Last updated: November 2, 2026 (the operator may open a trip's viewer page when needed for operations, with an audit record; October 27, 2026: Trip Sharing: new Messages option, and a longer retention period after a safe return; website weather page; Trip Sharing: new Team option; barometer and Motion & Fitness access while recording tracks)
No account required
Aki Map does not require registration or sign-in.
Location services
The app requests location access to show your position on offline mountain maps and to record your route in the background. Aki Map does not actively collect or upload your location; by default, location data is stored only on your device. Data leaves your device only when you choose to enable iCloud sync (stored in your own iCloud) or Trip Sharing. Background location is used only in two cases: to keep recording your route while you record a track, and, while a Trip Sharing trip you created is active, to send your location to your contacts at the interval you chose.
Camera and photos
The app can take navigation photos and write the current GPS coordinates to photos and GPX waypoints. Photos are saved to your device's photo library and are not separately uploaded or sent to the developer. The app requests permission to save photos, but does not read your entire photo library. Photos you select to attach to a track or summit log remain on your device (and sync to your own iCloud if you enable iCloud sync); they are not sent to us.
Barometer and motion access
While you record a track, the app reads the phone's built-in barometer (through the iOS Motion & Fitness permission) and combines air pressure with GPS altitude so elevation gain and altitude are more accurate. It is read only while a recording is in progress; the pressure value is stored with the track points on your device (and in your own iCloud if you enable iCloud sync) and is never uploaded to Aki Map or AkiFuns servers or included in Trip Sharing. The app does not read your steps, activity type or other fitness data. You can revoke access in iOS Settings → Privacy & Security → Motion & Fitness; on devices without a barometer, or if you decline, the app keeps using GPS altitude.
Microphone and voice memos
The Voice Memos feature uses the microphone only when you tap the record button, to record a voice note together with the place and time of the recording. The microphone is used only while a recording is in progress; the app never records in the background and does no speech recognition. Recordings (.m4a) are stored only on your device (and in your own iCloud if you enable iCloud sync); they are not uploaded or sent to the developer or any server. After saving, you may use the iOS share sheet to add a recording to Apple's Voice Memos or send it to someone; that is your choice and is handled under the policy of Apple or the app you pick. You can delete recordings in the app at any time, and revoke permission in iOS Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone.
Emergency contacts
Emergency contact names and phone numbers that you enter manually are stored only on your device by default. The app does not use your system contacts or upload this information to Aki Map or AkiFuns servers. If you turn on iCloud sync, emergency contacts are stored and synced with your other data in your own iCloud Drive (see "iCloud sync" below).
Safety card and overdue check-in reminders
The safety card and overdue check-in feature organize your coordinates (WGS84 / TWD97 / UTM) so you can send them to someone you choose using the system messaging or sharing features, or by calling 119. Your device sends this information directly through iOS; it does not pass through Aki Map or AkiFuns servers.
iCloud sync (optional)
You can turn on iCloud sync in Settings to back up and sync tracks, GPX routes, saved waypoints, voice memos, summit logs, emergency contacts, Trip Sharing history summaries (without share links, credentials or location points), and related photos across devices signed in with the same Apple ID. These data are stored in your iCloud Drive and handled by Apple under its privacy policy. They do not pass through Aki Map or AkiFuns servers, and we cannot access them. Offline map files are never synced and remain on your device. You can turn sync off or manage and delete this data in iOS Settings and iCloud Drive.
Subscriptions and purchases
The Full Version is offered as an App Store subscription. Apple handles payment, subscription status, and refunds. We do not receive your payment method, Apple ID, or identity details. The app only asks Apple whether you have an active subscription to unlock features.
Notifications, Live Activities, and voice guidance
Notifications (including check-in reminders and Trip Sharing reminders) and lock-screen Live Activities are generated locally on your device; no push notification server is used. Voice guidance uses iOS speech synthesis and does not record or upload audio. Background audio mode allows voice guidance to continue when the screen is off. For recording, see "Microphone and voice memos" above.
