: processes crash and diagnostic information so we can investigate reliability problems.
• Google Play services: supplies on-device location, authentication and security-related capabilities.
• Google/Android backup: if device backup is enabled, Android may back up your local walk-history database to your Google account. TimeWalk does not independently access that backup.
• WhatsApp: processes feedback only if you choose to send it; Meta's privacy terms then apply.

These providers may process information outside the UK or EEA. Where required, we rely on the providers' contractual transfer safeguards and applicable adequacy decisions.

Storage and retention

Your local walk history and downloaded narration audio are stored on your device. Signed-in wallet, ledger, playback and purchase records are stored in Firebase so narration credit can be restored and reconciled. Reusable story and audio records may remain without the originating account identifier. You can delete local history, clear app storage or uninstall TimeWalk; signed-in users can export or delete their server-held account data in the app. Android backup may retain backed-up local history according to your Google-account settings.

In Google Analytics, event-level data associated with identifiers is retained for 2 months and user-level data for 14 months; the user period resets on new activity. Standard aggregated reports may be retained longer. Firebase retains Crashlytics stack traces and associated installation identifiers for 90 days before starting removal. Standard Google Cloud operational logs are configured for 30 days; provider-required audit logs are configured for 400 days. Feedback is kept only as long as reasonably needed to respond and improve the product.

Sharing and sale

We share data only with the service providers described above, when needed to operate TimeWalk, or when legally required. We do not sell personal information or share it for cross-context behavioural advertising.

Your choices and rights

You can deny or revoke activity, location, and notification permissions in Android settings; some walk modes will then be unavailable. You can choose the on-device voice instead of cloud-generated narration, delete local history, export or delete signed-in account data, clear app storage, or uninstall the app.

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, restrict, or object to processing, receive a portable copy, or withdraw consent. Contact timewalk@roundbear.org. UK residents can also complain to the Information Commissioner's Office; EEA residents can contact their local supervisory authority.

Children

TimeWalk is not directed to children under 13 and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has provided personal information, contact us so we can investigate and delete it where appropriate.

Security

We use reasonable technical and organisational safeguards, minimise the information sent off-device, and restrict access to operational data. No internet service can guarantee absolute security.

Changes

We may update this policy as TimeWalk develops. Material changes will be posted here with a new effective date and, where appropriate, highlighted in the app or store listing.