Church Trail Privacy Policy

ChurchTrail – Privacy Policy

Last updated: December 8, 2025

This Privacy Policy explains how ChurchTrail (“the App”, “we”, “us”, “our”) collects, uses, and protects your information when you use our mobile application.

By using ChurchTrail, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

⚠️ Note: ChurchTrail is intended for use by pastors, church workers, and authorized ministry staff. It is not a public social network.

1. Information We Collect

We collect the following types of information when you use ChurchTrail:

1.1 Account Information

  • Email address
  • Name or display name (if you provide it)

This is used to create and manage your account, identify your records, and sync your data across devices.

1.2 Visit & Ministry Data

When you use the App to log your visits, we may store:

  • Church or location name
  • Visit notes, descriptions, and tags
  • Date and time of visits
  • Any additional text you manually enter

This data is created entirely by you and is intended for your ministry records.

1.3 Location Data

With your permission, ChurchTrail may access:

  • Approximate or precise location (latitude/longitude) when you:
    • Capture a visit
    • Save photos with location data
    • Use features that rely on location

Location is used to:

  • Attach coordinates to the visit entry
  • Show it on a map or list of visits
  • Help you remember where visits took place

You can disable location permissions at any time in your device settings, but some features may not work fully.

1.4 Photos and Media

If you choose to attach photos to visits, ChurchTrail may access:

  • Your device camera (to take a photo)
  • Your photo library (to select an existing photo)

The App stores:

  • A copy of the selected images
  • Basic metadata (such as time and, if available, embedded GPS coordinates)

Photos are stored locally on your device and/or in our secure backend to allow backup and sync (if enabled).

1.5 Device & Usage Information

We may collect basic technical data such as:

  • Device model and OS version
  • App version
  • Log information (crash logs, performance data)

This is used to improve the app’s stability and performance.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

  • To provide and operate the ChurchTrail app and its features
  • To save, sync, and restore your visit records, locations, and photos
  • To improve the App, fix bugs, and enhance user experience
  • To communicate with you about important updates, changes, or support issues
  • To comply with legal obligations, if required by law

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

3. Legal Basis (for users in the EU/EEA)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), we process your information based on:

  • Your consent – e.g., when you grant location or photo permissions
  • Performance of a contract – to provide the features you request in the App
  • Legitimate interests – such as improving and securing the App
  • Compliance with legal obligations, where applicable

You may withdraw your consent at any time (for example, by revoking permissions in your device settings), but this may affect some features.

4. Data Storage and Security

ChurchTrail uses a combination of:

  • Local storage on your device (for offline-first use), and
  • Secure cloud storage (for backup and synchronization, if enabled in your app setup).

We use reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your data from unauthorized access, loss, or misuse. However, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

5. Data Sharing and Third Parties

We may share your information only in the following limited circumstances:

  1. Service Providers
    We may use trusted third-party services (such as database hosting, file storage, or error reporting) to operate the App. These providers process your data only on our behalf and in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
  2. Legal Requirements
    We may disclose information if required to do so by law or in response to valid legal requests (e.g., court order, government request).
  3. Protection of Rights
    We may disclose information when it is necessary to protect our rights, property, or safety, or that of our users or others.

We do not share visit notes or photos with advertisers or use them for targeted advertising.

6. Data Retention

We retain your data for as long as:

  • Your account is active, or
  • It is necessary to provide you with the App’s features.

If you request that your data be deleted, we will take reasonable steps to remove it from our active systems, except for data we are legally required to keep (for example, for security or legal obligations).

7. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your location, you may have the right to:

  • Access the personal data we hold about you
  • Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
  • Request deletion of your data
  • Object to or restrict certain types of processing
  • Export or receive a copy of your data in a portable format

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the details at the end of this policy. We may ask you to verify your identity before responding to your request.

You can also:

  • Revoke permissions (location, camera, photos) from your device settings
  • Uninstall the App at any time, which removes local data from your device

8. Children’s Privacy

ChurchTrail is not intended for children under 13 years of age (or the minimum age required in your jurisdiction). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

If you believe we have inadvertently collected personal information from a child, please contact us so we can delete it.

9. International Data Transfers

Your information may be processed and stored on servers located outside your country of residence. By using the App, you consent to the transfer of your information to such locations, where data protection laws may differ from those in your jurisdiction.

We take reasonable steps to ensure that your data is protected in accordance with this Privacy Policy wherever it is processed.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our App or applicable laws.

When we do, we will:

  • Update the “Last updated” date at the top, and
  • Where appropriate, notify you within the App or through other means.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how your data is handled, please contact:

Joefrey Mahusay
Email: joefrey.mahusay@gmail.com