← Aurora Forecast
Privacy Policy
Effective date: July 12, 2026
TINAC Inc. ("us", "we", or "our") operates the Aurora Forecast mobile application (the "Service").
This page informs you of our policies regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of personal data when you use our Service and the choices you have associated with that data.
Information We Collect
Aurora Forecast may collect the following information to provide and improve the Service:
- Location data — Used to calculate aurora viewing probability for your area. For forecasts and alerts, your location is processed on your device and is not stored on our servers. If you choose to post a community sighting, an approximate (coarsened) location is shared as described under "Community Sightings" below.
- Device information — Device model, OS version, and app version for compatibility and troubleshooting.
- Purchase information — In-app purchase status is verified through Apple's App Store to manage subscription features.
- Push notification tokens — If you enable aurora alerts, we store a device token to deliver notifications.
Community Sightings
Community Sightings is an optional feature that lets you share that the aurora is visible where you are, so that other nearby users can find it too. It is anonymous and requires no account.
- What is shared — Only when you choose to post a sighting: an approximate location (rounded to roughly a 1 km area — never your exact position), the intensity you selected, and a randomly generated device identifier that is not linked to your identity.
- How it is used — Sightings are shown publicly as pins on the in-app map to other users near that area. No name, account, or other personal information is attached.
- Retention — Sightings are ephemeral and are automatically deleted after 24 hours.
- Your controls — You can remove your own sighting at any time from within the app. You can also report another user's sighting; a sighting reported by enough distinct devices is hidden automatically.
Third-Party Services
We use the following third-party services:
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Firebase (Google) — Used for App Check (security), crash reporting, and push notification delivery. Firebase may collect device identifiers and crash logs. See Firebase Privacy Policy.
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Apple Weather — Weather data is fetched through Apple's WeatherKit API to provide cloud cover and viewing condition information. See Apple Privacy Policy.
Data Storage and Security
Aurora forecast data is served through Amazon CloudFront with signed cookies for access control. We use Firebase App Check to verify that requests come from authentic instances of our app. Community sightings you post are stored temporarily (up to 24 hours) in our serverless backend and are then deleted; we do not store your exact location or any personal identifier.
We do not sell, trade, or transfer your personal information to outside parties.
Links to Other Sites
Our Service may contain links to other sites that are not operated by us. We strongly advise you to review the Privacy Policy of every site you visit. We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party sites or services.
Children's Privacy
Our Service does not address anyone under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and you are aware that your child has provided us with personal data, please contact us.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the effective date above.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us: