Privacy Policy - Madeira Bus

Privacy Policy

Your privacy is important to us. Madeira Bus is committed to protecting your privacy while providing bus schedule information for public transportation in Madeira, Portugal. This policy explains what data we collect, how we use it, and your rights.

1. Information We Do Not Collect

Madeira Bus is designed with a "privacy-first" approach. We do not collect, store, or transmit any personal data, including:

  • Your name, email address, or contact details (except when you voluntarily provide them for support)
  • User accounts or login credentials
  • Advertising identifiers
  • Contacts, photos, or files from your device
  • Payment information (handled entirely by Apple/Google)

2. Location Data

The app requests access to your device's location to show your position on the map and calculate distances to nearby bus stops. This location data is processed entirely on your device.

  • We never transmit your GPS coordinates to our servers
  • We do not store a history of your locations
  • We do not share your location with any third parties
  • Location data is used only to display nearby stops and is never collected

3. Anonymous Usage Analytics

We use an analytics service to understand how people use the app and which features are most helpful. This data is completely anonymous and cannot be used to identify you personally.

What We Track

  • Route searches – Which bus routes are searched for (e.g., "20", "AE")
  • Route views – Which route schedules are viewed
  • Feature interactions – Button taps, direction changes, day type selections
  • App lifecycle – When the app is opened, closed, or backgrounded
  • Device information – Device model, operating system version, app version
  • Anonymous session identifiers – Not linked to your identity

What We Do NOT Track

  • Your GPS location or coordinates
  • Personal searches or queries containing personal information
  • Your name, email, or any identifying information
  • Advertising identifiers
  • Data from other apps on your device

How We Use This Data

  • Understand which routes are most popular
  • Identify which features are most helpful
  • Prioritize improvements and new features
  • Optimize app performance

4. Error Tracking and App Improvement

We use an error tracking service to improve app stability and fix bugs quickly.

Data Collected Automatically

When you use the app, we may collect:

  • Crash reports – Information about app errors and crashes
  • Performance data – App loading times and responsiveness metrics
  • Device information – Device model, operating system version, app version
  • Session replay – Anonymous recordings of app interactions (1% of sessions, 100% when a crash occurs) to understand and fix user experience issues

This data is collected automatically and is not linked to your identity. Session replays are anonymized and do not capture personal information.

Data You Choose to Provide

If you use the in-app feedback feature, you may optionally provide:

  • Feedback message – Description of your issue or suggestion
  • Name – Optional, for personalized support
  • Email address – Optional, if you'd like us to follow up

5. Data Security

We take the security of your data seriously:

  • All data is encrypted during transmission (HTTPS/TLS)
  • Data is hosted in the European Union (GDPR compliant)
  • We do not sell your data to third parties
  • We do not use your data for advertising
  • We do not track you across other apps or websites

6. Your Rights (GDPR)

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you have the following rights:

  • Access your data – Request a copy of data we've collected about you
  • Delete your data – Request deletion of your data
  • Object to processing – Opt-out of data collection where technically feasible
  • Data portability – Receive your data in a portable format

To exercise your rights, contact us at [email protected].

Please note: Since most data is anonymous, we may not be able to identify specific data as belonging to you.

7. Third-Party Services

We use third-party services hosted in the European Union for analytics and error tracking. These services process data in accordance with GDPR requirements. The app also provides links to external map services (Apple Maps, Google Maps) which have their own privacy policies.

8. Data Retention

  • Crash logs and analytics: Retained for up to 1 year
  • Bug reports: Retained until the issue is resolved, then archived
  • Anonymous analytics: Aggregated indefinitely for trend analysis

9. Children's Privacy

This app does not knowingly collect data from children under 13. The app is designed for general public transportation use and does not require personal information.

10. Updates

We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page. Continued use of the app after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this privacy policy or our data practices, contact us at:

Last updated: January 2026