Thru-Hike Privacy Policy

Last updated: 21 October 2026

Thru-Hike is made by Trailhead Interactive. This policy explains what the app does with your information. The short version: everything stays on your phone. The only things that ever leave it are a club code you choose to enter, and a problem report you choose to send us. We have no accounts and no analytics, and we cannot see anything you do in the app.

What the app reads

Health and activity data. With your permission, Thru-Hike reads these from Health Connect: your steps, walking distance, floors climbed, exercise sessions, active and total calories burned, and your body weight. If you turn on Count wheelchair pushes in Settings, it also reads wheelchair pushes. This is the heart of the game: your real steps move your hiker along a real trail. Workouts count toward your steps, and your weight is used to work out how far the energy from a workout carries you.

This data is read on your phone, used on your phone, and never leaves it. We do not transmit it, store it anywhere but your device, sell it, or share it with anyone. It is never included in a problem report. You can refuse this permission, or withdraw it at any time in Health Connect or in Android's app permissions.

Motion sensors. The app uses your phone's step detector and barometer to count steps and sense elevation while you walk. These readings are used as they arrive and are not recorded anywhere.

Photos you create. The app can make a souvenir "polaroid" card from your hike. It is created on your phone. If you choose to share one, Android's own share sheet hands it to whichever app you pick. Thru-Hike never uploads it.

What the app stores

Your progress is saved on your phone only: trails walked, species found, trophies earned, your gear and settings, and the hiker name you choose. There is no account, no sign-in, and no copy of any of it held by us.

The app also keeps a short log of recent errors on your phone, so that a problem can be reported even after the app has been closed. It stays on your phone unless you send it to us.

Deleting the app deletes all of it. The only things we could ever hold are a problem report you have emailed us, which we will delete if you ask, and the count of how many times a club code has been used, which says nothing about who used it.

When the app uses the internet

Thru-Hike connects to the internet only for these things:

• Region downloads. The artwork for a region you choose to add is delivered by Google Play. No personal information is sent in the process.
• Purchases. If you buy a region, the purchase is handled entirely by Google Play. We never see your payment details.
• Club codes. If a club leader gives you a code and you enter it in Settings, the app sends that code, and nothing else, once, to our code service at codes.trailheadinteractive.app. The service checks the code and counts one use of it, so a club's code can be shared a set number of times. It does not receive or keep your name, any device identifier, or any health or game data, and it keeps no record of who entered the code. After that the app remembers the code on your phone and never sends it again.
• Links you tap. Some buttons open another app or website, such as a trailhead in Google Maps, the Health Connect page on Google Play, or this policy. Thru-Hike sends those services nothing about you; what they do is covered by their own privacy policies.
• Problem reports and feedback. See below.

Problem reports. If you tap Report a problem in Settings, the game opens your email app with a report addressed to trailheadinteractivesupport@gmail.com. The report contains the game's version, your phone model and Android version, your screen size, where you were in the game (mode, region, trail and mile), and a log of recent errors and screens. It does not include your hiker name, your step history, or anything else from Health Connect. Nothing is sent unless you choose to send that email. Send an idea or feedback works the same way, with nothing technical attached. If you send either, we receive it from your email address, and we use it only to reply to you and fix the problem.

What we do not do

• We do not collect, transmit or store your personal data, other than an email you choose to send us.
• We do not use analytics, advertising, or tracking of any kind.
• We do not include third-party software that gathers data about you.
• We do not require an account or an email address.
• We do not sell or share your information.

Children

Thru-Hike is made for all ages, including children, for example through youth clubs. It collects no personal information from anyone, of any age: there are no accounts, ads, analytics or tracking, and health data never leaves the phone. A club code entered in Settings sends only the code itself. The only way information reaches us is an email a user chooses to send. If you are a parent and believe your child has emailed us, contact us and we will delete it.

Changes

If this policy changes, the new version will be posted here with an updated date.

Contact

Questions about this policy or the app:
trailheadinteractivesupport@gmail.com