Privacy Policy

This policy explains what information the FreeBus mobile app (for iOS and Android) and the freebus.co.il website handle, why, and who else sees it. In this policy, “we” means the people operating FreeBus. For privacy questions and requests, contact contactfreebus@gmail.com.

1. Information stored on your device

The app keeps the following on your device only. It is not synced or backed up to our servers:

• Saved places (for example Home and Work) and their coordinates.
• Recent searches, lines and stops.
• Your preferences: language, theme and alert settings.
• The trip you are currently following, and any “time to leave” reminder you set. These are removed when the trip ends.

You can remove saved places in the app. Removing the app or clearing its storage removes local app data, subject to your operating system. Device backups may retain copies under your Apple or Google backup settings.

2. Information sent to our server

Timetables, trip plans and live bus locations come from our server at api.freebus.co.il. To answer a request, the app sends what that request needs:

• Text you type to search for an address, a place, a stop or a line.
• The start and destination of a trip you plan, which may be your current location.
• Your location when you look for nearby stops, and the area of the map you are viewing.
• Your location while you follow walking directions, if you go off the route and the app finds a new one.
• Identifiers of stops, lines and trips, and the app's language.

Requests to our API do not include an account ID or advertising ID. They do expose your IP address and technical connection information. Address searches may also include a random search-session token that groups related searches. Search text and precise locations can reveal personal information, even without an account.

Server logs. Our API request logs do not store your IP address, request headers or raw request URLs. They contain technical diagnostics such as request IDs, HTTP methods, route templates, response codes and timings. Error logs omit error messages and attached request data and retain error codes and stack frames. The API uses IP addresses temporarily in memory to limit request rates and prevent abuse. This does not cover separate processing by hosting providers, map services or the website analytics described below.

3. Location

The app asks for location permission. You can use it without location by typing your starting point. With permission, location is used to:

• Set your current location as a trip's starting point and show nearby stops.
• Show your position on the map and give walking directions.
• In the background, only during a trip you started: alert you before your stop and keep the lock-screen Live Activity (iPhone) or ongoing notification (Android) up to date. This needs the “Always” or “Allow all the time” permission, and the feature is off without it.

Background location is processed on your device to decide when to alert you. It is not sent to our server. Background tracking stops when you end the trip, when you arrive, or shortly after the scheduled arrival time, whichever comes first. You can change or revoke the permission at any time in your phone's settings.

Providing location is optional. Without it, automatic nearby-stop searches and location-based alerts will not work; you can still enter a starting point and destination yourself. A trip-planning request needs those details to produce a route.

4. Notifications

Trip alerts and reminders are scheduled on your device. The app doesn't register for push notifications, so we never receive a push token.

5. Sharing a place to FreeBus

If you share a location or link from another app to FreeBus, it is read on your device. If it is a Google Maps short link, the app opens it directly with Google to find the place it points to. If it is an address, it is searched as described in section 2.

6. Third parties

Some requests are handled by, or pass through, other companies:

• Address search. Searches are handled by our self-hosted Photon service or, when enabled, Google Places. With Google Places, our server sends the search text, a search-session token and location when provided to rank nearby results. Google receives our server's IP address for these requests, rather than the IP address of your device. Google Privacy Policy.
• Maps. The maps in the app are provided by Apple Maps on iPhone and Google Maps on Android, which load map data directly to your device under Apple's and Google's privacy policies.
• App updates. The app checks for updates with Expo (650 Industries, Inc.), sending a random installation ID, the platform and the app version. Expo Privacy Policy.
• Hosting. Our server runs on Hetzner Online GmbH in the European Union, and traffic to it may pass through Cloudflare, Inc. for security and performance.
• App stores. Apple and Google may share crash reports and usage statistics with us if you have agreed to that in your phone's settings. These reports may include technical and diagnostic information and are governed by their policies.

Timetables come from Israel's Ministry of Transport and live bus data from the Ministry's feed via the Public Knowledge Workshop (Hasadna). Our server fetches this data on its own; none of your information is sent to them.

7. The freebus.co.il website

The website uses Google Analytics to count visits and see which pages are read. Google Analytics sets cookies and receives your IP address and browser information. You can block it with your browser's settings or Google's opt-out add-on. The website also remembers your language choice in your browser's local storage. The app does not use Google Analytics.

8. What we don't do

• We don't sell, rent or trade information.
• We don't use information for advertising or track you across other apps and websites.
• We don't combine requests to build a profile of you or your movements.

We may disclose information if Israeli law or a valid legal order requires it. Any disclosure depends on the request and the information we actually hold.

9. Contacting support

When you email us, we receive your email address, your message and any attachments you choose to send. We use them to respond and investigate the issue. Mail is handled through Gmail under Google's Privacy Policy. Do not send passwords, identity documents or unnecessary location history. GitHub issues are public.

Service providers may process information outside Israel. Their own retention and processing policies also apply. Support messages may remain in the mailbox and in related records while the request is being handled or when needed for follow-up or legal obligations. You can contact us to request deletion.

10. Children

FreeBus is a general-audience app and isn't aimed at children. Location and technical data may still be processed when a child uses the app, as described above. Parents or guardians can contact us with questions or requests about a child's information.

11. Your rights

Under applicable privacy law, you may have rights to access information about you and request corrections. Rights to deletion, objection and other requests depend on the law that applies and the circumstances. Contact contactfreebus@gmail.com to make a request. We may need limited details to locate the information and verify that the request concerns you. Please do not send identity documents unless we explain why they are needed. You can also contact the Israeli Privacy Protection Authority or another competent authority.

12. Security

All communication between the app and our server is encrypted (HTTPS). Access to the server is restricted. No system can guarantee complete security.

13. Changes to this policy

If we change this policy, we will update it here and change the date at the top. If a change significantly affects how information is handled, we will also announce it in the app or in the store release notes.

14. Contact

Questions or requests about privacy: contactfreebus@gmail.com. FreeBus is open source, so you can also check what the app does in its source code. See also the Terms of Use.

If the English and Hebrew versions differ, the Hebrew version prevails, subject to applicable law.