Trip Sharing (optional safety feature)
Trip Sharing lets you share a trip and location with trusted contacts. It is off by default. Aki Map does not actively collect your location. Only after you read and agree to the in-app notice and create a trip will your phone send the following information to akimap.app and create a web link that your contacts can open without installing the app or creating an account:
- Trip name, planned start and end times, and your planned route;
- Planned points you marked in the app beforehand and chose to share when creating the trip (for example camps, water sources, summits, or retreat points): name, coordinates and type only, never the note you wrote for a point;
- During the trip, your phone sends location updates at the time or distance interval you choose (about every 10 minutes by default): coordinates, time, accuracy, and (if available) elevation and battery level; when a location is near one of your planned points or a known place built into your offline map (for example a hut, trailhead or water source), the place name and an approximate distance are attached. This matching happens offline on your phone. Each location update also carries the distance, ascent and descent accumulated so far, calculated on your phone.
- Stationary heartbeat: if your trip uses only a distance interval (no time interval) and your phone detects that you have stayed within about 50 m for more than 20 minutes, it sends a "still online" signal about every 30 minutes (about every 60 minutes at 20% battery or below, plus once when the battery drops to 10%). It contains only the battery level and a "stationary" flag, no coordinates; the server records when it arrived, and the trip page shows "phone online at …, stationary, battery …" so your contacts can tell a rest stop from a phone that has lost signal or power.
Your device sends data only while the trip is active; sharing stops when the trip ends or you revoke it. We do not collect account details, your name, phone number, or device identifier. Uploaded information is not linked to your identity, used for advertising or tracking, or shared with third parties. The trip is identified by a randomly generated, unguessable link.
Who can see it: Anyone with the link can view the route, latest location, and trip status. Share it only with people you trust. Search engines are instructed not to index the page. The feature does not send notifications and does not replace emergency services. Call 119 or 112 in an emergency.
What the operator can see: For operations and troubleshooting, when the server receives a location point it works out the county or city on the server itself, offline (no third-party service is used and coordinates are not sent anywhere). The operator's admin list shows only the trip name, times, status, point count, and the county or city of the last location point; the list does not show coordinates, share links, or secrets. Only when needed for operations, troubleshooting or security does the operator open the viewer page of a single trip from the admin page (the same content anyone holding the share link can see, including location and track). Each time, we record the trip ID, the administrator and the time (not the link, locations or messages); these records are deleted automatically after 90 days. The county is stored with that point and is deleted with the trip data on the schedule below.
Retention and deletion: After you confirm a safe return in the app, trip data is automatically deleted after 30 days. If you do not confirm by the planned end time (including the buffer), data is kept for 30 days so family or rescue services can review it. Trips that never uploaded a location are deleted 3 days after becoming overdue. While server data remains, the contact can download a GPX containing reported locations, the planned route and the planned points if you chose to share them. Early revocation immediately deletes all server trip data and disables the link and GPX download. After completion, you can move the trip to the iOS Trip History list. This phone keeps the trip name, times, status, point count, and share link until it expires or you revoke it. After revocation or expiry, only a summary without location points or credentials remains until you delete it manually. The full history, including share links, is stored on this device only and is not synced to iCloud or device backups. A separate summary without share links, credentials or location points (trip name, times, status, point count) is also kept: if you turn on iCloud sync, it syncs to your own iCloud so your other devices signed in with the same Apple ID can see the history (revocation is still only possible on the device that created the trip); without iCloud sync, it stays on this device and may be included in device backups. If offline, revocation is sent when connectivity returns; the link may still work until the server receives it. You can also withdraw consent and disable this feature.
Trip data is sent over HTTPS. Background location updates require the app's "Always" location permission, which you can revoke in iOS Settings at any time.
Team (optional): When you create a trip you can turn on Team, so friends report their own location from their own phones and your contacts see everyone through the same link. This is lightweight location sharing, not guide-led group management; we do not collect members' real names, phone numbers, or health or insurance details.
