Back to Documents

Privacy Policy

App Name: Transit Commander - Real-Time London Transport

Developer: J Pearson

Location: London, United Kingdom

Last Updated: March 13, 2026

Effective Date: March 13, 2026

🎯 Privacy at a Glance

Transit Commander prioritizes your privacy while providing real-time transport information.

✅ No personal information collected - We don't ask for your name, email, or account
📍 Location used locally only - For nearby stations; never uploaded or shared
💾 Data cached on your device - Train times and station info stored locally
📊 Anonymous analytics - Crash reports and usage statistics (no personal data)
📢 Optional notifications - Train alarms and disruption alerts (you control)
📱 Ad-supported - Google AdMob displays ads to keep the app free
🔒 No data selling - Your data is never sold or shared with third parties

1. Introduction

Welcome to Transit Commander! This privacy policy explains how J Pearson ("we", "us", or "our") handles information when you use the Transit Commander mobile application (the "App") for Android devices.

We are committed to protecting your privacy. Transit Commander is designed to provide real-time London transport information while respecting your privacy. We collect only the minimal data necessary to deliver core features like nearby stations, journey planning, and service alerts.

Independent App Notice: Transit Commander is an independent app and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Transport for London (TfL), National Rail, or any train operating company.

2. Information We Collect

Transit Commander collects the following types of information to provide transport services:

2.1 Location Data (Optional, Used Locally Only)

Purpose: To show nearby stations, calculate walking distances, and provide location-based journey planning.

How Location Works in Transit Commander:

Foreground only: Location is accessed only when you use the app (not in background)
Local processing: Your location is processed on your device to find nearby stations
Never uploaded: Your GPS coordinates are NEVER sent to our servers or third parties
Optional: You can deny location permission and still use most features
No tracking: We do not track your movements or store location history

What happens with your location:

You tap "Find Nearby Stations" → App requests location permission
Device GPS provides coordinates (e.g., 51.5074° N, 0.1278° W)
App calculates distances to stations using local station database
Results are sorted by distance and displayed to you
Location data is immediately discarded after use

2.2 Cached Transport Data (Local Storage)

Purpose: To enable offline access and faster loading of station information.

The following transport data is cached on your device:

Station lists: Names, ICS codes, and coordinates of London stations
Line information: Tube, Overground, DLR, Elizabeth Line, National Rail routes
Recent arrivals: Train times you've viewed (cached for 5-20 minutes)
Journey results: Routes you've searched (temporary cache)
Service status: Line status and disruption information

Storage duration: Cached data expires automatically (5 minutes to 7 days depending on type). All cached data is deleted when you uninstall the app.

2.3 User Preferences & Favorites (Local Storage)

The following preferences are stored locally on your device:

Favorite stations: Stations you've starred for quick access
Recent searches: Recent station and journey searches
App settings: Theme, notification preferences, default transport modes
Alarms: Train arrival reminders and journey notifications

This data is stored using Android's secure SharedPreferences and LocalStorage mechanisms. We cannot access this data - it remains on your device only.

2.4 Usage Analytics (Anonymous, Optional)

Purpose: To understand how users interact with the app and improve features.

We collect anonymous usage statistics through Firebase Analytics:

Feature usage (which pages you visit, buttons clicked)
App performance (loading times, API response times)
Device information (Android version, screen size, manufacturer)
App version and language settings
Session duration and frequency

Important: Analytics data is completely anonymous and cannot be linked to you personally. Google Analytics assigns a random User ID that does not identify you. You can opt-out of analytics in app settings.

2.5 Crash Reports & Diagnostics

Purpose: To identify and fix bugs that cause app crashes.

We use Firebase Crashlytics to collect technical diagnostic information when the app crashes:

Device model and Android version
App version and state at time of crash
Error logs and stack traces (technical debug data)
Memory usage and available storage

No personal data: Crash reports do not contain personal information, location, or user-generated content. Reports are encrypted and used solely for debugging.

2.6 Advertising Data (Google AdMob)

Purpose: To display advertisements that keep the app free.

Transit Commander uses Google AdMob to show banner ads at the bottom of the screen. AdMob may collect device information to serve relevant ads:

Advertising ID (Android Ad ID)
Device type and operating system
IP address (approximate location for regional ads)
Ad interactions (views, clicks)

Third-party service: Ad data is collected by Google AdMob, not by us. We do not have access to this data. AdMob is subject to Google's privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy

Personalized ads: You can opt-out of personalized ads in your device settings:

Android: Settings → Google → Ads → Opt out of Ads Personalization
Or reset your Advertising ID to clear ad tracking

3. Information We Do NOT Collect

Transit Commander does NOT collect:

✗ Personal identification information (name, email, phone number, address)
✗ Location history or movement tracking
✗ Payment information (the app is free)
✗ Social media accounts or login credentials
✗ Camera, microphone, or photo access
✗ Contacts, calendar, or SMS messages
✗ Browsing history or other app usage

4. How We Use Information

Data Type	Purpose	Stored Where
Location (GPS)	Find nearby stations, calculate distances	Local device only (not stored)
Cached transport data	Offline access, faster loading	Local device storage
Favorites & preferences	Personalize experience	Local device storage
Anonymous analytics	Improve features, fix bugs	Google Firebase (anonymous)
Crash reports	Debug and fix errors	Firebase Crashlytics (anonymous)
Ad data	Display ads to keep app free	Google AdMob servers

