Privacy Policy

Last updated: April 1, 2026

Smart Traveler ("the App") is published by Philippe B. This Privacy Policy explains how the App handles your information. The short version: the App does not operate any backend server or user account system. Your personal data is not collected or stored by us.

1. Information We Do Not Collect

The App does not collect or store the following on any server operated by us:

• Personal identification information (name, email, phone number)
• Usage analytics or behavioral data
• Conversation or translation history
• Crash reports or diagnostics

2. Data Stored on Your Device

The App stores the following data locally on your device only:

• AI API keys — for OpenAI and Google Gemini translation. Stored in the iOS Keychain (encrypted, hardware-backed) or UserDefaults depending on the platform.
• App preferences — home currency, home time zone, home language, selected AI provider, selected AI model, and simulated location settings. Stored in UserDefaults on-device.
• Exchange rate cache — the most recently fetched currency rates, stored locally so the app works offline.
• Purchase status — whether the "Remove Ads" in-app purchase has been completed. Stored locally and verified via Apple's StoreKit.

3. Location Data

The App requests location access ("While Using the App") to detect your current country. This is used to automatically set the local currency, time zone, translator language, news feed, and safety information. Specifically:

• Your location is reverse-geocoded on-device using Apple's CoreLocation framework to determine your country code and city name.
• Your approximate location coordinates are sent to open.er-api.com (exchange rate service) and news.google.com (RSS news feed) only to retrieve localised content.
• Location data is never stored, logged, or transmitted to any server operated by us.

4. Advertising (Google AdMob)

The free version of the App displays banner and interstitial advertisements served by Google AdMob. By using the free version of the App, you agree that:

• Google AdMob may collect your device's advertising identifier (IDFA), IP address, and usage data to serve personalised or contextual ads.
• The App will request your permission via Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework before allowing personalised advertising. You can deny this permission and contextual (non-personalised) ads will be served instead.
• Advertising data is governed by Google's Privacy Policy.

You can remove all ads permanently with the "Remove Ads" one-time in-app purchase. After purchase, no ad SDK requests are made and no advertising data is collected.

5. AI Translation Services

When you use the Translator feature with a third-party AI provider, the text you enter is sent directly from your device to that provider for processing. The App acts as a client only — it does not log, store, or proxy your translation requests.

• OpenAI (ChatGPT) — Text is sent to the OpenAI API using the API key you provide. Governed by OpenAI's Privacy Policy.
• Google Gemini — Text is sent to the Google Generative Language API using the API key you provide. Governed by Google's Privacy Policy.
• Apple Translate — Translation is performed on-device using Apple's Translation framework. No data leaves your device.

6. Speech Recognition and Text-to-Speech

• Speech-to-Text — Voice input uses Apple's SFSpeechRecognizer. Audio may be sent to Apple's servers for processing. This is governed by Apple's Privacy Policy.
• Text-to-Speech — Translated text is read aloud using Apple's AVSpeechSynthesizer, which processes audio entirely on-device.

7. Exchange Rates

Live exchange rate data is fetched from open.er-api.com, a free public API. No personal information is included in these requests — only the base currency code. Rates are cached locally so the app works offline.

8. News Feeds

Local news is fetched from Google News RSS feeds using your detected country code to localise results. No personal information beyond the country code is included in these requests.

9. In-App Purchases

The "Remove Ads" purchase is processed entirely by Apple's App Store and StoreKit framework. Philippe B does not receive or store any payment information. Purchase verification is handled directly between your device and Apple's servers.

10. Children's Privacy

The App is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect any information from children. If advertising is enabled, please note that Google AdMob's policies restrict personalised advertising to users aged 13 and over.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date. Continued use of the App after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, contact us at:
support@smarttraveler.philip.pe