Soundscape Privacy Policy

Last Updated: 17th September 2026

Introduction

Welcome to Soundscape. This Privacy Policy is meant to help you understand what data we collect, why we collect it, and what we do with it. This is important; we hope you will take the time to read it carefully.

This policy covers the Soundscape app on both Android and iOS. The two apps are built from mostly the same source code and behave the same way in every respect described here.

No account, and nothing of yours on our servers

Soundscape has no accounts and no sign-in. The markers and routes you create, the settings you choose, and any offline maps you download are stored on your phone. Soundscape never sends them to us, and we have no way to see them.

Your phone’s own backup service may copy your markers, routes and settings to your personal cloud account, so that they can be restored if you set up a new phone: this is Google’s backup service on Android and iCloud Backup on iOS. Those backups belong to your Google or Apple account rather than to us, we have no access to them, and they are handled under Google’s and Apple’s own privacy policies. Both services encrypt the backup in transit and while it is stored. On Android it is additionally encrypted with a key derived from your screen lock, which Google cannot read, so a screen lock is worth setting. On iOS the same is true of iCloud Backup only if you have turned on Advanced Data Protection; otherwise Apple holds the keys. You can turn the backup off entirely in your phone’s settings.

Information We Collect

We may collect the following types of information:

  1. Device information - We may collect specific device information such as hardware model, operating system version, unique device identifiers, and mobile network information.
  2. Log information - Details of how our service is used, such as which features are used and how often. Also information about any crashes that occur within the app.
  3. Location information - Any crash within the app will include the last valid location that Soundscape had when the crash happened.

The usage information records only that a feature was used - for example that you pressed “My location”, or that a search was run. It does not include where you were, what you searched for, or the names of any places around you.

Information Sent While You Use the App

Soundscape needs map data, and to describe places it sometimes has to ask a server about them. This means that some information leaves your phone while the app is working, separately from the usage and crash reporting described above.

  1. Map data - Soundscape downloads the map squares covering the area you are in. Each square is roughly 2.5 km across, so these requests tell the server the general area you are in rather than your precise position. If you download an offline map region, that region is requested in the same way, and after that Soundscape can use it without asking again.
  2. Searches and place names - When you search for a place, and when the app needs the name or address of somewhere near you, your coordinates - and the text you typed, if you were searching - are sent to a search service. Soundscape uses its own search service and the geocoding service built into your phone, which is provided by Google on Android and by Apple on iOS. Each of those services handles the request under its own privacy policy.
  3. Spoken callouts - Callouts are spoken by the text-to-speech voice built into your phone. Some Android text-to-speech engines send the text they are given to their own servers in order to produce the speech; which engine is used is a setting on your phone rather than something Soundscape controls.

Our map and search servers keep the standard web server records of requests made to them, which include your IP address.

How We Use the Information

The data we collect is used to:

  1. Monitor the stability of the service and give us information that is useful to help fix any issues.
  2. Measure and analyse app usage trends.

Some of this data is collected via third-party services that have their own Privacy Policy about handling data. Below are the links to the Privacy Policy of the third-party service providers used by the Application:

The map and search servers that Soundscape uses are run by the Scottish Tech Army.

Information You Send Us

If you contact support from within the app, Soundscape prepares an email for you containing details that help us diagnose problems: your device and app version, your audio setup, the offline maps you have downloaded, and your Soundscape settings. Nothing is sent until you send the email yourself, and you can read and edit it first, or delete any part of it you would rather not share.

Information Sharing and Disclosure

With your consent: We may share personal information with third parties outside of Soundscape when we have your consent to do so.

For legal reasons: We may share information to detect, prevent, or otherwise address fraud, security, or technical issues, and to protect against harm to the rights, property, or safety of Soundscape, our users, or the public.

We do not sell your data, and we do not use it for advertising.

Your Rights Under GDPR

Under the GDPR, you have the right to:

  1. Access the personal data we hold about you.
  2. Request the correction of inaccurate personal data we hold about you.
  3. Request the deletion of your personal data.
  4. Object to the processing of your personal data.
  5. Request the restriction of processing of your personal data.
  6. Request the transfer of your personal data to another party.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@scottishtecharmy.org.

Opt-Out Rights

You can stop all collection of information by the Application easily by uninstalling it. You may use the standard uninstall processes as may be available as part of your mobile device or via the mobile application marketplace or network.

Data Retention Policy

We will retain your personal information only for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy. Crash reports, with the location data they contain, are retained for up to 90 days. Other data is retained for as long as you use the Application and for a reasonable time thereafter. If you’d like us to delete data that you have provided via the Application, please contact us at info@scottishtecharmy.org and we will respond in a reasonable time.

Children’s Privacy

Soundscape does not target and is not intended for children under the age of 18. We do not knowingly solicit or collect personal information from children under the age of 18.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may change this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will post any changes on this page and, if the changes are significant, we will provide a more prominent notice.

Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at: support@scottishtecharmy.org

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