Privacy Policy — Yuki App

1. Introduction

Welcome to Yuki – Dog Training Tracker! Protecting your personal data is very important to us. This privacy policy explains what personal data we collect in the Yuki app (Bundle ID: de.vnmp.dog.commands), how we use it, and what rights you have as a user.

Yuki is available for Android and iOS. Some features require an account with cloud synchronization; others work fully offline in guest mode.

2. Data Controller

Nils Lennard Maicher
Westanlage 13
35390 Gießen
Germany
Email: info@yukitas.com

3. Data We Collect and Store

3.1 Guest Mode (No Account)

In guest mode, all data is stored exclusively on your device (local storage). No data is transmitted to our servers or to third parties.

3.2 Account & Authentication Data

If you create an account, the following data is collected via Firebase Authentication:

Email + Password (Firebase Auth)
Google Sign-In: name and email address from your Google account
Apple Sign-In: Apple ID and email (may be anonymized by Apple)

3.3 Dog Profile Data

Data entered by the user and stored in Firebase Firestore:

Dog's name, breed, gender, birthday
Profile picture and color

3.4 Health & Wellness Data

Data entered by the user and stored in Firebase Firestore:

Vet visits (date, diagnosis, costs, photo)
Medications and vaccinations (name, dosage, date, costs)
Weight history
Tick tracking (date, body location)
Daily mood recordings
Diary entries

3.5 Walk & Activity Data (incl. GPS)

Recorded during walk tracking and stored in Firebase Firestore and Firebase Storage:

GPS route as a list of coordinates (latitude/longitude + timestamp)
Distance, duration, average speed
Photos taken during the walk

→ See Section 4 for full details on location access.

3.6 Nutrition Data

Feeding entries (food product, amount, time)
Personal food database created by the user
Barcode lookup via the Open Food Facts API (external service — only the EAN barcode number is sent, no personal data)

3.7 Expense Tracking

Expense entries for dog-related costs (vet, food, accessories, etc.), stored in Firebase Firestore.

3.8 Social Features

Friendship codes (QR code-based): friends can add each other in the app
Playdates with friend's dogs

Stored in Firebase Firestore.

3.9 Feedback

In-app feedback submissions are stored in Firebase Firestore.

4. Location Data

Yuki accesses your device location for the walk tracking feature. This is one of the most sensitive data categories and is described in full detail here:

Types of location access used:

Foreground location (ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION, ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION): Precise GPS coordinates are collected while a walk is actively being recorded in the foreground.

Background location (ACCESS_BACKGROUND_LOCATION): The app continues to collect GPS coordinates in the background via a Foreground Service (type: location) while a walk is in progress — even when the app is minimized. A permanent notification is displayed throughout the walk to make this access visible.

Purpose: Exclusively for recording dog walks (route, distance, duration) and for setting map markers at specific locations (e.g., vet clinic, dog park).

Storage: GPS coordinates are stored as a coordinate list in Firebase Firestore (Google LLC). They are not shared with advertising networks.

Advertising: Location data is never used for advertising or profiling.

Deletion: Location data is deleted together with the walk entry by the user, or upon account deletion.

Stopping tracking: You can stop walk tracking at any time via the app, which immediately ends background location access.

5. Camera & Photo Access

The app requests camera access for the following purposes:

Dog profile photo: Taking a new photo of your dog with the camera
Barcode scanner: Scanning EAN barcodes on dog food packaging for product lookup via the Open Food Facts API. No photo is saved during this process.
QR code scanner: Scanning friendship codes to connect with other Yuki users

Photo library access (READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE on Android 12 and below):

Selecting existing photos from your gallery for your dog's profile picture
Adding photos to walk entries

Photos are uploaded to Firebase Storage and linked to your account. You can delete photos at any time within the app.

6. Purpose of Data Processing

We process your data exclusively for the following purposes:

App functionality: dog profile management, health tracking, nutrition tracking, expense tracking
Walk tracking: GPS route recording, distance and duration measurement
Map features: setting and displaying location markers (vet, dog park, etc.)
Barcode and QR code scanning for food lookup and social features
Cloud synchronization for signed-in users (Firebase)
Push notifications for reminders (medication, vet appointments) and walk live banner
Social features: friend connections and playdates
Improving app quality through anonymized usage statistics (Firebase Analytics)
Bug fixing (Firebase Crashlytics)
Ad-funded service for non-premium users (Google AdMob)

7. Legal Basis

Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR — Contract fulfillment (provision of app functionality)
Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR — Consent (location access, optional cloud sync, ad tracking)
Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR — Legitimate interest (ad-funded service for non-premium users, crash reporting)

8. Third-Party Services

8.1 Firebase (Google LLC)

We use the following Firebase services (provider: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA):

Firebase Authentication: account management (email/password, Google, Apple sign-in)
Firebase Firestore: cloud storage for dog profiles, health data, walk data, GPS routes, social data, and feedback
Firebase Storage: storage for profile photos and walk photos

More info: Firebase Privacy & Security

8.2 Firebase Analytics & Crashlytics

Firebase Analytics: Anonymized usage events (e.g., "walk_started", "command_added", "screen_viewed"). No personal data or location data is included. You can disable Analytics in the app settings. Retention: 14 months.
Firebase Crashlytics: Crash reports including device information, app version, and stack trace. No direct personal reference. Retention: 90 days.

