Privacy

Terns is a UK journey planner. This page explains what information the Terns app and this website use, why, and what you can do about it. We keep it short because we collect very little.

What we use

• Your trips. When you plan a route, the places you type in are sent to the Terns service so it can work out the route and the stops along it. We use them to answer that request and to keep the service running, not to build a profile of you.
• Your preferences. Things like your vehicle, favourite brands, filters and how often you like to stop are saved on your phone. If you sign in, they're also saved with your account so they follow you to another phone.
• Your saved trips and places, if you sign in. Trips you save, places you save (such as Home and Work) and your recent destinations are kept on your phone. If you sign in, they're also saved with your account so they follow you to another phone. When you sign out, they're cleared from the phone and stay with your account.
• Your account, if you sign in. Signing in is optional. You can sign in with Apple or Google, through Google's Firebase sign-in service. We receive a sign-in ID, your email address and, if you choose to share it, your name. With Sign in with Apple you can hide your email, and Apple gives us a private relay address instead. We use these only to keep your account and its saved settings.
• Photos and corrections you choose to send. If you add a photo of a service station or suggest a correction, we receive it with your name (first name and initial) so we can check it and, if it's accepted, show it to other drivers and give you helper points. We don't accept photos where faces or number plates can be read. Photos we turn down are deleted.
• Reviews you write. Reviews show to other drivers with your first name and initial. You can delete your own review at any time. If you report a review or block a reviewer, we keep that so the Terns team can check it.

Adverts

The free version of the Terns app shows adverts, served by Google AdMob. To show and measure them, AdMob may collect your device's advertising identifier, your approximate location from your IP address, and how you interact with the adverts. The app asks for your consent before showing personalised adverts, and you can change your choice at any time in the app or in your phone's settings. If you say no, you may still see adverts, but they won't be based on your interests. Google's own privacy policy applies to the information AdMob collects.

Premium, or a week of ad-free time paid for with helper points, switches the adverts off.

What we don't do

• We don't sell your information.
• We don't send the routes and stops you plan to advertisers.
• This website doesn't show adverts or use tracking cookies.

Other services

Sign-in is handled by Apple or Google and Google's Firebase service, and their privacy policies apply to that step. When you hand a route off, it opens in Google Maps, Apple Maps or Waze, and their own privacy policies apply from then on. If you buy Premium, the payment is handled by the App Store or Google Play; we never see your card details. RevenueCat checks purchases for us and keeps a record of your subscription, linked to your Terns account if you're signed in. Terns runs on trusted hosting providers who process data only on our behalf.

Your rights

You can delete your account at any time in the app: go to You, then Delete my account. That removes your account and everything saved with it from our service, except accepted photos of services, which stay for other drivers without your name. No longer have the app? See Delete your account. Signing out or deleting your account also clears your trips and places from the phone.

Under UK data protection law you can ask to see, correct or delete information we hold about you. Email support@terns.uk and we'll help. You can also complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk.

Changes

If this policy changes, we'll update this page and the date at the top.