Privacy Policy
Last updated: June 4, 2026
This is the privacy policy for the Groundwell mobile application ("the app"). It is intentionally short because the app collects very little.
1. What the app stores
When you use Groundwell, the following are stored locally on your device, in standard platform app storage:
- Your display name (the one you typed during onboarding).
- The city or "use current location" preference you picked.
- Your session history (when you grounded, for how long, the inputs you selected, and the scores Groundwell computed).
- Your Earth Connectivity Points (ECP) total and weekly tally.
- The achievements you've earned.
- Cached results from public data sources (described below).
We do not sync, copy, or transmit any of this off your device.
2. What the app sends to other services
Groundwell calls a small number of public APIs to fetch real-world data. None of these requests include your name, your sessions, or any persistent identifier — they include only the coordinates required to look up data for your area.
| Service | What's sent | What's returned |
|---|---|---|
| Open-Meteo | latitude/longitude | Current weather, UV, soil moisture |
| Open-Meteo Air Quality | latitude/longitude | US Air Quality Index |
| Open-Meteo Geocoding | text query or coordinates | City / place names |
| NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center | (no parameters) | Recent planetary Kp index |
| OpenStreetMap Overpass API | latitude/longitude + radius | Names + coordinates of nearby parks, trails, beaches, peaks, lakes, riverbanks |
| Carto map tiles | tile coordinates derived from the map you're viewing | Basemap imagery |
The IP address used to make each call is, by default, the IP of the device making the request. We don't see those IPs because we don't operate any servers.
3. What the app does NOT collect or send
- We do not create an account for you.
- We do not send your name, your sessions, your achievements, your ECP total, or any device identifier to anyone.
- We do not show advertisements.
- We do not integrate analytics SDKs.
- We do not use third-party trackers.
4. Permissions
| Permission | Why |
|---|---|
| Location (When in Use) | To show parks, trails, and other outdoor places near you, and to fetch live weather + soil conditions for your area. |
| Motion (optional) | If granted, during an active session Groundwell uses motion data to estimate posture (e.g., standing, sitting, lying down) and surface stability. Motion data never leaves the device. |
Both permissions can be denied or revoked in your device settings without preventing the rest of the app from working — location-denied users get a default location they can change in the location picker, and motion-denied users get a fixed-posture estimate.
5. Children
Groundwell is intended for users 13 and older. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13.
6. Editorial position
Groundwell provides environmental and geological information for educational purposes. It is not a medical device and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. See the in-app disclaimer.
7. Changes
If we change this policy in any material way, we'll update the version date at the top and surface a notice in the app before you can continue.
8. Contact
For privacy questions, write to [email protected].