Legal
Privacy Policy
Effective date: May 28, 2026 · Last updated: October 19, 2026
Our privacy philosophy: Skyby is a plane spotting app. That's it. We are not in the data business. We will never sell your data, share it with advertisers, use tracking pixels, or do anything sneaky with it, now or ever. This isn't just policy language, it's a core principle. Your location exists to find planes overhead. Your catches exist to build your logbook. Nothing else. Skyby makes money through app subscriptions, not by selling information about you. That's the only business model we have or want.
1. Who we are
Skyby is a mobile app for iOS and Android that identifies aircraft flying overhead in real time. It is developed and operated by an independent solo developer who genuinely cares about your privacy. We built Skyby because we love planes, not because we wanted access to your location data. If you have questions about this policy, contact us at hello@skyby.app.
2. What we collect
We collect the minimum data necessary to make the app work:
- Location (GPS coordinates): Used only in real time to detect nearby aircraft. Your location is sent to our proxy server to query the ADS-B flight data network. We do not store your GPS coordinates in our database. When a flight data request fails, or your pin is outside our service area, we log a rough area (rounded to about 10 km) with your anonymous device ID so we can track down coverage and data problems. Our hosting provider's standard request logs also hold requests, including location, for a short time before deleting them automatically.
- Anonymous device ID: A randomly generated identifier created on first launch. This is used to associate your catches with your logbook across sessions. It is not tied to your name or contact information.
- Catch data: When you catch a flight (a plane identified overhead), we log the callsign, airline, route, aircraft type, registration, altitude and speed, and your nearest airport. This is tied to your anonymous device ID only.
- App settings: Your saved location pin, altitude range, and notification preferences are stored locally on your device.
3. Photos and exports
- Saving to Photos: When you save a chyron, Skyby asks for permission to add the image to your photo library (on Android, it goes in a Skyby album). Skyby only adds images. It never reads, scans, or uploads your photos.
- Logbook export (CSV): Pro users can export their logbook as a CSV file. The file is built on your device and goes wherever you choose to send it. We don't receive a copy.
4. What we do NOT collect
- Your name, or any contact information beyond an email you choose to give us (e.g. by emailing us)
- Your precise historical GPS movement or location history
- Payment information (handled entirely by Apple or Google)
- Advertising identifiers or tracking pixels
- Data from your contacts, microphone, or camera, or anything in your photo library
5. How we use your data
Your data is used exclusively to operate the app:
- Location is used in real time to query nearby aircraft from ADS-B sources.
- Your anonymous catch history is stored to power your personal logbook.
- Aggregate, anonymized catch data (e.g., which aircraft types are most common at LAX) may be used to improve the app.
6. Third-party services
Skyby uses the following third-party services to operate. Each has its own privacy policy:
- Airplanes.live: ADS-B aircraft position data (community-operated network)
- FlightRadar24 API: Flight route and airline data (fr24 privacy policy)
- AeroDataBox: Airport schedule data (via api.market)
- Planespotters.net: Aircraft photography (community-contributed)
- Supabase: Database and backend infrastructure (Supabase privacy policy)
- Apple: App distribution, In-App Purchase, and payment processing (Apple privacy policy)
- Google: App distribution, in-app billing, and payment processing on Android (Google privacy policy)
- RevenueCat: Subscription management (RevenueCat privacy policy)
We do not sell or share your data with any of these parties beyond what is necessary to operate the service.
7. Data retention
Your catch history is retained for as long as you use the app. If you delete the app, your anonymous catch data may remain in our database associated with your anonymous device ID. You can request deletion at any time; see Your rights below.
8. Children's privacy
Skyby is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.
9. Security
We use industry-standard security practices: HTTPS for all data transmission, encrypted database storage via Supabase, and API keys stored as server-side secrets. Your anonymous device ID is never transmitted over unencrypted connections.
10. Your rights
You have the right to request access to, correction of, or deletion of any data we hold associated with your device ID.
If you are located in the European Union or European Economic Area, you have the following additional rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):
- Right of access: Request a copy of the data we hold about your device ID.
- Right to rectification: Request correction of inaccurate data.
- Right to erasure: Request deletion of your catch data and device ID from our systems.
- Right to restriction of processing: Request that we limit how we use your data while a dispute is resolved.
- Right to data portability: Request your catch data in a structured, machine-readable format. Pro users can also export it themselves as a CSV file at any time.
- Right to object: Object to processing of your data where we rely on legitimate interests as our legal basis.
To exercise any of these rights, email hello@skyby.app with your device ID (found in the app's About screen). We will respond within 30 days. If you are in the EU/EEA and believe we have not addressed your concerns, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority (for example, the CNIL in France, the ICO in the UK, or the relevant supervisory authority in your country).
Our legal basis for processing your data under GDPR is performance of a contract (operating the app and its subscription services) and legitimate interests (improving the app using anonymised, aggregated catch data).
11. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as the app evolves. We will update the effective date at the top of this page. Continued use of the app after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
12. Contact
Questions? Email us at hello@skyby.app.