8.3 Google AdMob

Non-premium users see advertisements provided by Google AdMob (Google LLC). Ad formats include banner, interstitial, and rewarded ads. AdMob may collect:

Advertising ID
IP address
Device information (model, OS, screen size)
Usage data and ad interactions

Premium users are not shown any advertisements.
On Android, you can opt out of personalized ads in Google settings. On iOS 14.5+, you can decline ad tracking via system settings (App Tracking Transparency).
More info: Google Privacy Policy

8.4 Open Food Facts API

The barcode scanner uses the public Open Food Facts API to look up dog food products by EAN barcode. Only the barcode number is sent to this service — no personal data, no account required.
More info: Open Food Facts Privacy

8.5 Google Play / Apple App Store (In-App Purchases)

The premium subscription is processed by Google (Google Play) or Apple (App Store). Purchase data is managed exclusively by these providers and is not stored or processed by us.

9. Data Sharing

We do not share your personal data with third parties, except for the following necessary services:

Firebase / Google LLC — cloud storage, authentication, Analytics, Crashlytics (account holders only)
Google AdMob — ad delivery for non-premium users only; location data is never shared with AdMob
Open Food Facts — only EAN barcode numbers for food product lookup (no personal data)
Google / Apple — in-app purchase processing only

10. Data Retention

Guest mode / local data: until app uninstallation or manual deletion
Account data (Firebase): until account deletion or deletion request
Walk GPS data: stored as part of the walk entry; deleted when the walk entry is deleted or upon account deletion
Photos (Firebase Storage): until deleted by the user or upon account deletion
AdMob data: maximum 2 years
Firebase Analytics: 14 months (automatic deletion)
Firebase Crashlytics: 90 days (automatic deletion)

11. Your Rights

You have the following rights under Art. 15–21 GDPR:

Right of access (Art. 15)
Right to rectification (Art. 16)
Right to erasure (Art. 17)
Right to restriction of processing (Art. 18)
Right to data portability (Art. 20)
Right to object (Art. 21)
Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority

To delete your account and all associated data, use the account deletion function in the app settings, or contact us at info@yukitas.com.

12. Data Security

Encrypted data transmission (HTTPS/TLS)
Firebase Security Rules: cloud data is accessible only to the authenticated owner
Background location tracking is always accompanied by a visible Foreground Service notification
Camera and photo access only on explicit user action

13. App Permissions

ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION — precise GPS for walk route recording
ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION — approximate location for map features
ACCESS_BACKGROUND_LOCATION — continued GPS access during active walks when app is minimized (Foreground Service)
CAMERA — profile photos, barcode scanner (food), QR code scanner (friendship codes)
READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE (Android ≤ 12) — selecting photos from the gallery
POST_NOTIFICATIONS — reminders (medication, vet) and walk live banner notification
SCHEDULE_EXACT_ALARM — exact-time reminders
INTERNET — Firebase sync, Open Food Facts API, and advertising
Ad Tracking (iOS 14.5+, App Tracking Transparency) — optional, can be declined at any time

14. Prominent Disclosure & Consent

Before requesting any runtime permission, the app displays an in-app explanation screen that clearly states the purpose of the requested permission before the system permission dialog is shown.

For location specifically: Before GPS access is requested, you are informed that location is used exclusively for recording your dog's walks and that background location access (via a Foreground Service) is needed to continue recording when the app is minimized. The Foreground Service displays a permanent notification for the entire duration of the walk.

You can revoke any granted permission at any time in your device's system settings. Revoking location access will stop walk tracking.

15. In-App Purchases & Premium

Yuki offers a premium subscription via Google Play (Android) and the Apple App Store (iOS). Premium users benefit from an ad-free experience.

Purchase processing is handled entirely by Google or Apple. We do not store or have access to payment or purchase data. For questions about billing, please contact Google Play or Apple support.

16. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We reserve the right to update this privacy policy as needed. Changes will be announced in the app. The date of the last update is shown at the top of this page.

17. Contact

For questions about data protection or to exercise your rights:
Email: info@yukitas.com

We aim to respond to your inquiries within 30 days.