Privacy Policy

Vehicle Maintenance Tracker · Effective October 24, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains what information the Vehicle Maintenance Tracker Android app ("the App") accesses, how it is used, and how it is stored.

Information the App accesses

• Google account information. If you choose to enable Google Drive backup, the App uses Google Sign-In to identify your account. It accesses your basic profile information (name, email address, profile picture) for sign-in only.
• Google Drive app data. If you enable backup, the App stores a backup file containing your vehicle and maintenance records in the hidden, app-specific folder (appDataFolder) of your own Google Drive. The App can only access files it created in that folder — it cannot see any of your other Drive files.
• On-device data. Your vehicles, maintenance records, photos, and app settings are stored locally on your device.

How your information is used

• Google account information is used solely to sign you in and to read and write backup files in your own Drive app-data folder.
• Backup files are used solely to restore your data on your devices.
• The App has no servers of its own. Your data is never transmitted to the developer or to any third party, except to Google services you explicitly authorize (Sign-In and Drive) as described above.

Backup encryption

Drive backup files are encrypted before they are uploaded. The App encrypts each backup with AES-256-GCM, a strong authenticated encryption standard.

• Default: no password to remember. The encryption key is generated automatically by the App and stored in your device's Android Keystore, a secure hardware-backed vault on your phone. The key never leaves your device and is never transmitted anywhere. You do not create or enter a password.
• Device-bound by default. Because the key lives only on the device that created the backup, a backup can only be decrypted on that same device and app installation. If you uninstall the App, reinstall it, or move to a different phone, backups made before that point can no longer be read — even by you. Keep this in mind before uninstalling.
• Optional backup password for multiple devices. In Options you can set a backup password. The App then derives the encryption key from your password (PBKDF2 with a random salt) instead of the device key, so the backup can be decrypted on any of your devices once you enter the same password there. The password itself is never stored or transmitted — only the key derived from it, protected by each device's Android Keystore. Because anyone holding the backup file could attempt to guess the password offline, use a strong password (at least 8 characters).
• Older backup files. Backups created by much earlier versions of the App were stored unencrypted and in an older format; the current version of the App cannot restore those files. Your records themselves are never locked in: you can export them from any version as CSV files and import them into the current version.

Data sharing and sale

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with any third party. Google user data accessed by the App is used only for the purposes described above and in compliance with the Google API Services User Data Policy, including its Limited Use requirements.

Data retention and deletion

• Your data remains on your device and in your Google Drive for as long as you keep it there.
• Disabling Drive backup in the App stops future uploads; it does not delete backups already in your Drive.
• You can delete your Drive backup at any time from within the App (Options > Sync with Google Drive) or directly from your Google Drive.
• Uninstalling the App deletes its local data from your device.

Advertising

The App displays banner advertisements provided by Google AdMob. AdMob may collect device information such as your advertising ID, IP address, approximate location, and information about your interactions with ads, in order to serve and measure ads, including personalized ads. This data is collected and handled by Google under Google's Privacy Policy. You can opt out of personalized advertising in your device's Google Settings (Settings > Google > Ads) at any time.

An optional one-time in-app purchase ("Ad Free") permanently disables advertising in the App. If you purchase it, no ad-related data is collected from you by AdMob thereafter.

Children's privacy

The App is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

Changes to this policy

If this policy changes, the updated version will be posted at this address with a revised effective date.

Contact

If you have questions about this policy, contact: jeheising@gmail.com