Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

AnimateMyRoute is made by Ember Oak Studios, an independent app publisher based in Ireland ("we", "us" or "our"). When we decide how and why your personal data is used, Ember Oak Studios is the data controller, which means we are responsible for that use.

Some of the companies that help us run the app decide for themselves how they use certain information. Their own privacy policies explain this in more detail.

2. Information that stays on your device

You do not need an account, and AnimateMyRoute does not keep an online copy of your projects.

The following information is stored and used on your device:

• project names and dates, route details, and your map and animation choices;
• GPX files and Google Maps routes you choose to add;
• vehicle photos you choose, along with edited versions and small preview images;
• drafts, previews and temporary files created while making a video;
• videos and project backups you choose to save; and
• app choices such as your theme, whether you finished the introduction and whether ads are removed.

The app keeps this information in its private storage. Vehicle photos are edited on your device and are not uploaded by AnimateMyRoute. Android's automatic app backup is turned off. The app does not ask for access to your live location, camera, microphone or contacts.

Finished videos are saved to your Android media library. A video or project backup is sent to another app only when you choose where to share or save it. That app's privacy policy applies once it receives the file.

3. Information used by online features

Opening a Google Maps route

If you paste a shortened Google Maps route, the app connects to an approved Google address to open the full link. It then uses the stops in that link to build your journey. Google receives normal connection information, including your IP address. AnimateMyRoute does not copy Google's exact route and is not affiliated with Google.

Finding places and building a route

When you search for a place or ask the app to build a route, your search words, chosen locations and whether you are driving, cycling or walking are sent securely to the AnimateMyRoute online service. It shares only what is needed with a place-search or route provider. If the first route provider cannot connect your stops, a backup provider may receive the locations and try again. The companies we currently use are listed in section 7.

• Your device sends the place you searched for or the locations in your route to our online service.
• Our service asks the appropriate provider to find the place or build the route.
• A backup provider receives the locations only if the first provider cannot connect them.

Our service does not keep your searches or route locations as a history. Companies that carry the request over the internet still receive normal connection details, such as your IP address, the time of the request and basic device or browser information.

Checking the app and preventing misuse

Google and Firebase help us check that online requests come from a genuine copy of the app rather than an automated or altered one. This check uses app, device, security and network signals. After a successful check, our service creates a random installation ID and stores it securely on your device. This is not an advertising ID and is not linked to an account.

Our hosting and security company uses IP addresses to protect the service and limit excessive requests. Security records may include what type of request was made, when it happened, whether it worked, a random request number, an error type and the random installation ID. We do not add route names, locations or security keys to these records. We may block an installation ID when needed to protect the service from misuse.

Map display

The app downloads map images and styles from OpenFreeMap. OpenFreeMap and the companies that deliver those files receive normal connection details. The maps use OpenMapTiles and OpenStreetMap data, and the required credits appear in the app and saved videos.

4. Ads, privacy choices and Google Play purchases

Advertising

The free version uses Google AdMob. Before ads start, Google's privacy service checks whether it needs to show you a message or ask for a choice. When ads are turned on, the app may show a full-screen ad before it starts creating your video.

Depending on where you live and the choices on your device, Google and its advertising partners may use an advertising or device ID, your IP address and general area, device and app details, privacy choices, ad activity and error information. They may use this to show, limit, personalise and measure ads and prevent fraud. Even non-personalised ads need some basic information, such as an IP address, so they can be delivered.

When available, you can revisit these choices under Privacy & ad choicesin Settings. You can also reset your Android advertising ID or change ad privacy choices in your device and Google settings. AnimateMyRoute does not use a separate service to track how you behave in the app or report crashes.

Optional subscription to remove ads

Google Play handles payment for the optional monthly subscription. AnimateMyRoute receives the offer, purchase and subscription details it needs to complete or restore your purchase. We do not receive your full card details. Ads stay off while Google Play says the subscription is active.

5. This website and support

This website has no accounts, contact form, advertising code or visitor analytics, and it does not use marketing cookies. The company that hosts and protects the site receives normal web details such as your IP address, browser, the page you open, the time and security signals needed to show you the site safely.

If you email support, we receive your email address, message and any files you attach. We use them to reply, look into the issue, protect the service and keep records where the law requires it. Please do not send private routes, photos or other sensitive information unless we need them to help you.

