Overview
Locus is a personal GPS location tracking app for Android. It automatically saves visited places, enriches them with points of interest data, and lets you review past journeys on a map.
This policy explains what data is collected, how it is used, and your rights as a user. We are committed to transparency: Locus is designed with privacy as a core principle. All your data is stored locally on your device.
✦ Locus does not have a backend server. Your location history never reaches us — it lives only on your device.
Data We Collect
Locus collects the following data during normal operation:
- Precise GPS location — collected continuously in the background while tracking is active, using Android's
ACCESS_FINE_LOCATIONandACCESS_BACKGROUND_LOCATIONpermissions. - Approximate location — may be used as a fallback when precise GPS is unavailable.
- Visited places — coordinates, timestamps, and derived place names stored locally in an SQLite database on your device.
No personal information (name, email, phone number, device identifiers) is ever collected.
How We Use Your Data
Location data is used exclusively for app functionality:
- Recording visited places and movement history
- Reverse geocoding coordinates into human-readable place names (via Nominatim)
- Discovering nearby points of interest (via Overpass API)
- Enriching places with Wikipedia descriptions (via Wikidata and Wikipedia APIs)
Your data is never used for advertising, analytics, profiling, or any purpose beyond making the app function as described.
Third-Party Services
To enrich your location data, Locus makes requests to the following third-party services. Your GPS coordinates are transmitted to these services as part of normal operation. These services are open and privacy-respecting, and do not require accounts or store personal data.
| Service | Purpose | Data sent | Privacy policy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominatim | Reverse geocoding | GPS coordinates | OSM Foundation |
| Overpass API | Points of interest | GPS coordinates | OpenStreetMap |
| Wikidata API | Place metadata | Place identifiers | Wikimedia Foundation |
| Wikipedia API | Place descriptions | Article titles | Wikimedia Foundation |
All communication with these services occurs over HTTPS (encrypted in transit). Locus does not share your data with any advertising networks, analytics providers, or commercial third parties.
Data Storage & Security
All data collected by Locus — including your complete location history, saved places, and enrichment data — is stored exclusively in a local SQLite database on your device. It is never uploaded to any server.
- Data is stored in the app's private storage directory, inaccessible to other apps
- All network communication uses HTTPS encryption
- No cloud backup of your data is performed by Locus
You can export your data at any time using the built-in backup feature (JSON format via Android share sheet).
Your Rights & Data Deletion
You have full control over your data at all times:
- Delete individual places — directly within the app
- Delete all data — via Settings → Delete all data
- Complete deletion — uninstalling Locus permanently removes all data from your device
Because all data is stored locally and never transmitted to our servers, deletion is immediate and complete. There is no server-side data to request deletion of.
To submit a formal data deletion request, visit our data deletion page.
Contact
If you have any questions about this privacy policy or how Locus handles your data, you can reach the developer at:
This policy may be updated from time to time. Continued use of the app after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.