Privacy policy

Overview

This policy explains how Field Needle Compass (the app), developed by Field Needle Compass contributors, accesses, uses, stores and shares data. The app is an offline-first compass and bearing utility for Android. It does not require an account, display advertising, include analytics or tracking, or provide a developer-operated online service.

Core compass calculations use device sensors and work without location permission. When the app uses the word we in this policy, it means the app's developer.

Data summary

Field Needle Compass does not collect or receive personal data through a developer server because the app has no network access or developer-operated backend. Some data is processed temporarily on your device, and data you choose to save remains in the app's private local storage.

Device sensors

The app processes rotation, acceleration, gravity and magnetic-field readings on your device to calculate heading, posture, confidence and possible magnetic interference. These readings are used while the relevant feature is active.

Field Needle Compass does not store a sensor-reading history or transmit sensor readings to the developer. Sensor quality, calibration and nearby metal or electronics can affect results.

Optional foreground location

Approximate or precise location is requested only after you choose a feature that needs it. Location can support:

• true north;
• calculated Sun information;
• Australian direction references;
• saving your current position as a saved place; and
• straight-line guidance to a saved place.

Approximate location is sufficient for many features. Precise location can improve nearby distance and saved-place results. Location is processed while the relevant app feature is in use. The app does not request background location, create a location history or transmit location to the developer.

Saved places and local settings

Saved places

If you create a saved place, its name, notes, category, coordinates, pin and sort state, recorded accuracy, and created or updated times are stored in the app's private local Room database. This information remains until you edit or delete the saved place, clear the app's local data, or uninstall the app.

Preferences

Preferences such as north reference, appearance, compass behaviour and accessibility choices are stored in local Android Preferences DataStore. They remain until you change or reset them, clear app data, or uninstall the app.

The app provides no cloud sync or account service. Saved places are not separately encrypted by the app; they rely on Android's application sandbox and your device's security controls.

Text-to-speech

If you enable spoken guidance, Field Needle Compass passes heading or guidance text—which may include a saved-place name—to the Text-to-Speech service selected in Android. The app selects only an installed voice that declares that it does not require a network connection. If no such voice is available for your device language, spoken guidance remains unavailable.

The Android Text-to-Speech service and installed engine are controlled by Android and the engine provider. Their operation may be governed by separate settings and privacy terms. Field Needle Compass does not retain a speech history or send speech text to a developer service.

Logs, analytics and advertising

Field Needle Compass contains no advertising, advertising identifier use, analytics, telemetry or remote crash reporting. Local error logs use general event names and error types and are designed not to include coordinates, saved-place content, speech text or heading history.

Android, Google Play and device manufacturers may independently provide operating-system or store diagnostics under their own settings and policies. Those services are not operated by Field Needle Compass.

Storage, backup and transfer

Field Needle Compass disables Android backup and excludes its databases, preferences and files from cloud backup and device-to-device transfer rules. Saved places and settings therefore should not automatically move to a new device through Android backup.

Platform and device-manufacturer behaviour can vary. Keep an independent record of any important coordinates because the app does not provide cloud recovery or synchronisation.

Deletion and your controls

From the in-app Privacy and data screen, you can:

• delete saved places individually;
• clear all saved places;
• reset app settings; or
• clear all local Field Needle Compass data.

You can also clear storage through Android app settings. Uninstalling the app normally removes its sandboxed data. Because backup is disabled, Field Needle Compass does not intentionally restore that data after reinstall. Android location permissions are controlled separately in system settings and are not changed when local app data is deleted.

Field Needle Compass does not create user accounts, so there is no account-deletion process. The developer does not hold a server-side copy of your app data to delete.

Network access and third parties

The app itself declares no Internet permission and has no developer-operated network endpoint. Active location fixes request Android's satellite-based GNSS provider rather than its network provider.

Field Needle Compass uses Android platform services and open-source AndroidX, Kotlin, coroutine and persistence libraries. These libraries provide app functionality; the release does not include advertising, analytics, billing, networking or remote crash reporting SDKs. Open-source notices and licence text are bundled in the app.

Android location, Text-to-Speech, Google Play and device services remain platform or provider services. Your use of those services may be governed by their own settings and privacy terms.

Children and intended audience

Field Needle Compass is a general utility intended for users aged 13 and over and is not specifically directed to children. It contains no advertising, purchases, account, social features or public user content. The app does not knowingly collect personal information from children through a developer service because it operates without such a service.

Security and safety limitations

Reasonable safeguards include Android private app storage, no app Internet permission, minimal permissions, and disabled backup. No software or storage method can be guaranteed completely secure. Protect your device with appropriate system security controls.

Changes and contact

We may update this policy if app behaviour, technology or legal requirements change. If we make material changes, we will update the effective date on this page and keep the policy consistent with the disclosures available in the app.