Privacy Policy
Last updated: September 6, 2026
This policy explains what information the Israel National Trail app (“the app”) collects, how it is used, who can see it, and the choices you have. The app is published by Lior Boyango (“we”, “us”). The policy applies to the Android and iOS versions of the app and to this website.
Contents
- Information we collect
- How we use it
- Who can see it
- Service providers
- How long we keep it
- Deleting your account and data
- Device permissions
- Children
- Security
- Your rights
- Changes to this policy
- Contact
1. Information we collect
1.1 Browsing without an account
When you open the app it creates an anonymous account with Firebase so that it can load trail data (segments, campsites, water points, Trail Angels, weather). This anonymous account contains no personal information and is not linked to you.
1.2 Account information
To use community features you sign in with Google or with Sign in with Apple. We receive and store your display name, your email address (Apple may give us a private relay address if you choose to hide your email), your profile picture URL when the provider supplies one, and which provider you used.
Alongside your profile we also store your device's operating system and version, the device model and the app version. This helps us reproduce problems you report. We also store the list of trail segments you marked as done so it can be restored on a new device.
1.3 Content you create
- Messages in the chats attached to segments, campsites, water points and libraries. They are shown to all users together with your display name and profile picture.
- Difficulty ranks for segments, votes on campsites, water points and libraries, and feedback on Trail Angels.
- Campsites and water points you share with the community.
- Personal points: private locations that only you can see.
- Booking requests to Trail Angels: dates, number of guests, the phone numbers you enter and the messages you exchange with the Angel. Visible only to you and that Angel.
- Trail Angel profile, if you register as an Angel: your name, the place you host at, phone numbers, what you offer (sleeping arrangement, shower, rides, free or paid, religious household), availability, maximum guests, an optional link and an optional profile picture. Your phone numbers are shown to a hiker only after you approve their booking request. Everything else is visible to all users.
- Reports about content and bug reports. Bug reports include device details and, if you choose to attach it, the app's diagnostic log. They are emailed to us and are not public.
- Translations you submit for community content.
1.4 Push notifications
If you allow notifications, we store your device's notification token so that we can tell you about booking requests, replies and status changes. Tokens are deleted when you sign out.
1.5 Location
The app uses your location to show where you are on the map, to measure distances to points on the trail, to guide the compass and, if you enable it, to warn you when you leave the trail. Location is processed on your device only. We do not upload, store or share it. You can revoke the location permission at any time in your device settings; the map still works without it.
1.6 Analytics and crash reports
We use Firebase Analytics and Firebase Crashlytics to learn which features are used and to fix crashes. This data is pseudonymous: an app instance identifier, device model, operating system version, app version, the screens you used and, for crashes, a stack trace. It does not include your name, email or location. You decide whether to allow it on the welcome screen when you first open the app.
1.7 App integrity
The app uses Firebase App Check with Google Play Integrity on Android and Apple App Attest or DeviceCheck on iOS to verify that requests come from a genuine copy of the app. These services process a device attestation token; we receive no personal information from them.
1.8 Data kept on your device
Your preferences (language, theme, trail direction), the offline map you download, and the defaults you enter in booking forms (guest count, phone numbers) are stored only on your device. Booking defaults are kept in encrypted storage and are removed when you sign out. Uninstalling the app removes all of it.
2. How we use information
- To provide the features described above.
- To send notifications you have opted into.
- To answer support requests, reports and bug reports.
- To keep the service secure and prevent abuse.
- To improve the app, using analytics only if you allowed it.
We do not sell personal information and we do not use it for advertising. The app contains no ads.
3. Who can see your information
| Information | Visible to |
|---|---|
| Chat messages, ranks, votes, shared campsites and water points, Angel feedback | All signed‑in users of the app |
| Trail Angel profile (except phone numbers) | All users of the app |
| Trail Angel phone numbers | Hikers whose booking request the Angel approved |
| Booking requests and booking messages | The hiker and the Angel involved |
| Personal points, segments marked as done | Only you |
| Email address, device details, reports, bug reports | Only the developer |
We do not share personal information with anyone else, except the service providers listed below or when required by law.
4. Service providers
- Firebase and Google Cloud (Google LLC): sign‑in, database, file storage, cloud functions, push notifications, analytics, crash reporting, remote configuration and app integrity. Your data is stored on Google's servers. See Privacy and Security in Firebase.
- Google Maps Platform: the map and Street View. Google's privacy policy applies to map usage.
- Google Sign‑In and Sign in with Apple: authentication.
- OpenStreetMap: trail map tiles may be fetched from OpenStreetMap servers when they are not available in your offline map.
- OpenWeather: weather forecasts for trail segments are fetched by our server. No user data is sent.
5. How long we keep it
We keep your account information and content for as long as your account exists. Reports and bug reports are kept for as long as needed to handle them. Analytics and crash data are retained by Firebase according to its retention settings. Data on your device stays until you sign out, delete it or uninstall the app.
6. Deleting your account and data
You can delete your account and data from inside the app:
- Open the navigation menu.
- Tap Sign Out.
- Tick Delete all my data and confirm.
This deletes your profile, your sign‑in account, your bookings and booking messages, your personal points, your Trail Angel profile, your notification tokens, and any reports and bug reports you sent.
Contributions you made to the community (chat messages, ranks, votes, Angel feedback, and campsites or water points you shared) are not removed automatically, because other hikers rely on them. If you want them removed as well, email us and we will take care of it.
You can also request deletion by emailing intshvilisrael@gmail.com from the address you signed in with. We will complete the request within 30 days.
Signing out without ticking the box keeps your data so it is there when you sign in again.
Facebook sign‑in is no longer offered by the app. If you signed in with Facebook in the past and want that data removed, email us.
7. Device permissions
| Permission | Why the app asks for it |
|---|---|
| Location | Show your position on the map, measure distances, guide the compass and warn you when you leave the trail. Never uploaded. |
| Notifications | Tell you about booking requests, replies and approvals. |
| Storage (Android 12 and older) | Save the offline map to your device. |
| Network | Load the map, community content and weather; download the offline map, which may continue in the background. |
Each permission is optional and can be changed in your device settings. The app keeps working with reduced functionality.
8. Children
The app is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has given us personal information, contact us and we will delete it.
9. Security
All traffic between the app and our servers is encrypted. Database and storage access is restricted by security rules so that each record can only be changed by the user who created it. App Check blocks requests that do not come from a genuine copy of the app, and phone numbers saved on your device are kept in encrypted storage. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.
10. Your rights
You can access, correct or delete your information, and object to or restrict how we use it. Most of this you can do yourself in the app; for anything else, email us. If you are in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, these rights are provided under the GDPR and you may also complain to your local data protection authority. If you are in Israel, the Protection of Privacy Law applies. We will never treat you differently for exercising your rights.
11. Changes to this policy
When we change this policy we will publish the new version on this page and update the date at the top. If a change is significant, we will also tell you in the app.
12. Contact
Questions or requests about privacy: intshvilisrael@gmail.com.