Last updated: July 25, 2026
Pocket Odyssey ("the app," "we," "us") is a virtual travel app. This policy explains what data we collect, why, and how you can control it.
The short version
We never collect your real GPS location. Every trip in Pocket Odyssey is simulated based on the origin and destination you choose. We store your trips, passport stamps, and settings so your progress isn't lost, and we use a few trusted third-party services to fetch photos, place names, and travel-guide content for the spots along your route.
Information we collect
- Anonymous device identity. On first launch, we create an anonymous account for your device using Firebase Authentication. This lets your trips and passport sync to the cloud without asking for your name, email, or phone number.
- Trip data. The origins, destinations, vehicles, and progress of journeys you create, plus the passport stamps you earn, are stored in our database (Firebase/Firestore) tied to your anonymous device identity.
- Route lookups. As your simulated journey passes through a location, we look up its name, weather, and points of interest, and generate an AI travel-guide description and reference photos for it. These lookups are cached on our servers and are not linked back to you beyond standard rate-limiting records.
- Advertising data. We show ads via Google AdMob to support free use of the app. AdMob and its partners may collect device identifiers (such as your device's advertising ID) to serve and measure ads. On iOS, this only happens if you grant tracking permission when prompted (App Tracking Transparency); if you decline, you'll still see ads, just less personalized ones.
Information we do not collect
We do not access your device's real GPS or location services. We do not collect your name, email, contacts, photos, or microphone/camera data. We do not sell your personal information.
Third-party services we use
- Firebase (Google) — authentication, database, and cloud functions.
- OpenStreetMap & map tile providers — for map rendering and place names.
- Unsplash / Wikimedia Commons — for reference photography of places you visit.
- An AI language model provider — to generate the travel-guide text for each stop.
- Apple WeatherKit — for live weather at each location along your route.
- Google AdMob — to serve in-app ads.
Each of these services processes data under its own privacy policy; we only send them the minimum needed (e.g., a place name or coordinate) to return the content shown in the app.
Children's privacy
Pocket Odyssey is a general-audience app and is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, contact us and we will delete it.
Your choices
- You can delete your account and all associated data at any time from the app's Settings screen.
- You can reset your device's advertising identifier or limit ad tracking from your device's system settings.
Data retention
We keep your trip and passport data for as long as your account exists. Cached location lookups (photos, descriptions, weather) are kept to speed up the app for all users and are not tied to any individual after the initial lookup.
Changes to this policy
If we make material changes to this policy, we'll update the "Last updated" date above and, where appropriate, notify you in the app.
Contact
Questions about this policy or your data? Email us at huyqb211@gmail.com.