We do NOT use your information for:

Selling or sharing with third parties (except ad providers)
Marketing or promotional emails
Building user profiles or tracking across apps
Any purpose other than improving Transit Commander

5. Third-Party Services

Transit Commander integrates the following third-party services:

5.1 Transport for London (TfL) API

Purpose: Fetch real-time arrivals, line status, and journey planning
Data sent: Station IDs, line IDs (no personal data)
Privacy: https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/privacy-and-cookies/

5.2 National Rail API (Huxley2)

Purpose: Fetch National Rail train arrivals
Data sent: Station CRS codes (no personal data)
Privacy: Community-run API, no personal data collection

5.3 Google Firebase Analytics & Crashlytics

Purpose: Anonymous analytics and crash reporting
Data collected: Device info, app usage, crash logs (all anonymous)
Privacy: https://firebase.google.com/support/privacy

5.4 Google AdMob

Purpose: Display advertisements to keep the app free
Data collected: Advertising ID, device info, ad interactions
Privacy: https://policies.google.com/technologies/ads
Opt-out: Settings → Google → Ads → Opt out of Ads Personalization

6. Data Storage and Security

We implement appropriate security measures to protect your data:

6.1 Local Storage (On Your Device)

Encrypted storage: Favorites, preferences, and cached data use Android's secure SharedPreferences
Sandboxed: App data is isolated from other apps
No cloud sync: Data stays on your device (not synced to cloud)

6.2 Network Communication

HTTPS encryption: All API calls to TfL, National Rail, and Firebase use encrypted connections
No authentication: APIs use public endpoints (no login or passwords sent)
Timeout protection: Requests timeout after 10 seconds to prevent hanging

6.3 Data Retention

Data Type	Retention Period	Deletion Method
Cached arrivals	5-20 minutes	Automatic expiration
Cached station data	7 days	Automatic refresh
Favorites & preferences	Until app uninstall	Uninstall app or clear app data
Anonymous analytics	14 months	Automatic deletion by Firebase
Crash reports	90 days	Automatic deletion by Firebase

7. Your Rights and Choices

You have complete control over your data:

7.1 Location Permission

Grant/deny: Android Settings → Apps → Transit Commander → Permissions → Location
Impact: If denied, you can still search stations manually (no nearby feature)

7.2 Notification Permission

Grant/deny: Android Settings → Apps → Transit Commander → Permissions → Notifications
Impact: If denied, train alarms and disruption alerts won't appear

7.3 Analytics Opt-Out

Currently managed through device settings (app-level opt-out coming soon)
Android: Disable Firebase Analytics via developer options

7.4 Ad Personalization Opt-Out

Android Settings → Google → Ads → Opt out of Ads Personalization
Or reset your Advertising ID to clear ad tracking history

7.5 Data Deletion

Clear cache: Android Settings → Apps → Transit Commander → Storage → Clear Cache
Clear all data: Android Settings → Apps → Transit Commander → Storage → Clear Data
Complete removal: Uninstall the app to delete all local data

8. Children's Privacy (COPPA & GDPR-K)

Transit Commander is suitable for all ages, including children under 13. We take children's privacy seriously:

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13
No account registration required (no age verification needed)
No social features, chat, or user-generated content
Ads are family-safe and comply with Google's policies
Location permission requires parental approval on supervised devices

9. International Data Transfers

Most data is stored locally on your device (no transfers). However, anonymous analytics and crash reports may be processed by Google's servers worldwide. Google complies with international data protection laws:

EU-US: Google adheres to Privacy Shield principles
UK: Google complies with UK GDPR
Encryption: Data in transit is encrypted via HTTPS

10. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)

For users in the European Economic Area (EEA) and UK, our legal basis for processing information is:

Consent: Location access, analytics, and notifications require your explicit consent
Legitimate interests: Caching data for offline access, crash reporting for bug fixes
Contract performance: Providing core transport information services

11. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

California residents have specific rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

Right to know: See this policy for data we collect (location used locally, analytics anonymous)
Right to delete: Uninstall the app or clear app data
Right to opt-out: We do not sell personal information
Right to non-discrimination: No penalty for exercising privacy rights

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in the app or legal requirements. We will notify you of significant changes through:

In-app notification on first launch after update
Updated "Last Modified" date at the top of this policy
Google Play Store update notes

Your continued use of the app after changes indicates acceptance of the updated policy. Review this policy periodically for updates.

13. Contact Information

If you have questions about this privacy policy or how your data is handled, please contact us:

Developer: J Pearson
Email: support@transitcommander.app
Location: London, United Kingdom
Response time: We aim to respond within 48 hours

14. Disclaimer & Independent Status

Important Notice:

Transit Commander is an independent app and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Transport for London (TfL), National Rail, or any train operating company. All trademarks, logos, and brand names are the property of their respective owners.

Train times and service information are provided for informational purposes only and are sourced from official TfL and National Rail APIs. Always check official sources before making critical travel decisions.

Summary:

Transit Commander prioritizes your privacy while delivering real-time London transport information. We collect minimal data, store most information locally on your device, and never sell or share your personal information. Location data is used locally only for nearby stations and never uploaded.

Key points: No personal data collection • Location processed locally • Anonymous analytics • Ad-supported • Free forever

Transit Commander by J Pearson
Privacy Policy Last Updated: March 13, 2026
Effective Date: March 13, 2026