Privacy and Terms

This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have.

Summary

• The current app is free and provides one downtown Mountain View audio walking tour.
• We use location permission to operate tour features, such as route awareness and nearby-stop behavior.
• We use Firebase Anonymous Authentication so the app can function without requiring sign-in at launch.
• If you choose to provide your email address, we use Firebase email-link verification/sign-in and may send you Hearabouts updates.
• We store tour ratings and related app metadata so we can improve the tour experience.
• We do not sell personal information.
• The current app does not use third-party advertising and does not track you across other companies' apps or websites for advertising.

1. Information We Collect

Location information

The app may ask for access to your device location so it can provide location-aware tour features, such as showing where you are on the route, helping you navigate between stops, and triggering or suggesting nearby audio content.

For the current Mountain View Historic Tour version, we use location primarily to operate the tour experience on your device. We do not sell your location information. We do not use your location to track you across other apps or websites. We do not use your precise current location to identify you personally.

The current version is designed so that your live current location is used for the tour experience, not to create a persistent identity-linked location history. We may store limited event-style or derived information, such as whether a tour was started or completed, whether a stop was reached, or approximate app events needed for debugging, analytics, security, or product improvement.

If future versions add features such as tour history, route completion maps, saved visits, personalized recommendations, or creator analytics, we may store limited location-derived information needed to provide those features. If we do that, we will describe the feature in the app and update this Privacy Policy as needed.

Anonymous app identifier

We use Firebase Anonymous Authentication to create a temporary anonymous user account for the app. This lets us protect app data, associate basic in-app activity with a pseudonymous user ID, and support features like ratings or future account upgrades without requiring sign-in at the start.

This anonymous identifier is not your name, email address, phone number, or Apple ID. If you later choose to provide an email address, we may associate that email address with your existing anonymous app record so your prior app activity, such as a submitted tour rating, can remain connected.

Tour rating and feedback

At the end of the tour, we may ask you to rate the tour or provide feedback. If you submit a rating, we store:

• the tour you rated;
• the rating value you selected;
• optional feedback text if we provide a text field and you choose to use it;
• timestamps and basic technical metadata needed to store, secure, and analyze the rating;
• the anonymous app identifier or signed-in identifier associated with the submission.

We use ratings and feedback to improve the tour, identify issues, and decide which features or tours to build next.

Email address, if you choose to provide it

At the end of the tour, we may ask whether you want to provide your email address for future updates. Providing an email address is optional.

If you enter your email address, we use Firebase email-link sign-in to send a one-time verification or sign-in link. This helps confirm that the email address belongs to you and allows us to associate the email address with your app account.

We may use your email address to send product updates, launch announcements, support responses, or other Hearabouts-related communications. You can opt out of non-essential emails by using the unsubscribe instructions in the email or by contacting us at support@hearabouts.tours.

Device, app, and technical information

We may collect limited technical information needed to operate, secure, debug, and improve the app. This may include:

• device type and operating system version;
• app version;
• crash reports or diagnostic logs;
• approximate timestamps of app activity;
• Firebase-generated identifiers;
• network and security metadata processed by our service providers.

The exact information collected may depend on the Firebase and Apple services enabled in the app.

Information you send us directly

If you contact us for support, we may collect your email address, name if provided, message content, screenshots, diagnostic details, and any other information you choose to include.

Sensitive information

We do not intentionally collect sensitive personal information, such as government identification numbers, financial account numbers, precise health information, biometric identifiers, racial or ethnic origin, religious beliefs, or political opinions. Please do not send sensitive information through ratings, feedback, or support messages.

Information from third parties

The current app does not purchase personal information about you from data brokers or marketing partners. If you use platform services, such as Apple, Firebase, email, maps, or your device operating system, those services may process information under their own terms and privacy policies.

2. How We Use Information

We use information to:

• provide the audio-tour experience;
• show your location on the tour route and help guide you between stops;
• authenticate anonymous users and secure app data;
• store and analyze tour ratings and feedback;
• send optional email updates if you provide and verify your email address;
• respond to support requests;
• debug crashes, fix bugs, and improve app performance;
• understand aggregate usage patterns, such as which tours or stops are completed;
• prevent abuse, spam, fraud, and unauthorized access;
• comply with legal obligations.

3. How We Share Information

We do not sell your personal information.

We may share information in the following limited ways:

Service providers

We use third-party service providers to operate the app. For example, we use Firebase and related Google services for authentication, database, infrastructure, security, and app operations. These providers process information on our behalf according to their service terms and data-processing commitments.

The categories of service providers we may use include account registration and authentication services, cloud data storage providers, app hosting and infrastructure providers, analytics and diagnostics tools, crash and performance monitoring tools, email delivery providers, customer-support tools, product engineering tools, and security providers.

Legal and safety reasons

We may disclose information if required by law, legal process, or a valid governmental request, or if we believe disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, property, security, or safety of users, the public, our app, or our business.

Business transfers

If we are involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, asset sale, or similar business transaction, information may be transferred as part of that transaction.

Aggregated or de-identified information

We may use or share aggregated or de-identified information that does not reasonably identify you, such as overall tour completion trends or average ratings.

4. Tracking and Advertising

The current version of Mountain View Historic Tour is free and does not use third-party advertising.

We do not track you across other companies' apps or websites for advertising purposes. If that changes in the future, we will update this Privacy Policy and make any required disclosures or consent requests in the app.

5. Data Retention

We keep information for as long as reasonably needed for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, including to provide the app, maintain records, improve the tour experience, resolve disputes, enforce agreements, and comply with legal obligations.

Examples:

• anonymous account records may be retained while the app account remains active or as needed for app integrity;
• tour ratings may be retained so we can evaluate tour quality over time;
• email addresses may be retained until you unsubscribe, request deletion, or the address is no longer needed;
• support messages may be retained for customer-service and recordkeeping purposes;
• diagnostic logs may be retained for shorter operational periods unless needed to investigate an issue.

6. Your Choices and Privacy Rights

Depending on where you live, you may have legal rights to request access to, correction of, deletion of, or a copy of certain personal information. You may also have the right to object to or restrict certain processing, withdraw consent where processing is based on consent, or appeal a privacy-request decision if applicable law provides that right.

To exercise these rights, contact support@hearabouts.tours. We may need to verify your request before acting on it. If you use an authorized agent, we may request proof that the agent has authority to act for you.

Location permission

You can enable or disable location access in your device settings. Some tour features may not work properly without location access.

Email updates

You do not have to provide your email address to use the current free tour. If you provide your email address, you can opt out of non-essential updates using the unsubscribe instructions in our emails or by contacting support@hearabouts.tours.

Access, correction, or deletion

You can contact us at support@hearabouts.tours to request access to, correction of, or deletion of information associated with your app account or email address.

Because the app may initially use anonymous authentication, we may not be able to identify all data associated with you unless you provide information that lets us match your request to an app account, such as your verified email address or app-generated support identifier if available.

After a deletion request, we may retain limited information where reasonably needed for security, fraud prevention, legal compliance, dispute resolution, backups, or enforcing our terms.

7. Children's Privacy

The app is intended for a general audience and is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided personal information to us, contact support@hearabouts.tours and we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

8. International Users

The app may be used by people in different regions. Your information may be processed in the United States and other locations where we or our service providers operate. These locations may have privacy laws different from those in your region.

9. Security

We use reasonable technical and organizational measures designed to protect information. No method of transmission or storage is perfectly secure, but we work to protect app data using access controls, Firebase security features, and operational safeguards appropriate for the nature of the information.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy as the app evolves, including as Mountain View Historic Tour expands into additional Hearabouts tours, locations, or features. If we make material changes, we will update the effective date and may provide additional notice in the app or by email where appropriate.

11. Contact Us

For privacy questions or requests, contact:

Hearabouts
Email: support@hearabouts.tours

These Terms are between you and the person or entity operating Mountain View Historic Tour under the Hearabouts brand. We may update these Terms to reflect our formal legal entity once formation is complete.

