WALKMAP

Privacy Policy

Last updated: July 7, 2026

WalkMap colors in the streets you have physically walked, building your personal map of a city and letting you compare progress with friends. This policy explains exactly what the app does and does not do with your data.

Who we are

WalkMap is an independent app. For any privacy question or request you can reach us at winmaddox@gmail.com.

Location data stays on your device

To record a walk, WalkMap uses your device location, including in the background while a walk is in progress. This lets the app tell which street segments you covered. The location library is motion-gated: it collects GPS only while you are actually moving on foot.

Your raw GPS coordinates and the trace of a walk are stored only in a private database on your own device. They are never uploaded to us or to anyone else. The work of turning a noisy GPS trace into a set of covered streets (“map-matching”) runs on your phone, so the coordinates never need to leave it.

What we do store on our servers

So that your progress survives and leaderboards can work, the app syncs a small amount of non-location data to our backend (hosted on Supabase). Specifically:

• An anonymous account. On first launch the app creates an anonymous account tied to your device. It is not linked to your name, email, phone number, or any social login, and we do not ask you to sign up.
• Covered street-segment IDs. The identifiers of the street segments you have walked — never the GPS points themselves and never a route.
• Aggregate stats. Totals such as blocks covered, distance, walking time, and streak, per city.
• An optional handle. If you choose to appear on a leaderboard, the display name you pick. Leave it blank and you are not shown to others.
• Group memberships. If you create or join a private group, the group and your membership in it.

Because this data is tied to your anonymous account, we treat it as personal data even though it contains no coordinates and no real-world identity.

Leaderboards and groups

Leaderboards are optional. If you set a handle, that handle and your weekly and all-time totals may be visible to other WalkMap users on global and group boards. If you never set a handle, you do not appear on any public board.

Importing past walks (Apple Health & Strava)

WalkMap can optionally prefill your map from walks you have already recorded:

• Apple Health. With your permission, the app reads your walking and hiking workouts (and their route data) from Apple Health. This is processed on your device only to color streets you have already walked. Health and route data is not uploaded to our servers, and imported coverage never counts toward any leaderboard.
• Strava. If you connect Strava, the app imports your own activities and their GPS streams to prefill your map, again processed on your device. You can disconnect at any time.

Map tiles

The map background is drawn from tiles served by a third-party open map-tile provider. As with any map app, requesting the tiles for the area you are viewing reveals that general area to the tile provider. No account or personal identifier is sent with these requests.

What we do not do

• We do not sell or rent your data.
• We do not use advertising networks or third-party analytics/tracking SDKs.
• We do not upload your GPS coordinates, routes, or health data.
• We do not require an email, phone number, or social login.

Deleting your data

You can delete everything at any time. In the app, open Settings → Privacy → “Delete my data.” This permanently erases your anonymous account and all associated data on our servers — covered segments, stats, handle, and group memberships — and clears your walk history on the device. This cannot be undone. You can also email winmaddox@gmail.com to request deletion.

Data retention

We keep your synced data for as long as your anonymous account exists. When you delete your data as described above, it is removed from our servers. Raw traces on your device are removed when you delete a walk or delete your data.

Children

WalkMap is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect data from them.

Changes to this policy

If we change how the app handles data, we will update this page and revise the “Last updated” date above.