- Invite code: The trip leader generates an 8-character invite code in the app (valid for 30 minutes by default; generating a new code immediately invalidates the old one) and gives it to teammates. The server stores only a hash of the code, not the code itself. When joining fails, whether the code is wrong, expired, or the trip was revoked, the server returns the same response and does not say why.
- Joining: Each member enters the code and a nickname (1-20 characters, not necessarily a real name) and reads and agrees to the notice themselves; the leader cannot agree on their behalf. After joining, the member's phone sends location points (coordinates, time, accuracy, and altitude and battery level if available) and stationary heartbeats to akimap.app under the trip's settings, using the same mechanism as the leader's trip sharing described above.
- Who can see it: Anyone with the trip's web link can see each member's nickname, track, latest position and battery level, and can download a GPX with one track per member named by nickname. The leader sees a member list in the app (nickname, last signal time, battery, and whether the member has been silent for a while; the list itself contains no coordinates). Members do not receive the share link or the leader's credentials, and do not see other members' positions in the app.
- Identity and credentials: The server identifies a member by a randomly generated member ID, not linked to any account or device identifier. A member's write credential is stored only in the iOS Keychain on their device; the server stores only a hash.
- Leaving, removal and deletion: A member can leave the team in the app at any time, and the leader can remove a member. On leaving or removal, the server immediately deletes all of that member's location points and identifying data. If the member is offline when leaving, the request is sent when connectivity returns, and their data remains on the server until then. When the trip finishes, becomes overdue or is revoked, member data is deleted together with the trip under the retention periods above; when the leader revokes the trip, the whole team's data is deleted immediately.
- Cost: Currently both the leader turning on Team and members joining require the Aki Map Full Version.
Messages (optional): When you create a trip, the app asks whether to allow messages from your contacts (you can turn this off at any time). When on, anyone with the share link can type a name of their own choosing (1-20 characters, not necessarily a real name) and a text (up to 200 characters) on the share page; you and your teammates can reply in the app. This is not instant messaging: your phone fetches messages and shows a local notification only the next time it reports with a connection, so with no signal you receive them after connectivity returns.
- What is stored: The message text, the name the sender typed, the time, and (for a hiker's message) your nickname or leader name. The server also records the latest message your phone has fetched, so the page can show "delivered". We do not record the sender's identity, account or device, and do not verify that the name is real.
- Who can see it: Anyone with the trip's web link can see the whole thread (including teammates' and your replies); share the link only with people you trust. Messages do not appear in the downloadable GPX, or in our admin trip list or statistics; however, when the operator opens a viewer page, the messages shown on it are visible.
- Retention and deletion: Messages are kept with the trip and deleted together with all trip data when the trip finishes, becomes overdue, expires or you revoke it; a member's messages are deleted when they leave the team. No new messages are accepted after the trip finishes. To prevent abuse, the server limits how often and how many messages can be sent.
- Please note: Messages are not a way to call for help. In an emergency call 119 or 112 directly.
Weather, radar and typhoon information
Forecasts, warnings, weather and rain station observations, the radar chart and typhoon information are fetched by our server (akimap.app) from Taiwan's Central Weather Administration (CWA) open data platform and passed on to the app. When the app asks akimap.app, it sends only the county, township or peak name you chose or are in. It does not send your precise coordinates or personal identifiers; the nearest township, peak and stations are worked out on your device. CWA sees only our server's connection and never your IP address. The akimap.app server itself does not keep separate request logs; the site is served through Cloudflare, which may keep basic connection records that include the requested URL (and so the place name asked for), as described under Server access logs below. Separately we count only how many calls we make to CWA and how much data they return, with no place names or user information.
The website weather page (akimap.app/weather): when you search on the website, your browser likewise sends akimap.app only the county, township or peak name you chose (or a station ID). The "Use my location" button asks your browser for your position only when you press it, and the nearest place, peak, stations and distances are worked out only inside your browser; your coordinates are not sent to our server or stored. If you decline, you can still search by name. The units you choose and the last place you viewed are kept only in your browser's local storage and are never uploaded. The map tabs use our own map tiles and style and load no third-party map service.
