Privacy

Optional usage analytics

With your permission, Boltwatch sends limited usage events to Mixpanel's EU service. These include public page names, map readiness and report availability, time window, selected data sources, distance units, location and notification permission outcomes, alert saves, test requests, whether you tell us a test arrived, and whether a share action or shared map opening occurred. Sharing events include only the method and outcome, never the shared area, link, sender or recipient. For returning map visits, we send a broad time-since-visit range and whether nearby reports show lightning, no detections, or an unknown result. Your browser stores the last map-use time only while analytics is enabled, and removes it when you withdraw consent. We use an anonymous browser identifier to understand how people use Boltwatch. We do not send GPS coordinates, map coordinates, URL queries or hashes, referrers, alert labels, or push subscription identifiers to analytics. Automatic click capture and session recording are disabled, and we disable IP-based geolocation.

Sharing a map

“Share this map” creates a link with the visible map centre rounded to 0.1 degrees and zoom limited to an area view. The preview shows the approximate centre before you share. This still reveals a general area. The link includes your time window, data sources and distance units, but no location marker, alert settings or personal identifier. Anyone with the link can open it. The map shows current reports when opened, rather than a saved picture of the weather. Boltwatch does not contact anyone for you.

Coverage requests

When you request coverage for a new region, we save the broad region and a one-way hash of a random browser key to count one vote per region from that browser. We do not save coordinates, contact details or notification credentials with your vote. Your browser remembers the key and your votes. Server votes expire after 180 days. Use “Remove request” in the coverage panel to delete your region vote sooner. Clearing browser storage removes the key needed to remove an existing vote. This request works with analytics turned off. If you accept analytics, the region and coverage-request events are also sent to Mixpanel. A vote does not subscribe you to notifications or promise a launch date.

Your choice

Analytics starts only after you choose “Accept analytics”. You can use the map and alerts without it. Your browser stores your preference. When analytics is enabled, Mixpanel stores an anonymous identifier in browser storage. “No thanks” stops further tracking and clears Mixpanel's stored identifier and pending events. Events already sent are not recalled by changing this preference. We respect Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control signals.

Analytics preferences

Location and lightning alerts

Location permission is separate from analytics consent. Your location is used to show nearby lightning. If you enable alerts, our server receives the selected coordinates, alert radius, settings, label, and push subscription so it can watch your zone and send notifications. Turning analytics off does not turn off your alerts. Use “Turn off” in Lightning alerts to remove your alert subscription from our server.

The iPhone and iPad app

The native app stores your chosen places, units, and last location on your device. The app and its widget share these settings through an App Group. Nearby-lightning and outlook requests send coordinates to Boltwatch. When you enable app alerts, we retain your Apple notification token together with your saved coordinates, labels, radius, and settings to deliver alerts. These records are linked to your device token. Removing a saved place removes its server alert record once synchronization succeeds. To stop the moving zone, remove “Where I am” in Alerts; you can also revoke location or notification permission in iOS Settings. Revoking notification permission alone does not erase server records. Contact us for deletion assistance.

Always location permission is optional and lets iOS update the moving alert zone in the background. Timing depends on iOS. The sky camera view processes the camera and motion data on your device; it does not record or upload camera images. The embedded web map uses the web privacy choices described above. Native screens contain no advertising or analytics SDK.

Forecast provider

For outlook forecasts, Boltwatch rounds requested coordinates to 0.1 degrees before sending them to Open-Meteo. We do not send your notification token or saved-place label to that provider. Open-Meteo may retain request logs containing geographical coordinates for up to 90 days. Its privacy terms explain this retention.

Contact

For privacy questions or deletion assistance, email hello@cheerfulduck.com.

Essential services

Map tiles, lightning feeds, and our hosting service receive the network information needed to serve requests, such as your IP address. The map remembers settings such as distance units and time window locally. Optional analytics is a separate service. Saving an alert confirms that its settings reached our server. It does not confirm that a notification reached your device.