Legal
PRIVACY POLICY
Last updated: May 18, 2026
The short version
Solar Spotter is built for off-grid 4WD. We designed it to work with as little data collection as possible.
- Your location stays on your device
- We don't have accounts — nothing to log in to, nothing to breach
- We don't track you or your behaviour. We dont want your data. We just want a cold one!
- We don't sell anything about you
1. Who We Are
Solar Spotter is developed and operated by Solar Spotter. If you have any questions about this policy, contact us at [email protected] or visit solarspotter.app.
2. Data We Collect and Why
Location (GPS)
What: Your device's latitude and longitude.
Why: To calculate the sun's position — azimuth, altitude, optimal panel tilt, and sun times including sunrise and sunset. This is the core function of the app.
How it's handled: Processed entirely on your device. Never transmitted to our servers. We do not store, log, or share your location.
When: Only while the app is in use. We do not request background location access.
Compass / Device Orientation
Used to show real-time solar compass direction. Processed on-device only. Never transmitted or stored.
Weather Data
Used to estimate solar efficiency and peak charging windows via cloud cover, precipitation chance, and temperature.
- Free tier: Open-Meteo — no account or API key required, no personal data stored by them
- Pro tier: hyperlocal weather service — no personal data is transmitted beyond an approximate location for the forecast request
In-App Purchases
Pro upgrades are processed entirely by Apple (App Store) or Google (Google Play) depending on your platform. We do not see or store your payment information.
App Settings and Preferences
Panel configuration, unit settings, bush bash mode and haptic preferences are stored locally on your device. This data never leaves your device.
Trip Planner Data (Pro)
Trips you build in the Trip Planner — including stop locations, planned arrival times, per-stop notes, highlights, lowlights, and archived completed trips — are stored locally on your device. This data never leaves your device, is not synced to any cloud, and is not shared with us or any third party. If you uninstall the app, your trips are removed with it.
Daily Battery Tracker Inputs (Pro)
The current battery charge percentage and current system draw you enter into the Daily Battery Tracker are used on-device to compute your sundown projection and sunrise survival check. These values are stored locally for your active session and recent history; they are not transmitted to our servers and are not shared with any third party.
Battery Bluetooth (Pro · BETA)
If you pair Solar Spotter with a compatible battery's built-in monitor (its battery management system, or BMS) over Bluetooth, the readings stay on your device. Specifically:
- Live readings — state-of-charge, voltage, current, and power are read from your battery over Bluetooth in real time. Nothing about these readings is transmitted to our servers or any third party.
- Draw history — a rolling 7-day record of power samples (timestamp + watts only) is stored locally so the Daily Battery Tracker can reflect your typical usage pattern. Cleared on uninstall.
- Trip draw counter — when you have an active trip, the accumulated discharge in amp-hours is stored locally per trip. Cleared when you delete the trip.
- Paired device — your battery's per-app device identifier (an iOS / Android obfuscated identifier, not a hardware MAC address) is stored locally so the app can reconnect when you're next in range. Tapping "Forget this battery" clears it.
Battery Bluetooth requires no account, no cloud, and no signal — once paired, everything happens between your phone and your battery within Bluetooth range.
3. Data We Do Not Collect
- We do not collect your name or email address
- We do not track your behaviour or usage patterns
- We do not use crash reporting or analytics services
- We do not use advertising SDKs or tracking pixels
- We do not collect any personal information whatsoever
- We do collect cold brews and good times to share with good mates
4. Third-Party Services
- Apple App Store — handles purchases on iOS. Governed by Apple's privacy policy.
- Google Play Store — handles purchases on Android. Governed by Google's privacy policy.
- RevenueCat — manages in-app purchase state across platforms. May process a device-level identifier to verify purchase status. No personal data is shared.
- Open-Meteo — free-tier weather data. No account or personal data required.
- Weather services — Pro tier hyperlocal forecasting. No personal data is transmitted beyond an approximate location for the forecast request.
- Apple Maps / Google Maps (Trip Planner navigation handoff) — when you tap the map button on a trip or stop in the Trip Planner, the app constructs a Maps URL on your device and opens it in your platform's native Maps app (Apple Maps on iOS, Google Maps on Android). Solar Spotter does not transmit any data to Apple, Google, or any third party as part of this handoff — only the destination coordinates you have already added to your trip are passed to the OS to open the Maps app. Once the Maps app is open, your interaction with it is governed by Apple's or Google's privacy policy, not ours.
5. Children
Solar Spotter is not directed at children under 13 and we do not knowingly collect data from anyone under 13. If you believe a child has provided us information, contact us and we will respond promptly.
6. Your Rights
If you are located in the European Union, California, or another jurisdiction with applicable privacy laws such as GDPR or CCPA, you have rights regarding your personal data. Since we collect virtually no personal data, there is very little to act on — but you have the right to ask us to stop. Contact us at [email protected].
7. Changes to This Policy
Significant changes will be communicated via an app update. The date at the top of this page reflects when the policy was last updated.