This policy explains what Roadless ("the app", "we", "us") does with information. It applies to the Roadless iOS application and to roadless.ca.
1. Information we collect
We do not collect personal information. Roadless has no user accounts, no sign-in, and no profiles. We do not ask for your name, email address, phone number or payment details, and we operate no database of users. We cannot identify you.
Because there are no accounts, there is nothing to log into and no account to delete. Uninstalling the app removes everything associated with it.
2. Information stored on your device
Using the app creates data that stays in the app's private storage on your iPhone:
- Your conversations with the built-in AI
- Map pins you create, and the GPS breadcrumb trail recorded while the map screen is open
- The gear and supplies you record
- Downloaded map areas and the downloaded AI model
- App preferences such as theme and units
None of this is transmitted to us or to anyone else. It is retained on your device until you delete it. You can erase it at any time in Options → Clear local data, or by deleting the app.
3. Location
Roadless requests location access ("While Using the App") to show your position on the map and to measure distances to water, towns, roads and your own pins. These calculations happen entirely on the device. Your continuous location is never streamed anywhere, and no location history is uploaded.
When you set up a new area, an approximate coordinate for that area is sent to the services in section 4 so they can return the correct map and regional data. This happens during setup only, not while you are out using the app. You can refuse or revoke location access at any time in iOS Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services → Roadless; the app continues to work, but it cannot show where you are.
4. When the app connects to the internet
Roadless contacts the following services. These are independent providers, each with its own privacy policy, and we require that any provider handling data through the app offers protection at least equivalent to this policy.
| Service | What is sent | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Roadless backend (api.roadless.ca, on Cloudflare) |
The map-area boundaries you requested; a request for the AI model file | To deliver the offline map for that area and the on-device AI model. No personal data is stored. |
| OpenStreetMap (Nominatim, Overpass) |
Approximate coordinates, or a place name you typed | To name your area and find nearby towns, roads, trails and water |
| GBIF | Approximate coordinates and a radius | To list plants, animals and fish recorded in that region |
| CARTO | Map tile coordinates while the area picker is open | To draw the online map used for choosing an area |
| Expo | App version and device model | To check for app updates |
Once your area is downloaded, Roadless needs none of them: using the app in the field makes no network requests at all.
5. The AI runs on your phone
Roadless downloads Qwen3.5-4B — an open-source model built and trained by the Qwen team at Alibaba, released under the Apache 2.0 licence — to your device, and runs it locally. We did not train it; we add a small amount of tuning so it understands the app. What you type into the chat is processed on the phone. It is not sent to us, to a cloud AI provider, or to anyone else — the app is built to work with no signal, which would be impossible if it depended on a remote service. Your conversations are never used to train any model.
Its answers are for general information only and can be wrong. See the Terms of Use for what that means before you rely on anything it says.
6. What we do not do
- We do not sell or share personal information, for money or anything else.
- We do not use advertising networks, ad identifiers, or third-party trackers.
- We do not use analytics or crash-reporting SDKs that profile you.
- We do not track you across other apps or websites, and the app asks for no tracking permission.
- We do not build a profile of your movements.
7. Your rights and choices
Privacy laws including the EU/UK GDPR, Canada's PIPEDA and the California Consumer Privacy Act give you rights over personal information a company holds about you — access, correction, deletion, portability, and the right not to have it sold.
We hold none. There is no server-side record for us to produce, correct, export or erase, because none is ever created. In practice you exercise these rights directly: your data is on your device, and you control it by clearing local data in the app, revoking location access in iOS Settings, or deleting the app. If you have a question about any of this, contact us and we will answer.
8. Data retention
We retain nothing, because we receive nothing. Data created by the app is kept on your device until you remove it. Our backend does not log personal data; standard, short-lived network logs kept by our infrastructure provider for security and abuse prevention are not used to identify users.
9. International transfers
The third-party services listed in section 4 operate globally, so a request made during area setup may be handled by servers outside your country. Since those requests contain no personal identifiers, no personal information is transferred internationally.
10. Children
Roadless is not directed at children under 13 and we do not knowingly collect information from them. Since the app collects no personal information from anyone, it collects none from children. If you believe a child has provided personal information through the app, contact us.
11. Security
Your data is protected by iOS itself: app storage is sandboxed and covered by the device's own encryption and passcode. Network requests use HTTPS. No system is perfectly secure, but because nothing personal leaves your phone, there is no central store of user data to breach.
12. Changes to this policy
If this policy changes we will update this page and the date at the top. Material changes will be highlighted in the app. Continuing to use Roadless after a change means you accept the revision.
13. Contact
Questions, requests or complaints: support@roadless.ca. If you are in the EU or UK and are unsatisfied with our response, you may complain to your local data protection authority.