Overview
POI Alert is a personal proximity alert app. It lets you save locations (Points of Interest) and notifies you when your device enters their vicinity. All your data is stored in a local database on your device and is never transmitted to any server operated by this app.
Data stored on your device
The following information is stored locally only. It is never transmitted to any server operated by this app.
- Points of Interest — names, descriptions, coordinates, alert radii, and photos you add.
- Visit history — timestamps and counts of when your device was detected near a saved POI.
- App settings — unit preferences, alert thresholds, and other configuration choices.
This data remains on your device until you delete it or uninstall the app. You can export all your POI data at any time via Settings → Export CSV.
Location data
POI Alert requests background location permission because proximity alerts must work while the screen is off and the app is in the background. Your location is used solely to determine whether your device is within the configured radius of a saved POI. Location data is processed entirely on-device and is never transmitted to any server operated by this app.
When you search for a place to add as a POI, your approximate location may be sent to the geocoding services listed below to bias search results toward your area. This is optional and only occurs during a search action.
Third-party services
POI Alert contacts the following external services. This app has no control over their privacy practices; links to their policies are provided.
| Service | Purpose | Data sent | Privacy policy |
|---|---|---|---|
| OpenStreetMap | Map background rendering | Map tile coordinates (no user identity) | osmfoundation.org |
| Nominatim (OpenStreetMap) | Place name search when adding POIs | Search text you type; optionally your approximate location | osmfoundation.org |
| Google Places API | Fallback place search (only when Nominatim finds nothing) | Search text you type; optionally your approximate location | policies.google.com |
| Wikipedia / Wikimedia | Article summaries and photos for POIs | POI name or Wikipedia article title | foundation.wikimedia.org |
| OSRM (routing) | Optimized visit order in route planner | Coordinates of selected POIs | project-osrm.org |
| Android Text-to-Speech | Speaking alert text aloud | POI name and distance (processed on-device by default) | Your device manufacturer / Google |
Google Places is an optional feature. It is only contacted when Nominatim returns no results during a place search. No data is sent to Google Places for any other purpose.
Crash reports are generated only when the app encounters an unexpected error. A report contains the error message, stack trace, app version, and device model and Android version — no location, POI data, or personal information. Reports are never sent automatically; you are shown a prompt and can choose to send by email or dismiss without sending.
Permissions
| Permission | Why it is needed |
|---|---|
| Location (precise, background) | Detecting when your device enters a POI's radius, including when the screen is off |
| Notifications | Displaying the alert card when a POI is reached |
| Foreground service | Keeping the location monitor running reliably while the app is in the background |
Data sharing and selling
POI Alert does not share, sell, rent, or trade any personal information with third parties for their own purposes.
Data retention and deletion
All app data is stored locally on your device. You can delete individual POIs at any time within the app. Uninstalling the app removes all locally stored data. There is no server-side data to request deletion of.
Children
POI Alert does not knowingly collect any information from children under 13. The app contains no features directed at children.
Changes to this policy
If this policy changes materially, the updated version will be published at the same URL with a new "Last updated" date.
Contact
Questions about this privacy policy: poi.alert.testing@gmail.com