Privacy Policy for Elsewhere
Elsewhere is an Android app that sets a mock location on your own device for development and testing. This policy describes what the app does with data, in plain terms. It covers the app published on Google Play under the package name com.nan.elsewhere.
The short version. The places you save and the location you mock stay on your device. Elsewhere has no user accounts and no server of its own. The only data that leaves your device because of us is crash and error diagnostics — and those never contain a location, real or mocked. Showing a map and searching for an address involve Google, as described below.
What stays on your device
The following is stored only in the app's private storage on your phone. We cannot see it, and it is never transmitted to us:
- Saved places — the name, address, and coordinates of each place you add to your favourites, plus when you added it.
- The location you are currently mocking, for as long as the mock is running.
Deleting a saved place in the app removes it immediately. Uninstalling Elsewhere deletes all of it.
No backup, no transfer
Elsewhere opts out of Android's app backup. Your saved places are not included in your device's backup to Google, and they are not copied when you transfer to a new phone. They exist only on the device you created them on, which also means they do not survive a reset or a move to a new device.
Your location
Elsewhere asks for location permission so it can show where you actually are on the map and give you a starting point, and so you can return to your real position after mocking. The app reads that position through Google Play services on your device.
We do not collect, store, or transmit your real or mocked location. It is used on the device, in the moment, and nothing more.
You can revoke location permission at any time in Android's app settings. Elsewhere continues to work; the map simply opens on a world view instead of on you.
What leaves your device
Crash and error diagnostics (Firebase Crashlytics)
Elsewhere uses Google's Firebase Crashlytics to report crashes and a small number of specific non-crash failures — mainly the case where a phone model refuses to register a mock location provider, which is otherwise invisible to us and leaves the app appearing to work when it is not.
When that happens, the following is sent to Firebase:
| Category | What it is |
|---|---|
| Crash logs and diagnostics | The stack trace of the failure, the exception type and message, and whether the app was in the foreground |
| Device and OS information | Device model, manufacturer, Android version, CPU architecture, available memory and storage, and the app version |
| Identifiers | A Firebase installation ID and a Crashlytics installation UUID — random identifiers for this installation of the app. They are not tied to you, your Google account, or your device's advertising ID. |
| Session data | A random session identifier used to group events from a single run of the app |
Alongside each report we attach three technical values of our own: which mock provider failed, what kind of failure it was, and your Android API level. No latitude, longitude, address, place name, or search term is ever included in a report.
Firebase Analytics is deliberately not included in Elsewhere. We do not track how you use the app, which screens you open, or which places you mock.
Google retains Crashlytics crash traces and their associated identifiers for 90 days before beginning removal from live and backup systems. Firebase acts as our data processor for this, under Firebase's privacy and security terms and Google's Privacy Policy.
Maps and address search (Google)
The map in Elsewhere is drawn by the Google Maps SDK for Android, and address search uses Android's built-in geocoding service, which on most devices is provided by Google.
Using these means data is sent to Google directly — including the text you type into search, your IP address, and the map coordinates being displayed. This happens as part of Google's service, not through any server of ours, and we do not receive a copy of it.
Google's use of that data is governed by the Google Privacy Policy, which applies to your use of the mapping and search features in this app. If you would rather not send search terms to Google, you can place a pin directly on the map instead of searching.
What we never do
- We have no user accounts, no sign-in, and no server that stores your data.
- We do not sell or share your data with anyone, and there are no advertising or marketing SDKs in the app.
- We do not use analytics or behavioural tracking of any kind.
- We do not log, upload, or retain any location — real or mocked.
- We do not include your saved places in any backup or device transfer.
How the data is protected
Data on your device sits in the app's private storage, which Android isolates from other apps. Diagnostic reports are sent to Firebase over encrypted connections (HTTPS/TLS) and are held under Google's security controls. Because we operate no servers and hold no accounts, there is no database of ours for anyone to breach.
Your choices and how to delete your data
- Saved places — delete individually in the app, or uninstall Elsewhere to remove all of them.
- Location — revoke the permission at any time in Android's app settings.
- Diagnostic reports — these are anonymous and tied to a random installation identifier, so we cannot locate yours on request. Uninstalling the app stops all further reports, and existing reports age out within 90 days. If you would like a report removed sooner, contact us at the address below and we will do what we can with the information available.
Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, or delete personal data held about you. Because Elsewhere holds no accounts and no personal records, in practice there is very little to act on — but write to us and we will respond.
Children
Elsewhere is a developer and testing utility. It is not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children.
Changes to this policy
If this policy changes, the updated version will be posted at this address with a new date at the top. Material changes affecting how data is handled will also be noted in the app's release notes on Google Play.
Contact
Questions about this policy or about privacy in Elsewhere: eugen.ungurean@gmail.com.