Offline map downloads
The app downloads the map catalog and map files (public downloads) from AkiFuns servers at dev.akifuns.com and displays the map catalog in an in-app web view. No sign-in is required and your location or personal data is not uploaded. As with any website, the server can see your IP address and may keep ordinary access logs for security and troubleshooting.
Website support chat
When you use the AI support chat on akimap.app, including leaving a message while the AI is offline, your messages and replies from the AI or site owner are stored on our server long-term to answer you and improve support. Message content is sent to Anthropic (Claude) to generate AI replies. We do not ask for your name or contact details. If the site owner needs to reply, the response appears in the chat window in the same browser. This website feature does not change the app's default practice of keeping location and personal data on your device. Do not enter passwords, Apple account details, payment data, or other sensitive personal information. To request deletion of your conversation, leave a message in the support chat.
Third-party services
The following third parties may receive data when you use the related feature. Data is limited to what is needed to provide that feature and is handled under their respective privacy policies:
- Apple: App Store subscriptions and payments, and your own iCloud sync account.
- Central Weather Administration (CWA): Source of weather, radar and typhoon data; it connects only to our server and receives none of your location, place names or IP address.
- Cloudflare: Traffic delivery and protection for akimap.app and AkiFuns websites.
- Anthropic: Website AI support chat only; see Website support chat.
- Trip contacts: Anyone who receives your shared link can view the trip and location described above (including team members' nicknames and positions when Team is on).
- External links: Some in-app guides open government websites, such as hiking and park permit systems. Those sites are operated by their respective organizations and are outside this policy.
Cloudflare and Anthropic may process data outside Taiwan.
Children
The app is not designed for children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect children's personal information.
Data security
Website and Trip Sharing data is transmitted over HTTPS. Trip write credentials are stored in the iOS Keychain on your device; the server stores only a hash. Shared trips use unguessable random links. We take reasonable steps to protect information, but no internet transmission or storage method can be guaranteed completely secure.
No personal tracking, ads, or third-party analytics
The app and website do not use advertising SDKs or third-party analytics or tracking tools, and do not use your data for advertising or marketing. The website keeps only an aggregate count of public page loads; it does not store IP addresses, cookies, device identifiers, or individual browsing histories for this counter. Conversation content is shared with Anthropic only when you choose to use the website support chat. Trip Sharing data is stored on Aki Map's own server, and you choose who receives the link.
Server access logs
akimap.app is delivered through Cloudflare. The website and Cloudflare systems may retain basic connection logs (source IP, time, requested URL, and browser type) for security and troubleshooting. Source IP addresses may also be held temporarily in server memory for rate limiting; they are not written into trip or chat records or used to identify you or for marketing.
Storage, deletion, and your rights
Most app settings and records remain on your device, except data you choose to upload through Trip Sharing as described above. Clear data in the app or delete the app in iOS Settings to remove local data. Website support conversations are stored long-term; request deletion through the website support chat or the contact email below.
You can at any time:
- Withdraw microphone permission: Turn it off in iOS Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone; Voice Memos can no longer record, and other features are unaffected.
- Withdraw location permission: Change or disable it in iOS Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services.
- Withdraw Trip Sharing: Revoke the link in the app to delete server trip data immediately, or withdraw consent and disable the feature.
- Turn off iCloud sync or delete iCloud data: Manage it in app Settings and iOS Settings → iCloud Drive.
- Request access, a copy, correction, or deletion of data we hold, or ask us to stop collecting, processing, or using it: These rights are available under Taiwan's Personal Data Protection Act. Other than Trip Sharing and support conversations, we do not store personal data linked to your identity on our servers (ordinary access logs are described above). Contact us at the email below; include your trip link if your request concerns trip data.
Policy changes
We update the "Last updated" date at the top when this policy changes. Significant changes that affect your rights will be announced in the app or on the website.
Contact
For questions about this policy or to exercise your rights, email sport.mac@gmail.com or leave a message in the "AI Support" chat at the bottom right of akimap.app.