How TerraCove handles your data
Effective date: October 16, 2026
TerraCove is operated by Cardinal Labs, LLC, an Oklahoma limited liability company (“Cardinal Labs,” “we,” or “us”). This policy explains what we collect through the app and how we use it.
We collect as little as we possibly can
TerraCove's entire sign-up form is an email, a password, a display name, and an optional photo. There's no "complete your profile" pressure to hand over more than that. Specifically, we never ask for:
- Home addressNot even a general area — we don't have a field for it anywhere in the app.
- Date of birth or ageNot collected in any form, exact or approximate.
- Driver's license or ID numberNo government-issued identifier of any kind.
- Bank account detailsWe have no reason to ever see these and never ask for them.
- Payment card detailsHandled entirely by Apple for Premium — we never see or store your card.
- Biometric dataNo Face ID/fingerprint data ever reaches our servers; any device unlock stays on your phone, courtesy of iOS.
- Cross-app trackingNo advertising SDK, no device fingerprinting, no data-broker relationships.
Overview
TerraCove ("we," "us") is a mobile app for off-road, overland, RV, and boat owners to log their vehicles, track rides, find spots, and connect with other riders. This policy explains what information the app collects, why, and who it's shared with.
Our starting principle is to collect the least we can get away with. We don't run ads, we don't have a third-party analytics or advertising SDK in the app, and we've never sold user data to anyone — this policy describes real data flows in the current build, not a generic template.
What we collect
Account information
Email address and password (used only for sign-in, via our authentication provider). A display name and, optionally, a profile photo. The vehicle types you own and the categories you're interested in seeing more of. That's the entire account-creation form — see Minimal by design above for everything we deliberately don't ask for.
Content you create
Posts, comments, photos, and videos you share to Feed or Groups; polls you create or vote in; Marketplace listings; direct messages and group messages you send; ratings you leave after a Marketplace transaction; vehicle service/modification records and reminders you log in your Garage.
Location data
Custom spots you drop on the map, hazard reports, group event destinations, and — if you use ride tracking — a GPS trail of the route you record. See Location data below for specifics, including background location use.
Device & diagnostic data
A push-notification token (so we can deliver alerts to your device), and — if the app crashes — a crash report containing device model, OS version, and the code path that failed, sent to our crash-reporting provider. Crash reports are tied only to an anonymous internal user ID, never your name or email.
Usage analytics
A small number of basic events (e.g. that the app was opened, which tab was tapped, that sign-in succeeded) logged to our own database — never a third-party analytics or advertising platform. This tells us which parts of the app are actually used; it doesn't track you across other apps or websites.
Subscription status (Premium)
If you subscribe to TerraCove Premium, Apple handles your payment directly — we never see or store your card details. We only receive subscription status (active, expired, etc.) and Apple's transaction identifiers, to know whether to unlock premium features on your account.
Location data, specifically
Because TerraCove is built around the places you ride, camp, and explore, location is central to how it works. Here's exactly how it's used:
- While using the app: to show your position on the map, show saved spots near you, sort Marketplace listings by distance, and let you drop a pin.
- In the background ("Always" access): only while you've actively started recording a ride, so your route keeps recording and your Live Activity stays current if you lock your phone or switch apps mid-ride. We don't collect location in the background at any other time.
- Sharing a spot publicly: only happens when you explicitly choose to share a saved location — private spots you save for yourself are never shown to anyone else.
You can deny or revoke location access at any time in iOS Settings; the app's core social and Garage features still work without it, but map-based features and ride tracking won't.
What's public vs. what stays private
| Visible to other users | Private to you |
|---|---|
| Feed posts, comments, and public group posts | Direct messages and group chat (visible only to participants) |
| Marketplace listings and your buyer/seller ratings | Saved (private) map spots, unless you choose to share one |
| Your follower/following list | Your blocked-users list |
| Garage details, if you turn on Public Garage — you separately control whether Maintenance history and Upgrades are included | Vehicle reminders (registration/insurance/inspection due dates) are never shown publicly |
How we use it
- To operate the core features of the app — your Feed, Garage, Map, Groups, and Marketplace.
- To send notifications you've opted into (likes, comments, messages, group activity, maintenance reminders).
- To keep the community safe — reviewing reports, enforcing blocks, and moderating content that violates our Terms of Service.
- To fix bugs and understand which features are actually used, via crash reports and the basic usage events described above.
We do not use your data to serve you ads, and we do not sell it to data brokers or advertisers.
Retention & deletion
We keep your data for as long as your account is active. You can delete your account at any time from Profile → Delete Account — this permanently removes your profile, vehicles, posts, messages, and everything else tied to your account. This action can't be undone.
Children's privacy
TerraCove is not directed at children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect information from anyone under that age. If you believe a child has created an account, contact us and we'll remove it.
Your choices
- Control which notifications you receive from Profile → Notifications.
- Turn Public Garage, Maintenance visibility, and Upgrades visibility on or off independently from Profile → Privacy.
- Request a copy of your data, or ask us to correct or delete it, by contacting us below.
- Delete your account entirely at any time, which removes your data immediately.
Changes to this policy
If we make a material change to how we handle your data, we'll update the date at the top of this page and, for significant changes, notify you in the app.
Contact
Questions about this policy or your data? Reach Cardinal Labs, LLC at hello@cardinal-labs.studio.