Privacy Policy

HoboPack is a travel packing and gear-management application. This Privacy Policy explains what personal data HoboPack collects, why it is used, where it is processed, and the choices and rights available to you.

1. Who is responsible for your data

HoboPack is developed and operated by Nigel Brookes, an independent developer based in Ireland (“HoboPack”, “we”, “us” or “our”). Nigel Brookes is the data controller for the personal data described in this policy.

Contact details:

• Privacy enquiries: privacy@hobopack.app
• General enquiries: hike@hobopack.app

2. Data we collect

Account and profile information

When you create or use a HoboPack account, we may process:

• your name or display name;
• your email address, including an Apple private relay address if you choose Hide My Email;
• your HoboPack user identifier;
• your chosen sign-in provider, such as Apple, Google or email link;
• an optional profile photograph or the profile image supplied by your sign-in provider; and
• account creation, last sign-in and profile-update timestamps.

Apple or Google may provide less information where you choose not to share it. HoboPack does not receive your Apple or Google password.

Packs, gear and preferences

We store information you choose to enter into HoboPack, including:

• pack names, descriptions, categories and packing status;
• gear names, descriptions, categories, quantities, weights, favourite status and retired status;
• default pack categories and weight-display preferences; and
• pack and gear information imported from a LighterPack CSV file.

The CSV file is selected by you. HoboPack reads it to create the pack and gear records you request. The original file is not stored by HoboPack as a separate cloud file.

Shared packs

If you enable a share link, HoboPack creates a public snapshot containing the pack title, description, categories, items, quantities, weights and related pack details. Anyone who obtains the link can view that snapshot without a HoboPack account. Do not include personal or sensitive information in a shared pack. You can disable a share link from within HoboPack.

Optional feedback

If you choose to send feedback from the HoboPack dashboard, we store the feedback message, the category you select, your HoboPack account identifier and displayed account name, the app version and build number, and your platform (such as iOS or Android). The displayed account name may be your account email address. Your email is marked for contact purposes only if you ask us to contact you. Feedback is used only to provide support and improve HoboPack; it is not used for advertising or tracking.

Photographs and device permissions

If you choose to add a profile photograph, HoboPack may request access to your camera or photo library. The selected image is cropped and compressed on your device and then uploaded as your profile photograph. HoboPack does not access other photographs merely because permission has been granted.

Locally stored information

HoboPack stores a limited amount of information on your device, such as your language choice, a pending email address needed to complete email-link sign-in, and recently selected pack categories. Account-specific local information is removed when account deletion completes.

Technical information processed by service providers

Our infrastructure and authentication providers may automatically process limited technical information needed to deliver and secure their services, such as IP address, device or browser information, authentication events, request timestamps, diagnostic logs and security signals. Their handling of this information is also governed by their applicable privacy terms.

3. Information we do not use

HoboPack does not currently:

• sell personal data;
• use third-party advertising;
• track you across other companies’ apps or websites;
• use personal data for targeted advertising;
• collect precise location, contacts, payment-card, health or fitness data; or
• use automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects.

4. Why we use your data and our legal bases

Where the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) or similar law applies, we rely on the following legal bases:

• Performance of our contract with you: to create and authenticate your account; store, synchronise and display your packs and gear; import data at your request; and provide pack-sharing features.
• Your consent: when you choose to grant camera or photo-library access, upload an optional photograph, or enable a public pack link. You can withdraw these choices by removing the photograph, disabling sharing, changing device permissions or deleting your account.
• Our legitimate interests: to keep HoboPack secure, prevent abuse, troubleshoot failures and maintain the reliability of the service. These interests are limited to operating and protecting HoboPack and do not include advertising or cross-app tracking.
• Legal obligations: where we must process or retain limited information to comply with applicable law, enforce legal rights or respond to valid legal requests.

You must provide the account information required by your chosen sign-in method if you want a synchronised HoboPack account. Optional profile photographs and public sharing are not required to use the core pack and gear features.

5. Who processes your data

We use the following service providers:

• Google Firebase, including Firebase Authentication, Cloud Firestore and Cloud Storage, to authenticate accounts and store HoboPack data and profile photographs;
• Google Sign-In, if you choose to sign in with Google; and
• Sign in with Apple, if you choose to sign in with Apple.

These providers process data only for the relevant service, under their own terms and, where applicable, as processors acting on our instructions. We do not permit service providers to use HoboPack customer data for advertising.

Relevant information is available in the Firebase privacy and security documentation, Google Privacy Policy, and Apple Privacy Policy.

We may also disclose information where required by law, to protect the rights or safety of users and the service, or as part of a business reorganisation subject to appropriate confidentiality and data-protection safeguards.

6. Storage locations and international transfers

HoboPack’s primary Cloud Firestore database is hosted in europe-west1 (Belgium), within the European Union. Profile photographs are stored in Firebase Cloud Storage in us-east1 (South Carolina, United States).

Firebase Authentication and Google’s supporting infrastructure may process account and technical data in the United States and other countries where Google or its subprocessors operate.

Where European personal data is transferred outside the European Economic Area, we rely on appropriate safeguards made available under Google’s data-processing terms, including the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses where applicable. Information about these safeguards is available in the Firebase Data Processing and Security Terms.

Apple and Google may separately process sign-in information under their own privacy policies and applicable international-transfer safeguards.

7. How long we keep information

We retain your account, packs, gear, preferences, optional feedback and profile photograph while your account remains active or until you delete the relevant information. Public pack snapshots remain available until you disable their share links or delete your account.

When account deletion completes, HoboPack deletes your Firebase Authentication account, user profile, packs, pack items and categories, gear, preferences, feedback, profile photograph and public shared-pack records. Account-specific information stored locally on your device is also removed.

Limited information may remain temporarily in provider backups, security logs or systems awaiting routine deletion, or for longer where retention is required by law, security, fraud prevention or the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims. Such information is not used to restore your account.

8. Account deletion and your choices

You can permanently delete your account from Profile > Delete account in the HoboPack app. Deletion is irreversible. Your sign-in provider may ask you to authenticate again before deletion for security reasons.

You can also:

• disable an individual shared-pack link from the relevant pack;
• remove or replace your profile photograph;
• revoke camera or photo-library permission in your device settings;
• use Apple’s Hide My Email feature when offered; and
• contact us at privacy@hobopack.app if you cannot access the in-app deletion function or want to exercise a privacy right.

9. Your privacy rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:

• obtain confirmation that we process your personal data and request a copy;
• correct inaccurate or incomplete information;
• request deletion of your personal data;
• restrict or object to certain processing;
• receive information you provided in a portable format where applicable;
• withdraw consent at any time, without affecting earlier lawful processing; and
• lodge a complaint with your local data-protection authority.

To exercise a right, contact privacy@hobopack.app. We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request. If you are in Ireland, you may contact the Data Protection Commission.

10. Security

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal data, including authenticated access controls, Firebase security rules and encryption in transit. Public shared-pack links are intentionally viewable without authentication by anyone who has the link. No internet or storage system can be guaranteed completely secure.

11. Children

HoboPack is intended for users aged 16 and over and is not directed at children under 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 16. If you believe that a child under 16 has provided personal data to HoboPack, please contact privacy@hobopack.app so that we can investigate and delete the information where appropriate.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy when HoboPack’s features, service providers or legal obligations change. We will update the “Last updated” date and provide additional notice where required by law. Material changes apply prospectively from the stated effective date.

13. Contact us

Questions, requests or complaints about this policy can be sent to: