Alauda Bat Live privacy policy

This policy covers the Alauda Bat Live app for iPhone and Android, published by Apalos Ltd. The website privacy policy covers this site and the listening post dashboard. Questions to hello@alaudaaudio.co.uk.

The short version

The app has no account, no analytics and no server of ours. Everything it records or saves stays on your phone until you choose to share it. We cannot see your recordings, your sessions or your location, and we do not collect anything about you when you use the app.

Microphone and USB audio

The app asks for microphone permission so it can read sound from the Alauda USB-C bat dongle, which the phone treats as an audio input, and to give a limited live preview from the phone’s own microphone when no dongle is attached. Audio is processed on the phone to draw the live sonogram and readouts. Nothing is recorded unless you press record.

Recordings and field sessions

When you record, the app writes a WAV file into its private storage on your phone and adds it to the session list, together with the time, duration, sample rate and input it came from. Recordings leave the phone only when you use the share button, at which point the app or service you share to receives the file under its own privacy terms. You can delete any recording or session in the app; uninstalling the app removes them all.

Location

Location is optional. If you allow it when starting a field session, the app saves one position with that session, to the accuracy your phone reports, and uses it to calculate local sunset, dusk and dawn and to draw the survey area on the session map. It does not track you during the session, does not look up a place name from the coordinate, and does not send it anywhere. Decline the permission and every other feature works the same.

Motion

On iPhone the app reads device orientation to keep the sonogram readable as you turn the phone. Motion data is used in the moment and never stored.

Maps

The session map is drawn by Apple Maps on iPhone and Google Maps on Android. To fetch map tiles, those services receive the map area being shown and your device’s network address, under Apple’s or Google’s own privacy policy. This is the only network traffic the app makes. The map is shown only for sessions that have a saved location.

Device backups

Your phone may include the app’s data in its normal device backup to iCloud or Google. That backup is governed by Apple’s or Google’s terms and your own backup settings, not by us.

What we do not do

• No account, sign-in, or identifier of any kind.
• No analytics, crash reporting, advertising or tracking.
• No upload of audio, recordings, sessions or location to us or anyone else.
• No data sold or shared.

Children

The app is not directed at children under 13 and does not knowingly collect anything from anyone, of any age.

Your rights

Because the app holds nothing about you on our side, there is nothing for us to hand over, correct or delete: all of it is on your phone under your control. If you think that is wrong, or have any other concern, email us. You can also complain to the Information Commissioner at ico.org.uk.

Changes

If a future version of the app starts collecting anything, this page will say so before that version is released, and the app will ask you first.