BikeTalkiePrivacy Policy
Effective date: September 16, 2026
BikeTalkie ("BikeTalkie", "we", "us") is an Android app that turns nearby phones into an offline group intercom for cyclists, using Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Direct — no mobile data or internet connection is used for voice, chat, or photos exchanged within a channel. This policy explains what information the app collects, why, and how it's handled.
Summary
- Voice calls, text chat, and photos shared inside a BikeTalkie channel travel directly between the phones in that channel over Bluetooth/Wi-Fi Direct. They are never sent to, or stored on, any server we operate.
- BikeTalkie does not require an account, does not use advertising or analytics SDKs, and does not track your location or browsing activity.
- The only information that leaves your device is what's needed to (a) request the Bluetooth/Wi-Fi permissions Android requires for local device discovery, and (b) process a one-time in-app purchase, described below.
Information We Collect
Information you provide
- Nickname. The name you enter (or the one suggested from your phone's Bluetooth/profile name) is stored only on your device and shared with other riders in the channel you join or host. We don't collect it on any server.
- Purchase email. If you buy a BikeTalkie license, the email address you provide during checkout is collected by Stripe, our payment processor, to process the purchase and to let you restore your license later (e.g., after reinstalling the app). See "Payment Processing" below.
Information collected automatically
- Device identifier. BikeTalkie reads your device's Android ID (a non-resettable identifier scoped to this app) to link a purchase to the device that made it, so a single purchase can't be reused across unlimited devices. This identifier is sent to our backend and stored as metadata on the associated Stripe transaction — we do not maintain our own user database.
Voice, chat, and photos
Audio, text messages, and photos sent inside a channel are transmitted directly between the phones in that channel over Nearby Connections (Bluetooth/Wi-Fi Direct) and are never routed through, or stored on, any server. When you leave a channel or close the app, that data is not retained by BikeTalkie beyond what your own device keeps locally (e.g., photos saved to your gallery if you choose to save them).
Permissions BikeTalkie Requests
| Permission | Why it's needed |
|---|---|
| Microphone | To capture your voice for the intercom. |
| Bluetooth (scan, advertise, connect) | To discover and connect to nearby riders' phones. |
| Nearby Wi-Fi devices / Wi-Fi state | To discover and connect over Wi-Fi Direct, used for better range and audio quality than Bluetooth alone. |
| Location (fine/coarse) | Required by Android to enable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Direct device discovery on the versions of Android BikeTalkie supports. BikeTalkie does not read your GPS location, and does not use this permission to track or store your whereabouts. |
| Notifications | To show the persistent notification required while the intercom runs as a foreground service (so the channel stays alive with the screen off). |
| Internet | Used only for the one-time purchase flow (starting checkout, confirming a purchase, and restoring a purchase by email). No other feature of the app uses the internet. |
Payment Processing
One-time purchases are processed by Stripe, a third-party payment processor. BikeTalkie never sees or stores your payment card details — those are handled entirely by Stripe's own hosted checkout page. Stripe's handling of your payment and contact information is governed by Stripe's own privacy policy.
Third-Party Services
BikeTalkie uses Google's Nearby Connections API (part of Google Play Services) to discover and connect to nearby devices over Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Direct. Google's handling of any data processed by Play Services is governed by Google's Privacy Policy. BikeTalkie does not include any advertising or analytics SDKs.
Data Retention
We don't operate a database of app users. The only persistent record tied to your purchase is the Stripe Checkout Session created for it (retained by Stripe per their own retention practices) and the device identifier stored in that session's metadata, used solely to validate future restore/verification requests from the app.
Children's Privacy
BikeTalkie is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect information from children under 13.
Your Choices
- You can use BikeTalkie's core intercom features without providing any personal information beyond a nickname of your choosing.
- To ask about or request deletion of purchase-related data we can access (your device identifier and its association with a Stripe transaction), contact us at the email below.
Changes to This Policy
If this policy changes, we'll update the effective date above and post the revised version at this same URL.
Contact Us
Questions about this policy or your information can be sent to olavopmn@gmail.com.
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