Our Privacy Principle
RestMap was built around a simple idea: you should not have to create an account or give up unnecessary personal data to compare restroom stops.
What We Do Not Collect
- Personal account information - RestMap does not require accounts, email addresses, or sign-in.
- Location history on our servers - We do not store your travel history, restroom visits, or movement patterns on RestMap servers.
- Device profiles - We do not collect device IDs for cross-app profiles.
- Cross-app tracking - We do not track you across other apps or websites.
On-Device Processing
- Location - Your device location is used to find nearby restrooms and recommend stops along routes. We do not receive or store your precise location on our servers. If you choose to grant "Always" location access, RestMap can use iOS's low-power, on-device visit detection to offer a quick rating reminder after you spend time at a place — this is optional, runs entirely on your device, does not use continuous background GPS, and is never stored on our servers. You can keep "While Using" or turn it off anytime in iOS Settings.
- RestRoom IQ scoring - RestRoom IQ scores and recommendations are computed on your device using bundled data and on-device scoring logic.
- Preferences, favorites, and trip history - These are stored locally on your device using Apple's secure storage. RestMap also syncs a copy through your iCloud account so that preferences, contribution stats, badges, and recent activity can move between your iPhone and iPad and survive reinstalling the app. This sync uses Apple's iCloud Key-Value Store; data stays within your iCloud account and the RestMap app sandbox.
Anonymous Ratings and Contributions
When you choose to submit a rating, we store the following anonymously in our shared ratings database, Google Firebase:
- The location of the place being rated, not your device location.
- Your rating, such as Good, Okay, Poor, or No Restroom.
- Optional amenity information you provide, such as changing table or accessibility details.
- Optional review text you choose to write.
- A random submission ID, UUID, so other travelers can thank your contribution.
Submissions are anonymous. They are not linked to an account, device identifier, or personally identifying information. Because submissions are anonymous, we cannot offer in-app deletion of individual ratings. You can request removal of a specific submission by emailing us with the location and approximate submission time.
Community Thanks
When another traveler thanks one of your ratings, reviews, or hours updates, we record an anonymous count next to that submission. To prevent duplicate thanks on the same item, we attach a one-way hashed key derived from a random per-install identifier. It is not your Apple ID, email, or device serial.
Thanks counts are stored alongside the contribution in Firebase. The hashed deduplication keys are visible only as opaque strings on individual contribution records. We do not aggregate them, build profiles from them, or share them with third parties.
Analytics
We use privacy-preserving analytics to understand aggregate app usage, feature use, and crash reports. This helps us improve the app but does not identify individual users. You can opt out of analytics in your device Settings under Privacy.
Third-Party Services
- Apple Maps - Used for map display, search, and directions. When you query the map or request directions, your query is handled by Apple according to Apple's privacy policy.
- Google Firebase - Used for anonymous community ratings storage and aggregate analytics. Firebase does not receive personally identifying information from RestMap.
Data Sources
RestMap's restroom database combines public and app-specific data sources credited in the app:
- OpenStreetMap - Public restroom and place data contributed by the OSM community.
- Refuge Restrooms - Gender-neutral restroom and accessibility records contributed by the Refuge Restrooms community.
- Open Charge Map - EV charging station locations.
- MapKit/Apple Places - Business and place data from Apple Maps.
- RestMap brand profiles and user-submitted ratings - RestMap-specific context used by the app.
These datasets are bundled with the app or fetched without user identifiers; using them does not share information about you.
Data Storage
Your preferences, favorites, and trip history are stored locally on your device, with optional iCloud Key-Value Store sync through your iCloud account. Community ratings are stored anonymously in Google Firebase. We do not sell or share your data with third parties for marketing purposes.
Your Rights
- Deny location access in Settings. The app will function with limited features.
- Request removal of a submission you made by emailing us with enough detail to identify it.
- Report inappropriate content from within the app.
Children's Privacy
RestMap is rated 4+ on the App Store and is suitable for all ages. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children, since the app does not collect personal account information from any user.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this privacy policy from time to time. We will post any changes here with an updated date. Significant changes will be highlighted in the app.
Contact Us
If you have questions about this privacy policy or wish to request data removal, contact us at flush.restmap@gmail.com.