Last Updated: April 2026
This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, and protect your information when you use the Train Buddy mobile application.
By using this app, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.
1️⃣ Information We Collect
We collect only the information necessary to provide app functionality.
A. Information You Provide
During registration and profile setup, we may collect:
- Name
- Phone number
- Email address (used for Firebase authentication only)
- Gender
- Speakable languages
After login:
- Train number (mandatory)
- PNR number (optional)
- Meal preferences (optional)
- Messages and chat metadata
- Emergency help requests (if used)
- Device and notification tokens (for push notifications)
👉 We do not collect live location or GPS data
B. Automatically Collected Information
We may collect limited technical information such as:
- Device type
- OS version
- App version
- App usage events (for analytics, crash monitoring, and performance improvements)
C. Advertising Data (Google AdMob)
Our app uses Google AdMob, which may collect:
- Advertising ID
- Ad interaction data
- Basic device information
This data is processed according to Google’s privacy policy:
🔗 https://policies.google.com/privacy
D. AI & Travel Assistance Data 🤖
When you use AI features (trip planning, queries):
- Your queries and inputs may be processed
- Used only to generate responses and improve service quality
We do not use AI data for personal profiling or selling data.
E. Booking & External Services Data 🏨🚖
When you use:
- Hotel booking
- Cab booking
- Holiday packages
You may be redirected to third-party platforms.
👉 These services operate under their own privacy policies, and we are not responsible for their data practices.
F. Content & Discovery Features 🌍
For features like:
- Explore City
- Station insights
- Stories (Romantic, Mystery, etc.)
We do not collect personal data — content is informational only.
🍽️ Meal Preference Data
- Optional and user-provided
- Visible to other users within the app
- Not shared with third parties
📩 Messages & Notifications
- Messages are stored securely for chat functionality
- Notification tokens are used only for alerts
- Notifications include:
- Chat messages
- Train updates
- Station alerts
2️⃣ How We Use Your Information
We use your information to:
- Create and manage user accounts
- Enable chat between co-travellers
- Provide PNR status and live train tracking
- Send voice alerts and smart notifications
- Power AI-based travel assistance
- Display journey insights and city information
- Enable emergency help requests
- Show ads and rewarded ads
- Improve safety, performance, and user experience
- Provide customer support
3️⃣ Authentication & Data Storage
- Authentication is handled via Firebase Authentication
- We do not store passwords
- Data is securely stored using Firebase infrastructure
4️⃣ Rewarded Ads & Chat Credits
- Users can chat with up to 3 users per journey
- Watching rewarded ads unlocks additional chat access
- Credits:
- Have no monetary value
- Are non-transferable
- Exist only within the app
5️⃣ Data Sharing
We do not sell or rent personal data.
Data may be shared only with:
- Google Firebase (authentication & database)
- Google AdMob (ads)
- Travel/booking partners (only when user chooses booking features)
- Legal authorities (if required by law)
6️⃣ User Controls & Choices
Users can:
- Edit profile information
- Skip optional fields (PNR, meal preferences)
- Report users
- Delete chat connections
- Delete account from app settings
Upon deletion, user data is removed as per retention policies.
⚠️ Important Disclaimer
Train Buddy is not affiliated with or endorsed by Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation.
All journey-related details are:
- Either user-provided
- Or fetched from third-party APIs
7️⃣ Data Security
We use:
- Secure Firebase infrastructure
- Controlled access systems
However, no system is completely secure.
8️⃣ Children’s Privacy
This app is not intended for users under 18 years of age.
We do not knowingly collect data from minors.
9️⃣ Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this policy periodically.
Changes will be reflected with an updated date.
Continued use of the app means acceptance of the updated policy.