Today, Mountain View Historic Tour provides a free audio walking tour of downtown Mountain View. In the future, the app or related services may expand into Hearabouts, a broader platform for audio tours, additional locations, creator content, paid offerings, accounts, and other features. These Terms are written to cover the current app and reasonable future expansions.

1. Using the App

You may use the app for personal, non-commercial enjoyment and education, subject to these Terms.

You are responsible for your own device, headphones, network connection, battery, transportation, and personal awareness while using the app.

The app may provide location-aware tour guidance, maps, walking directions, audio narration, historical context, and related content. These features are provided for convenience and may not always be complete, current, or accurate.

2. Eligibility and Using the App

You may use the app only if you can form a binding agreement with us and only in compliance with these Terms and applicable laws. The app is not intended for children under 13. If you are under 18, you may use the app only with involvement and permission from a parent or legal guardian.

We grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to install and use the app on devices you own or control, solely for your personal, non-commercial use and in accordance with these Terms and applicable App Store terms.

You are responsible for any device, data, messaging, or carrier charges that may apply when you download, update, or use the app.

3. Walking Tour Safety

The app is meant to be used while walking in real public spaces. You are responsible for your own safety and surroundings.

When using the app, you agree to:

• pay attention to traffic, bikes, scooters, trains, signals, construction, uneven surfaces, weather, and other hazards;
• follow all applicable laws, signs, closures, and instructions from public authorities;
• use headphones responsibly and keep enough awareness of your surroundings;
• avoid entering private property or restricted areas unless you have independent permission;
• stop using the app when it would be unsafe or distracting to continue.

We do not control public streets, sidewalks, buildings, businesses, transit facilities, parks, events, construction, closures, or weather conditions.

4. Tour Content

The app may include narration, text, images, maps, routes, historical summaries, recommendations, and other content.

We work to make tour content accurate and enjoyable, but places change. Businesses close, hours change, streets are modified, construction appears, plaques move, routes are blocked, and historical interpretations can evolve. Tour content is provided for general informational and entertainment purposes.

You should not rely on the app as your only source for safety, navigation, transit, legal, accessibility, or emergency information.

5. Accounts and Authentication

The app may use anonymous authentication so you can use app features without creating a traditional account. This may create a temporary anonymous app account or identifier.

If you choose to provide an email address, we may use an email-link sign-in or verification process. You are responsible for providing an email address that belongs to you and for keeping access to that email account secure.

We may suspend, limit, or remove access to accounts or app features if we believe there has been misuse, abuse, fraud, security risk, or violation of these Terms.

6. Ratings, Feedback, and User Submissions

The app may let you submit ratings, feedback, support messages, survey responses, or other content.

You are responsible for anything you submit. You agree not to submit content that is illegal, abusive, harassing, defamatory, invasive of privacy, infringing, misleading, spammy, or harmful to the app, other users, or third parties.

By submitting ratings, feedback, suggestions, or similar content, you grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use, host, store, reproduce, modify, aggregate, analyze, publish, and display that content for operating, improving, promoting, and developing the app and related Hearabouts services. This does not give us ownership of your content, but it lets us use it for legitimate app and business purposes.

If you submit ideas, suggestions, or feature requests, you agree that we may use them without restriction or compensation to you.

7. Email Updates

If you provide your email address, we may send you verification links, sign-in links, product updates, launch announcements, support responses, and related Hearabouts communications.

You can opt out of non-essential marketing or update emails by using the unsubscribe instructions in the email or by contacting support@hearabouts.tours. We may still send transactional or service-related messages, such as verification links, account notices, or support responses.

8. Future Paid Features

The current Mountain View Historic Tour app is free. In the future, Hearabouts may offer paid tours, subscriptions, in-app purchases, creator content, marketplace features, or other paid services.

If paid features are introduced, additional terms, prices, refund rules, App Store purchase terms, creator terms, or subscription terms may apply. We will present relevant terms before or at the time of purchase.

9. Intellectual Property

The app, tour scripts, audio narration, design, branding, logos, software, maps overlays, route structure, and other materials are owned by us or our licensors and are protected by intellectual-property laws.

You may not copy, reproduce, distribute, modify, sell, lease, scrape, reverse engineer, or create derivative works from the app or its content except as allowed by law or with our written permission.

You may use the app and tour content for your own personal, non-commercial tour experience.

10. Third-Party Services and Places

The app may rely on or link to third-party services, such as Apple services, Firebase, maps, email providers, device operating systems, businesses, public agencies, or websites.

We do not control third-party services or physical places. Their terms, privacy policies, availability, hours, pricing, accessibility, safety conditions, and content are their own responsibility.

Mentioning a place, business, building, public site, historical source, or service does not mean we endorse it or that it endorses us.

11. Acceptable Use

You agree not to:

• misuse, disrupt, overload, or interfere with the app or its infrastructure;
• attempt to bypass security, authentication, rate limits, or access controls;
• use the app to violate laws or third-party rights;
• submit malicious code, spam, false ratings, or abusive feedback;
• scrape, bulk copy, or harvest content or data from the app;
• impersonate another person or misrepresent your affiliation;
• use the app in a way that could harm users, public spaces, private property, or our services.

12. App Availability and Changes

We may change, suspend, or discontinue the app or any feature at any time. We may add, remove, or update tours, stops, audio, route information, account features, ratings, email features, or other functionality.

We may release updates that you need to install to keep using some or all features.

13. Disclaimers

The app is provided "as is" and "as available." To the fullest extent permitted by law, we disclaim warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, accuracy, availability, and uninterrupted operation.

We do not promise that:

• the app will always be available or error-free;
• tour content will always be complete, accurate, or current;
• maps, directions, distances, durations, or location triggers will be precise;
• every route, sidewalk, park, business, or transit area will be open, safe, accessible, or suitable for every user;
• audio playback, GPS, network connectivity, or device features will work perfectly.

14. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Hearabouts and its owners, employees, contractors, partners, suppliers, and licensors will not be liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, special, exemplary, or punitive damages, or for lost profits, lost data, personal injury, property damage, service interruption, or loss of goodwill arising from or related to your use of the app.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, our total liability for any claim related to the app or these Terms will not exceed the greater of: (a) the amount you paid us for the app feature giving rise to the claim in the three months before the claim; or (b) US $50.

Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations of liability, so some limits may not apply to you.

15. Indemnity

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Hearabouts and its owners, employees, contractors, partners, suppliers, and licensors from claims, damages, liabilities, losses, costs, and expenses, including reasonable attorneys' fees, arising from or related to your misuse of the app, your submissions, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of law or third-party rights.

16. Termination

You may stop using the app at any time.

We may suspend or terminate your access to the app or specific features if we believe you violated these Terms, created risk, caused harm, or used the app in a way that is abusive, unlawful, or harmful to the service.

Sections that by their nature should survive termination will survive, including intellectual property, feedback licenses, disclaimers, limitation of liability, indemnity, governing law, and dispute provisions.

17. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to conflict-of-law rules, except where applicable law requires otherwise.

18. Dispute Resolution

Before filing a claim, you agree to contact us at support@hearabouts.tours and try to resolve the issue informally. Include your contact information, a description of the issue, and the outcome you want.

If the issue is not resolved informally, disputes will be handled in the state or federal courts located in Santa Clara County, California, unless applicable law requires a different venue.

19. Apple App Store Terms

If you downloaded the app from the Apple App Store, Apple's terms may also apply. Apple is not responsible for the app or its content. Apple and its subsidiaries are third-party beneficiaries of these Terms for App Store-related purposes and may enforce these Terms against you as permitted by Apple's rules.

20. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms as the app evolves, including as Mountain View Historic Tour expands into broader Hearabouts features or paid offerings. If we make material changes, we will update the effective date and may provide additional notice in the app or by email where appropriate.

Your continued use of the app after updated Terms become effective means you accept the updated Terms.

21. California Residents

If you are a California resident, you may contact the Complaint Assistance Unit of the Division of Consumer Services of the California Department of Consumer Affairs in writing at 1625 North Market Blvd., Suite N 112, Sacramento, CA 95834, or by telephone at (800) 952-5210 or (916) 445-1254.

22. Contact

Questions about these Terms can be sent to:

Hearabouts
Email: support@hearabouts.tours