Legal
Privacy Policy
Effective October 10, 2026
Trackside is built to need as little about you as possible. There’s no account, your precise location is never sent to our servers, and we never sell your data. This policy explains exactly what the app does.
The short version
- No account, so we never ask for your name, email, phone number or password.
- Precise location is optional, used on your device, and never sent to us or to our analytics provider.
- Favorites, settings and alerts are stored only on your device.
- We collect anonymous usage analytics (which screens are opened, and when the app is opened or closed) tied to a random ID — not to you.
- We don’t sell or share your personal information, and we don’t use it for targeted advertising.
1. Who we are
The Trackside mobile app for iOS and Android (the “App”) and the website at usetrackside.com (the “Site”) are operated by Something Better LLC (“Trackside,” “we,” “us”). You can reach us at trackside@bobatravel.com.
Trackside is an independent app. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (“BART”).
2. Information the App processes
2.1 No account information
The App has no sign-up or login. We do not collect names, email addresses, phone numbers, passwords, contacts, photos, or payment information.
2.2 Location (optional)
If you allow it, the App uses your device’s location only while the App is in use to find your nearest station, show where you are on the map, and estimate how long it will take you to reach a station. You can decline or turn location off at any time in your device settings; you can still pick stations manually.
- Your precise location is processed on your device. It is never sent to our servers and is never included in analytics.
- On iPhone, to estimate walking, cycling or driving time, the App asks Apple Maps (Apple’s MapKit service) for travel time between your current position and the station. Apple processes that request under the Apple Privacy Policy. On Android, travel time is estimated on your device.
2.3 Data stored on your device
Your favorite stations, settings (such as travel mode and alert buffer), active leave alerts, recent destinations, and a cached copy of recent train data are stored locally on your device. We cannot see this data. It is deleted when you delete the App.
2.4 Anonymous usage analytics
To understand how the App is used and decide what to improve, the App sends a small set of usage events to PostHog, Inc., our analytics service provider, which stores them on servers in the United States (PostHog US Cloud).
| What is sent | Details |
|---|---|
| Screen views | The name of the App screen you open (for example, the map, a station, or the trip screen). |
| App lifecycle events | When the App is installed or updated, opened, brought to the foreground, or sent to the background. |
| Device and app details | App version and build, operating system and version, device manufacturer and model (e.g. “iPhone 17”), screen size, language/locale, and time zone. |
| A random identifier | A randomly generated ID created on your device when the App first runs. It is not linked to your name, email, phone number, or advertising ID. |
| Network information | Like any internet request, the connection includes your IP address. PostHog may use it to derive an approximate location (such as city or country). We do not use it to identify you. |
Analytics never include your precise location, the stations or trips you search for, your favorites, or anything you type. Automatic capture of taps and session recording are turned off. We do not use the advertising identifier (IDFA/AAID), and we do not use analytics to track you across other companies’ apps or websites, or for advertising.
PostHog processes this data on our behalf as a service provider under its privacy policy and data processing terms. We retain analytics events only as long as needed to understand how the App is used and improve it.
2.5 Notifications, alarms and Live Activities
Leave alerts, arrival alerts, alarms (iOS 26 and later) and Live Activities are scheduled locally on your device. We do not use push notification servers and do not collect push tokens.
3. Services the App connects to
To work, the App makes requests to these services. They receive standard technical information (such as your IP address) as part of any internet request.
- BART’s public API (api.bart.gov) — live departure estimates, schedules, fares, and service advisories. Requests contain station codes only, never your location or identity.
- Apple Maps (iOS) — map display and, if you allow location, travel-time estimates. See the Apple Privacy Policy.
- Google Maps (Android) — map display via the Google Maps SDK. See the Google Privacy Policy.
- PostHog — anonymous usage analytics as described above.
- App Store / Google Play — downloads, updates, and the optional in-app rating prompt are handled by Apple or Google under their own policies.
When you tap “Directions,” share a train, or open a link, the App hands off to another app (such as Maps or your messaging app) that you choose; what happens there is governed by that app’s policy.
4. Advertising
The App does not show ads today. In the future, we may display ads from third-party ad networks to keep Trackside free. If we do, we will update this policy before any ads appear, describing which ad networks we use, what data they process, and the choices available to you (including any consent required by law or by Apple and Google).
5. How we use information
- To provide the App’s features (live trains, departures, trip planning, alerts).
- To understand, in aggregate, which features are used so we can fix problems and improve the App.
- To respond when you contact us.
We do not sell personal information, “share” it for cross-context behavioral advertising, or use it to build profiles about you.
6. If you email us
If you contact us at trackside@bobatravel.com, we receive your email address and whatever you include in your message. We use it only to respond and to improve the App, and we delete support emails when they are no longer needed.
7. This website
The Site does not use cookies, analytics, or advertising trackers. It may store your light/dark theme preference in your browser’s local storage. Our hosting provider processes standard server logs (such as IP address and browser type) to deliver and secure the Site.
8. Your choices
- Location: allow, deny, or change access at any time in your device’s Settings.
- Notifications and alarms: manage them in your device’s Settings.
- Analytics: uninstalling the App stops all analytics and removes the random identifier from your device. If you reinstall, a new, unrelated identifier is created.
- Delete your data: see Delete your data.
9. Security and retention
Data stored on your device stays there until you delete the App. Analytics data is transmitted over encrypted connections (HTTPS) and retained as described in section 2.4. No method of transmission or storage is perfectly secure, but we keep what we collect to a minimum.
10. Children’s privacy
Trackside is a general-audience transit app and is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 (as defined by the U.S. Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, COPPA). Because the App has no accounts and its analytics are anonymous, we do not ask for age. If you believe a child has provided us personal information, contact us at trackside@bobatravel.com and we will delete it.
11. Your California privacy rights
If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (as amended by the CPRA) gives you rights regarding personal information. In the last 12 months, the only categories of personal information we have collected through the App are:
- Identifiers: the random App identifier and IP address (via PostHog).
- Internet or other electronic network activity: the App usage events described in section 2.4.
- Geolocation data: only approximate location (such as city) that PostHog may derive from an IP address. We do not collect precise geolocation.
- Device information: device model, operating system, locale and time zone.
We collect these for the business purposes in section 5, disclose them only to our service provider (PostHog), and do not sell or share them (as those terms are defined in the CCPA), so there is nothing to opt out of. We do not use or disclose sensitive personal information.
You have the right to know what personal information we have collected about you, to request its deletion or correction, and not to be discriminated against for exercising these rights. To make a request, email trackside@bobatravel.com. Because our analytics are not linked to your identity, we may be unable to locate data about a specific person; if so, we’ll tell you, and uninstalling the App removes the identifier that links your device to past events. You may use an authorized agent to make a request on your behalf.
12. Users outside the United States
Trackside is designed for the San Francisco Bay Area and operated from the United States. If you use it from elsewhere, your information will be processed in the United States. Where laws such as the GDPR apply, we rely on our legitimate interest in operating and improving the App for anonymous analytics, and you may contact us to exercise your rights of access, deletion, objection, or to lodge a complaint with your local authority.
13. Changes to this policy
If we change how the App handles information — for example, before introducing ads — we will update this page and its effective date, and, where the change is material, tell you in the App or in the store listing before the change takes effect.
14. Contact
Something Better LLC
Email: trackside@bobatravel.com