Privacy Policy

1. Scope

This Privacy Policy applies to the “C Journey” iOS application and its related services. It explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect information involved in your use of the app, as well as the rights available to you.

By starting to use or continuing to use the app, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy and agree to the processing described in it.

2. Types of Information We Process

To provide features such as travel archiving from photos, destination recognition, map display, statistics, trip records, and share export, we may process the following information:

1. Photos and video assets you authorize us to access, including images, Live Photos, thumbnails, and related metadata from your system photo library.
2. Travel-related information contained in photos or records, such as timestamps, geographic coordinates, altitude, device-generated EXIF data, and the location points and stops in your recorded tracks.
3. Information you actively provide or edit, such as nickname, avatar, manually added destinations, trip names, date ranges, trip notes, check-in content, adjusted destination data, and daily transport modes.
4. Necessary operational information generated while using the app, such as app version, system version, interaction events, error logs, and diagnostic information.
5. When you use iCloud Backup & Restore (including automatic backup), a snapshot summary of local data prepared for backup—such as photo metadata (including time, precise geographic coordinates, and place identifiers), trip records, recorded tracks, achievements and guess-location history, and device name (not including original photo/video files themselves).
6. When you purchase or restore Pro, purchase-related information such as the product purchased, purchase and expiration dates, subscription and trial status, App Store transaction identifiers, and an anonymous user identifier generated by RevenueCat. Payment is handled by Apple; we cannot access your card or other payment details, and we do not receive your Apple Account information.

3. Photos and Photo Library Permission

When you grant access to your system photo library, the app reads photo or video assets within that authorized scope to identify travel footprints, generate destination lists, statistics, photo details, guess-the-location gameplay, and shareable content.

Unless you explicitly use the system share flow to send content to a third party, or actively choose to save generated content back to your photo library, the app does not upload your original photos, original videos, or Live Photos to our servers. Photo preview, detail viewing, and most media processing are performed locally on your device.

When you use features such as “Save Image,” “Save Video,” or “Save Live Photo,” the app may request add-only or equivalent write permission from iOS to write generated content back to your library.

When you add a location to a photo and choose “Update App and Photos,” or use “Create system album,” the app modifies the location of those photos or creates an album in your library, after you grant read and write access. These actions only run after you confirm them; if you choose “Save to App Only,” photos in your system library are not changed.

4. Location Information and Destination Recognition

The app’s core functionality relies on geographic coordinates embedded in photos, destination information you manually add, and location data you actively provide or authorize in check-in or map-related features.

To support reverse destination recognition, destination search, POI lookup, administrative outlines, and name translation, we may send necessary coordinates, destination keywords, gid / poi_id values, language parameters, and app version information to our service interfaces, or use Apple-provided geocoding capabilities. This information is used only to complete destination recognition, display, and search requests initiated by you. It is not used for ad targeting and is not sold or rented as personal information.

When you use features such as “Check In Now” that require your current location, the app accesses location data only after obtaining your system authorization.

When you start recording a track, the app continuously records your location in the background to build the track, after you grant “Always” location access, and stops when you end the recording. Track data is stored locally on your device; to show the names of places where you stopped, the app may send stop coordinates to Apple’s system geocoding service.

You can revoke or adjust location permission at any time in iOS Settings.

5. Data Storage, iCloud Backup, and Retention

1. Local storage

Most of your travel data is stored locally on your device by default, including but not limited to archived destinations, statistics caches, trip records, avatar paths, nickname, certain interface settings, and related index data. The app currently relies primarily on local databases and local caches for this storage.

2. iCloud Backup & Restore (including automatic backup)

To support device migration and recovery, the app provides “iCloud Backup & Restore.” You can create a backup manually in Settings or actively enable “Automatic iCloud Backup.” Automatic backup is off by default. Only after you enable it, while you are signed in to iCloud and iCloud Drive is available, may the app periodically attempt a backup when entering the background (best-effort; success is not guaranteed every time). You can turn automatic backup off on the same page at any time.

Backup files are written to an app-specific container under your Apple iCloud account, stored and synced by Apple under Apple’s iCloud terms and privacy policy, and are not uploaded to our own application servers. A backup is mainly a snapshot of in-app data, such as:

• Photo-related metadata (including capture/record time, precise latitude/longitude, place/country identifiers, and display status you set);
• Trip records (title, date range, notes, cover selection, and related summaries);
• Recorded tracks (location points, stops, and recording periods);
• Daily transport modes and other settings you configure;
• Achievement progress and guess-location game history;
• Device name and similar auxiliary information used to distinguish backup versions.

A backup does not include the original photo, video, or Live Photo files in your library; originals remain only on your device / Apple Photos and (if enabled) iCloud Photos.

3. Backup retention and deletion

• The app keeps up to the 3 most recent backup versions in the iCloud container by default; older versions may be removed when a new backup is created.
• Under Settings → “iCloud Backup & Restore,” you can view versions, turn off automatic backup, or use “Delete All Cloud Backups” to remove every backup this app stores in iCloud. Disabling iCloud Drive or managing/clearing iCloud storage in system Settings → [Your Name] → iCloud may also make backups unavailable or cause them to be cleaned up by the system.
• Restore merges the selected backup with local data by default (union) and does not proactively delete existing local records; merge rules are those implemented in the product.
• Please note: precise coordinates and place information in a backup are sensitive location-related data—use this feature only with Apple IDs and devices you trust.

4. Other network and logs

For network request records generated to support destination recognition, search, translation, service stability, or security, we process such records only within a reasonable scope and retention period necessary to provide the feature, troubleshoot issues, and protect service reliability and security.

If you delete the App, local data stored in the App container on the current device will be removed. Photos and videos in Apple Photos, existing App backups stored in iCloud, and server logs retained for a limited period as required by law or for service security are not removed when you delete the App. Whether an iCloud backup still exists depends on your Apple account and iCloud storage status; it is not a copy on our servers.

6. Third-Party Services and System Frameworks

To improve app stability, understand feature usage, and support certain system capabilities, the app may use the following third-party services or system frameworks:

1. Firebase Analytics, to record product interaction events. When Product Analytics is enabled, Firebase Analytics may process the app instance identifier, device and system information, product interaction events, session information, and an approximate region inferred from network information, such as page views, feature taps, export actions, processing states, and Pro page views and purchase results (including the product, price, and currency). The app uses a version of Firebase Analytics that does not collect the advertising identifier (IDFA), and ad personalization signals are turned off, so analytics data is not used for advertising.
2. Firebase Crashlytics, to collect crash stacks and the necessary device, system, and diagnostic information when the app terminates unexpectedly, so we can improve stability.
3. Firebase-related foundational services that support initialization and runtime behavior for analytics and crash reporting.
4. RevenueCat, to validate App Store purchase receipts and to sync and restore your Pro status. RevenueCat processes purchase and subscription records, an anonymous user identifier, app version, system version, and device language and region. It does not receive your photos, coordinates, or travel records.
5. Apple iCloud / iCloud Drive (system capability), used when you enable Backup & Restore to sync backup snapshots into storage under your Apple account; data is processed by Apple under its rules.
6. Apple system frameworks such as Photos, MapKit, Core Location, and CLGeocoder for photo library access, map display, current location reading, system geocoding, and destination presentation.

We do not sell your personal information as a result of using these services. Third-party providers process any data they receive in accordance with their own privacy policies. We carefully select third-party service providers and require them to provide protection no less stringent than this Privacy Policy and applicable requirements.

7. How We Use Information

We process relevant information mainly for the following purposes:

1. To read and organize your travel photos and generate destinations, countries, cities, timelines, maps, and statistical summaries.
2. To support check-in records, manually added destinations, trip records, travel calendars, route playback, and shareable content.
3. To recognize and refine destination names, multilingual labels, POI data, and map outline information.
4. To support recovery and merge of local travel data after you change devices or reinstall the app, via iCloud Backup & Restore (including automatic backup).
5. To keep the app functioning properly and to perform troubleshooting, performance optimization, compatibility improvements, and security protection.
6. To verify Pro purchases, unlock the corresponding features, and restore your Pro benefits when you restore purchases or change devices.

Unless otherwise stated in this Policy or required by applicable law, we do not use such information for purposes unrelated to the current product features.

8. Sharing and External Disclosure

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

Except in the following situations, we do not share your information with unrelated third parties:

1. Where a minimal set of data must be provided to necessary service providers in order to complete destination recognition, search, translation, or statistics functions initiated by you.
2. When you actively use system sharing, export, or save capabilities, in which case related content is transmitted through the iOS sharing mechanism to the app or system album you choose.
3. When you purchase or restore Pro, your purchase receipt is processed by Apple and RevenueCat to complete payment and verify your Pro status.
4. When you use iCloud Backup & Restore, backup snapshots are synced to your Apple iCloud account; storage and access are governed by your Apple account and iCloud rules, and this is not a sale or rental of data by us to unrelated third parties.
5. Where disclosure is required by applicable laws, judicial procedures, regulatory requirements, or is necessary to protect the personal or property safety of us, other users, or the public.

9. Your Rights and Choices

You can manage your information and permissions in the following ways:

1. Disable or adjust photo and location permissions in iOS Settings.
2. Modify information you actively provide in the app, such as your nickname, avatar, manual destination entries, and trip records.
3. You may delete the App to remove local data stored in the App container on the current device. Deleting the App does not remove photos and videos from Apple Photos, existing App backups stored in iCloud, or server logs retained for a limited period as required by law or for service security.
4. Manage or delete original photos and videos directly in Apple Photos.
5. For iCloud backups: under Settings → “iCloud Backup & Restore,” enable or disable automatic backup, view versions, or use “Delete All Cloud Backups” to remove every backup this app stores in iCloud. You may also affect availability and cleanup through system iCloud storage management, disabling iCloud Drive, or signing out of your Apple ID (subject to Apple’s system behavior). When creating new backups, the app may retain only a limited number of recent versions.
6. You can separately enable or disable Product Analytics and Crash Diagnostics under App Settings → “Privacy” → “Analytics & Crash Diagnostics.”

Please note that after revoking certain permissions, some features may no longer work properly or may show incomplete results. Backup & Restore is unavailable if you are not signed in to iCloud or iCloud Drive is off.

10. Information Security

We value the security of your information and take reasonable technical and organizational measures to help prevent unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, loss, or misuse.

However, please understand that no method of internet transmission or electronic storage can guarantee absolute security. You should keep your device secure and use system-level protections such as device passcode, Face ID, or Touch ID when appropriate.

11. Updates and Contact

We may update this Privacy Policy based on product changes, legal requirements, or operational needs. The updated version will be published on this page and will take effect from the date of publication. If a change materially affects your rights or obligations, we will provide an appropriate notice.

If you have any questions, comments, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy, you may contact us at:

[email protected]