CommuteWatch — Privacy Policy
Last updated: 9 August 2026
CommuteWatch (formerly “My Departure Board”; “the app”) shows live UK National Rail departure information.
This policy explains what data the app processes and why. We do not sell your data
and we do not use it for advertising or cross-app tracking.
Who we are
The developer of CommuteWatch. Contact:
support.ios.app@gmail.com.
What we collect and why
- Anonymous app identifier. On first launch the app creates an
anonymous account (a random ID via Firebase Authentication). It is not linked to
your name, email, or any real-world identity. We use it only to store the stations
you save and your device’s notification registration.
- Your saved commutes. The stations and filters you save, so we
can show them to you.
- Trip records (optional). If you use “Save today's trip”, we store
the journey you recorded — date, origin and destination station, scheduled departure
time, and operator — so the app can later show you how that train actually ran and
whether the delay may qualify for the operator's Delay Repay scheme. Trip records are
created only when you explicitly save a trip. You can delete individual records or all
of them at any time in the app (Settings → My Trips & Delays), and they are deleted
automatically after 12 months. We only show you factual delay information and a link
to the operator's claim page — we never submit claims on your behalf.
- Notification token. If you enable notifications, a push token so
we can alert you to changes. (Notifications may be disabled in the current version.)
- Usage analytics. We use Google Analytics for Firebase to
understand which features are used (e.g. opening the app, viewing a board). This
includes standard analytics data such as app interactions, device model, OS version,
and approximate region derived from IP address. We do not use the
Advertising Identifier (IDFA) and do not track you across other apps
or websites.
- Service logs. Our servers log requests (station code, app/widget,
the anonymous identifier, timestamp, IP address) to run and secure the service.
Location
The app uses your device location on your device only, to find
nearby stations. Your precise location is never sent to or stored on our
servers — the app only sends station codes. (Analytics and server logs may
infer an approximate region from your IP address.)
Our website
This policy is mainly about the app. On the website
(commutewatch.app) we use Umami, a
privacy-focused analytics service, to count page views and see which pages and links
visitors actually use — so we can tell whether the guides here are useful.
It is cookieless: it sets no cookies, stores nothing in your browser,
does not fingerprint you, and does not follow you to other websites. We see aggregate
figures — pages viewed, the referring site, approximate country and device type — not
individuals. There is no advertising or cross-site tracking on this site, which is also
why you are not asked to accept cookies.
Who we share data with
- Google (Firebase / Google Cloud / Google Analytics): as our
authentication, database, hosting and analytics provider.
- National Rail Enquiries / Network Rail: we consume their
open rail-data feeds; we do not send them your personal data.
- Umami: cookieless website analytics, for the website only (not the
app). See “Our website” above.
We do not sell personal data or share it with advertisers or data brokers.
Data retention
Saved commutes persist until you delete them or delete the app’s data. Trip records
are kept for 12 months and then deleted automatically (you can delete them sooner in the
app at any time). Analytics and server logs are retained for a limited period for
operational purposes.
Your rights (UK GDPR)
You can request deletion of your data by contacting
support.ios.app@gmail.com. Because
accounts are anonymous, please contact us from the app or include details to help us
locate it.
Children
The app is not directed at children under 13.
Changes
We may update this policy; the “last updated” date will change.
Contact
support.ios.app@gmail.com