Privacy Policy

Last updated: May 8, 2026

This privacy policy describes what information WalkNYC collects, how it is used, and your choices. By using the WalkNYC app or this website, you agree to the collection and use of information as described below.

Summary

WalkNYC is built around the principle that where you walk is your business. The app records your walks on your device only. Your routes, coordinates, and walk geometry are never sent to our servers. The only data we receive about you is a randomly generated device identifier and aggregate statistics (such as the number of streets you've walked).

Information Stored On Your Device

The following information is collected and processed on your device, and is not transmitted to our servers:

Location. While you are walking, the app uses your device's GPS to determine which blocks you have walked. Location data is processed on-device and stored locally to render your walks and compute coverage statistics. You may revoke location permission at any time in your device's system settings.
Physical activity. The app reads your device's motion and activity sensors — Core Motion on iOS, activity recognition and step-counter sensors on Android — to detect whether you are walking, stationary, in a vehicle, etc. This is used on-device to gate GPS (turn it off when you are not moving) and to count steps. No motion or activity data is uploaded.
Step counts. If you grant permission, the app reads your step counts from your device's health service — Apple Health on iOS, Health Connect on Android — to display in the app. WalkNYC does not write to it and does not transmit your health data anywhere.
App Settings & Preferences. Your filters, display preferences, and walk history are stored locally in app storage.

Health and activity data you allow the app to read (Apple Health / Core Motion on iOS, Health Connect / activity recognition on Android) are governed by that platform's privacy framework. WalkNYC will never use your health or activity data for advertising or share it with third parties.

Information Sent to Our Servers

The app sends a small amount of data to our servers to power the global leaderboard and to keep the app working in the background. This consists of:

Device identifier. A randomly-generated identifier created on your device the first time you launch the app. It is not your email, phone number, or a hardware identifier, and WalkNYC has no user accounts.
Optional display name and neighborhood. If you choose to set a display name or neighborhood for the leaderboard, those values are stored on our servers. You may leave them blank, in which case "Anonymous" is shown.
Aggregate statistics. Counts and totals derived from your walks: number of streets walked, total streets in your coverage area, total distance (in meters), number of walks, list of boroughs visited, average walking speed, and total walking time. These are numbers and short labels — not paths, not coordinates.
App version and build number. Used to support older app versions and diagnose bugs.
Push notification token (iOS). On iOS, if you grant notification permission, your push token is stored so that we can periodically send a silent push that allows the app to refresh your background tracking session; it is an opaque identifier supplied by Apple. On Android, WalkNYC keeps background tracking alive with a foreground service and does not send a push token to our servers.

We do not upload: your routes, coordinates, raw GPS samples, walk timestamps, motion samples, or any of your health data.

How Data is Used

To compute and display the global leaderboard inside the app.
To respond to support requests when you contact us.
To diagnose bugs and improve the app.
To send silent background pushes that keep tracking working when you've granted notification permission.

We do not sell your data. We do not use your data for advertising. We do not share your data with third parties except where strictly necessary to operate the service (for example, delivering iOS push notifications via Apple's APNs).

Data Retention and Deletion

We retain the limited server-side data described above — a randomly generated device identifier and the aggregate statistics associated with it, together with any optional display name or neighborhood you provide — for as long as you use WalkNYC, and we do not delete it automatically. You may request deletion of all of this data at any time by emailing josephpuccio@gmail.com. Because we do not keep an account or email address on file that would let us identify you, please include this identifier — in the app, open Settings and tap “Request data deletion” to copy it — so we can locate and delete the right records. Your walk routes and detailed walk history are stored on your device, not on our servers. Uninstalling the app removes them from the device, although a copy may remain in any device cloud backup (such as Google Drive or iCloud) that you have enabled.

Children's Privacy

WalkNYC is not directed to children under 13 and does 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.

Security

All communication between the app and our servers happens over HTTPS. Server data is stored on access-controlled infrastructure. No system is perfectly secure; we take reasonable steps to protect the limited data we hold.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Material changes will be reflected by updating the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Continued use of the app after a change constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact

Questions about this policy? Email josephpuccio@gmail.com.