1. Who this policy covers
This policy applies to the ThunderTracker mobile app and the ThunderTracker privacy and support pages. ThunderTracker is developed by Ademola Kevin Bello. In this policy, “ThunderTracker”, “we”, “us”, and “our” refer to the developer and the services used to operate the app.
Questions or privacy requests can be sent to ademolab91@gmail.com.
2. Information we process
Location and map requests
If you grant location access, the app processes your device’s latitude and longitude to centre the map, find nearby reported lightning, calculate distance, and support alerts you enable. A map request sends coordinates and your selected search radius to our service, which requests lightning data from Vaisala Xweather. Apple MapKit on iOS or Google Maps on Android may also process map viewport, location, and technical request information to display the map.
You can also search for a city without sharing your device location. The city text you enter is sent through our service to Geoapify to return matching places.
Nearby alert information
When push services are configured, the OneSignal SDK may create pseudonymous app and subscription identifiers and process device, app, network, session, and notification-permission information when ThunderTracker starts. OneSignal’s own location-collection feature is disabled in ThunderTracker.
If you turn on nearby lightning alerts, our service stores a pseudonymous monitor record containing your most recently supplied coordinates and update time, chosen alert radius, alert status, a push-notification subscription identifier, wait-timer state, and technical delivery state. If you enable background following, the app may update that location while it is not open, subject to your device permissions and operating-system limits. To deliver an alert, our service sends OneSignal the subscription identifier and a notification payload that can contain the monitored coordinates and nearby strike details.
On supported iPhones, choosing to show the timer on your Lock Screen also uses a Live Activity token so the timer can be updated.
Information stored on your device
Saved places, place nicknames, recent searches, the last opened alert, units, onboarding state, preferences, alert settings, local trial-reminder information, and credentials used to communicate with your alert monitor are stored on your device. Saved places are bookmarks only; saving a place does not enable monitoring for it.
Purchases and subscriptions
Apple processes payments. RevenueCat helps us verify purchases and subscription access using an app-specific anonymous identifier, receipt and entitlement information, and device or app technical information. ThunderTracker does not receive your full payment-card details.
Analytics and diagnostics
When product analytics is enabled, PostHog helps us understand basic app usage and reliability. This may include app lifecycle and screen-view events, app and device information, network information such as an IP address, and limited error or notification-interaction events. We do not intentionally include your precise coordinates, saved-place names, or lightning history in analytics events.
Support and website information
If you contact support, we receive the information you choose to send, such as your email address, message, screenshots, app version, device model, and operating-system version. When you visit these hosted pages, ordinary web request data such as IP address, browser information, and timestamps may be processed for delivery, security, and reliability.
3. How we use information
We use the information described above to:
- show recent reported lightning for an area you choose;
- calculate the nearest strike’s distance and direction;
- send nearby lightning alerts and maintain the 30-minute wait timer when enabled;
- provide city search, saved-place, subscription, and support features;
- protect the service, enforce request limits, diagnose problems, and improve reliability; and
- comply with legal obligations and defend our legal rights.
Where applicable under UK or European law, we rely on your consent and device permissions for location and notifications, performance of the service you request, our legitimate interests in securing and improving the service, and compliance with law. You may withdraw a permission in device settings at any time.
4. Services that help operate ThunderTracker
We share only the data reasonably needed for these providers to perform their functions:
- Vaisala Xweather — reported lightning data;
- Geoapify — city search and geocoding;
- OneSignal — push-notification delivery and interaction status;
- RevenueCat — purchase and subscription entitlement management;
- PostHog — product analytics and diagnostics;
- Apple — iOS platform and map services, App Store payments, notifications, and Live Activities;
- Google — map services on Android; and
- Expo and Hetzner — app, website, and backend infrastructure.
These providers process information under their own terms and privacy notices. Some may process information in countries other than yours, including the United States, using contractual and other safeguards where required.
We may also disclose information if required by law, to protect users or the service, or as part of a business transfer subject to appropriate protections. We do not sell personal information and do not share it for cross-context behavioural advertising.
5. Your controls
- Location: change foreground or background access in your device settings. City search remains available without device location.
- Notifications: turn nearby alerts off in ThunderTracker and change notification permission in device settings.
- Saved places and recent searches: remove them in the app. Clearing app data or uninstalling removes or makes most local data unavailable, although secure Keychain data may persist on some Apple devices after reinstalling.
- Subscriptions: restore or manage them from Settings in ThunderTracker and through your App Store account.
- Analytics: you may ask us about or object to processing associated with your use of the app.
Before uninstalling, we recommend turning nearby alerts off. Uninstalling the app clears local data but may not by itself delete the pseudonymous monitor record held by our alert service.
6. Retention
Map requests and lightning-query caches are short-lived and used to respond efficiently. City-search results may be cached temporarily. Saved places and preferences remain on your device until you remove them or clear the app’s data; some secure Keychain data may persist across uninstall and reinstall on Apple devices.
Alert-monitor records and related delivery state are kept while needed to provide alerts, maintain service integrity, resolve problems, or meet legal obligations. Turning alerts off stops monitoring but does not automatically erase the record. Disabled records may remain until they are no longer needed or are removed in response to a valid request. Support correspondence and analytics records are retained only as reasonably necessary for support, security, improvement, and legal purposes, subject to provider settings and obligations.
7. Your privacy rights
Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, restrict, or receive a copy of personal information, object to certain processing, and withdraw consent. You may also have the right to complain to your local data-protection authority.
To make a request, email ademolab91@gmail.com. Because ThunderTracker does not require an account, we may need limited information to locate a pseudonymous record and verify that the request concerns your device. We will not ask for more information than reasonably necessary.
8. Security
We use technical and organisational measures intended to protect information, including restricted server-side records and pseudonymous monitor credentials. No system is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
9. Children
ThunderTracker is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided personal information, contact us so we can investigate and take appropriate action.
10. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as ThunderTracker changes. We will post the revised policy here and update the effective date. If a change materially affects how we use information, we will provide additional notice where required.
11. Contact
For privacy questions or requests, contact:
Ademola Kevin Bello
ThunderTracker
ademolab91@gmail.com