1. Overview
Detective Companion App is the interactive field journal companion to the Backyard Detective, Pavement & Park Detective, and Woodland & Trail Detective book series. We built this app for young nature investigators, families, and classrooms with strict privacy by design.
2. Information We Do Not Collect
Detective Companion App operates completely offline and requests zero Android device permissions (no Internet, Camera, Microphone, or Location permissions). Specifically:
- No Personal Information: We never ask for or collect real names, email addresses, phone numbers, physical addresses, or user accounts. Any nickname or secret code name entered on the in-app Investigator Credentials card is saved solely on your device.
- No Location Tracking: While the app guides outdoor nature observation, it never accesses GPS, Wi-Fi, or cellular location data.
- No Third-Party Analytics or Trackers: The app embeds no analytics SDKs, crash-reporting trackers, or advertising identifiers.
- No Advertisements or In-App Purchases: The app is 100% free of third-party ads and in-app purchases.
3. Local On-Device Storage & Data Deletion
All journal entries and progress are stored locally on your device inside the app's private SQLite database and internal app storage:
- Completed missions, solved word clues, field checklists, and detective verdicts
- Investigator profile nickname/codename and Field Code certification status
- Drawings saved in the Specimen Sketch Pad
- Biodiversity Bingo boards, Master Species Census tallies, and 4-Season Quest progress
- Symmetry Lab and Cloud & Track Quiz high scores
How to Delete Your Data: You can delete individual saved sketches or reset Bingo boards directly inside the app at any time. To erase all local app data permanently, open your Android device's Settings > Apps > Detective Companion App > Storage & cache > Clear storage, or uninstall the application.
4. User-Initiated Sharing & On-Device Features
- Sharing Field Sketches: If you tap the Share button on a saved sketch, the app uses Android's standard system share sheet (
FileProvider) so you can save or send your drawing to another app of your choice. Nothing leaves your device unless you explicitly initiate a share. - Read-Aloud (Text-to-Speech): The mission briefing read-aloud feature uses your device's built-in Android
TextToSpeechengine locally on the device.
5. Children's Privacy (COPPA, GDPR-K & Google Play Families Policy)
Detective Companion App complies with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), GDPR-K, and the Google Play Families Policy. Because the app collects no personal or device data whatsoever, no personal information is ever collected from children under 13 (or the applicable age of digital consent in your country).
6. Changes to This Policy & Contact Information
If we ever update this Privacy Policy, we will post the revised version on this page with an updated effective date. If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us:
- Developer / Publisher: Detective Field Guides
- Website: https://detectivefieldguides.com
- Email: drg.alexxx@gmail.com