Privacy Policy – Skystral

Last updated: September 7, 2026

Skystral ("the app") is an astronomy application designed to visualize the sky, solar system, and constellations based on your specific vantage point. This policy outlines how your data is handled to provide this experience.

1. Data Usage & Permissions

Location Data

• Purpose: The app requests approximate/coarse device location (Android permission ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION; we do not request fine/precise location) to calculate the position of celestial bodies, sunrise/sunset times, and to render the interactive globe correctly for your position.
• Control: Coarse location access is only used with your explicit permission. You can deny or revoke this at any time in your device settings.
• Processing: To provide local weather data on the globe, coordinates are sent to Open-Meteo (open-meteo.com). When you search for a city or place, the search text is sent to Open-Meteo's geocoding service to return matching coordinates, with OpenStreetMap Nominatim as a fallback. To display a human-readable location name (e.g., city/region), coordinates may also be sent to OpenStreetMap Nominatim for reverse geocoding. This data is processed ephemerally and is not used for advertising.
• Aurora guide: Skystral retrieves global aurora, solar-wind and forecast data from NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center and CME analyses from NASA CCMC DONKI through a shared cache on the Skystral website. These requests do not include your observing coordinates. Local viewing conditions, Moon positions and twilight are calculated on your device. Our hosting provider may process technical request data to deliver these feeds; NOAA and NASA receive requests from the cache server.
• Storage: Location coordinates may be cached locally on your device for up to 24 hours to improve performance. This cache never leaves your device.

Camera (optional beta)

• Purpose and control: On the website and in the Android app, Sky View can use your rear camera as a live background after you tap Camera and grant permission.
• On-device processing: Camera frames are displayed and processed only on your device. Skystral does not record, store, upload, analyze, or include them in analytics or session replay.
• No audio: Skystral does not request microphone access for this feature. The camera stops when you turn it off, leave Sky View, or move the page or app to the background. You can also revoke camera access in your browser, app, or device settings.

Analytics

• We use PostHog for optional product analytics (e.g., which features are used and whether the app starts successfully) to help us improve Skystral.
• On the public website, we also use Google Analytics to measure consented page visits, traffic sources, and approximate country-level audience trends. Google Analytics is not enabled inside the Android app.
• Website control: CookieYes asks for your choice before Google Analytics or PostHog starts. You can reject optional analytics without losing access and change your choice later through the CookieYes settings control.
• Android control: Analytics is disabled by default and starts only after you enable it during onboarding or in Settings. You can change this choice at any time.
• When analytics is enabled, up to 20% of eligible sessions may be recorded for replay. Inputs and selected location text are masked; console logs and network request timing are not recorded.
• Events use a random anonymous device identifier. Skystral does not create identified PostHog person profiles, does not require a user account, and does not include precise GPS coordinates in event properties.
• Retention: Analytics event retention is managed in our PostHog workspace configuration and may change over time based on product and legal needs.
• For more details, visit posthog.com/privacy and Google's privacy policy.

Essential hosting and security data

• When you request a website page, our hosting provider may process technical request data such as the IP address, timestamp, requested URL, and browser user agent to deliver and secure the website.
• This operational processing does not use an advertising identifier and is not used by Skystral for cross-site tracking.

For details about the data we collect and how it is used, see the Data safety section in our Google Play Store listing.

2. Data We Do Not Collect

Skystral does not require a user account. We do not collect or store your name, email address, phone number, contacts, photos, or camera images. Your data is never sold to third parties.

3. Storage, Retention & Deletion

• Local Data: All location and preference data is stored locally on your device. You can delete this data at any time by clearing the app cache or uninstalling the app.
• Server Data: We do not run user accounts and do not maintain an account database of personal profiles on our own servers. However, if analytics is enabled, analytics data is processed by PostHog and, for the public website, Google Analytics under their infrastructure and retention settings.
• Withdrawal: On Android, disable analytics in Settings. On the website, reopen CookieYes settings and reject Analytics. New optional analytics events are then no longer captured.

4. Children's Privacy

The app is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

5. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy occasionally to reflect changes in the app or legal requirements. Continued use of the app after the "Last updated" date constitutes acceptance of the new terms.

6. Contact Us

If you have questions regarding this policy, please contact us using the support or contact email shown in our Google Play Store listing.