6. Why we are allowed to use personal data

Under EU and Irish data-protection law, we use personal data for these reasons:

• To provide what you ask for: for example, opening a route link, finding a place, building a route, showing a map, handling a purchase or replying to support.
• Your consent: for personalised ads and access to device information where the law requires your permission. You can change your mind through the available privacy choices. This does not make earlier use of the information unlawful.
• Our legitimate interests: to run and protect the website and online route service, check that the app is genuine, keep usage fair, fix problems, prevent fraud and misuse, and handle legal claims. We balance these needs against your rights.
• Legal duties: when the law requires us to keep or share a record.

The companies that help provide ads, payments and fraud protection may have their own legal reasons for using information they control.

7. Companies that help us provide the service

We only share the information each company needs for the job listed below:

• Cloudflare hosts and protects the website and online route service;
• Google opens shared links, checks the app, provides ads and privacy choices, and handles Play purchases;
• HeiGIT/openrouteservice and the backup Valhalla service find places and build routes;
• OpenFreeMap and its delivery partners provide the maps; and
• professional advisers or public authorities receive information when reasonably needed or required by law.

We do not sell your projects or create a data-broker profile about you. Google may share ad information with the advertising partners named in its privacy message, based on your choices and their privacy policies.

Some of these companies work around the world, so they may process information outside Ireland or the European Economic Area. Where the law requires it, information is sent only to a country approved as providing adequate protection, protected by standard data-protection contracts or covered by another lawful safeguard.

Read their privacy policies: Cloudflare, Google privacy policy, Firebase privacy and security, HeiGIT/openrouteservice privacy information, OpenFreeMap privacy policy and OpenStreetMap Foundation privacy policy.

8. How long information is kept and how to delete it

• Projects and private app files stay on your device until you delete them, clear the app's storage or uninstall it. You can clear temporary video files in Settings.
• Saved videos and project backups stay where you saved them until you delete them. Deleting the project in AnimateMyRoute does not delete these separate copies.
• The online route service uses your place or route details only to answer your request. It does not intentionally keep them as a route history.
• The app's secure access to the online route service lasts for 90 days and can be renewed during a further 30-day grace period. Expired access details on your device are replaced or removed. Security and service records are kept only as long as needed to keep the service safe and reliable, investigate misuse or handle legal claims, in line with provider settings.
• We may keep a blocked installation ID for as long as the block is needed. Send us the ID shown in Settings if you want us to review or delete it where the law allows.
• We keep support emails until your request is resolved, then only as long as reasonably needed for follow-up, security or legal records.

Google, Cloudflare and other providers follow their own rules for how long they keep data. See our data deletion guide for step-by-step help.

9. Your choices and privacy rights

You can take these steps yourself:

• delete individual projects or temporary files in the app;
• clear the app's storage or uninstall it to remove private app data;
• delete saved videos and backups from their saved location;
• use Privacy & ad choices when displayed in Settings;
• manage or cancel the subscription in Google Play; and
• contact us about an installation ID or your support emails.

Depending on the law that applies to you, you may ask to see, correct, delete, restrict or receive a portable copy of your personal data. You may also object to some uses or withdraw consent. These rights can be limited in certain situations. Because we do not have accounts or an online project library, we may need your installation ID or other details that help us find the right record.

You may lodge a complaint with the Irish Data Protection Commission or your local supervisory authority. We would appreciate the opportunity to address your concern first.

Automatic limits can temporarily refuse excessive requests, and a security rule can block an app installation if it detects misuse. These checks protect the service; they do not make a legal or similarly important decision about you. Contact support if you think a block is a mistake.

10. Children and security

AnimateMyRoute is not directed to children under 16. If you are under 16, do not use the online features or ads without help from a parent or guardian. Contact us if you believe a child has given us personal data so we can look into it and take the right action.

We use encrypted connections, checks that the app is genuine, secure access details, protected device storage, fair-use limits and access controls. No system is completely secure, so protect your device and avoid putting sensitive personal information in route names, searches or support messages.

11. Changes and contact

We may update this policy when the app, the companies we work with or the law changes. We will post the new version here and change the effective date. If an important change affects your choices in the app, we will also provide a suitable notice there.

For a question or privacy request, email support@emberoakstudios.com. Put "Privacy" in the subject line and only include the information we need to reply.