AirQMinder Privacy Policy
Last updated: August 3, 2026
AirQMinder ("the App", "we", "us") shows the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) for the monitoring station nearest to you in Canada, using open data published by Environment and Climate Change Canada. This policy explains what the App does with your information.
- There are no accounts and no sign-in.
- We run no servers and receive no data about you at all.
- Your location is used on your device to work out which monitoring station is closest, and never leaves it except as part of the request for nearby readings described below.
- There is no analytics, no advertising, and no tracking of any kind.
Information the App Uses
Location. With your permission, the App reads your device's approximate location so it can find the nearest AQHI monitoring station. It requests only kilometre-level accuracy — it does not ask iOS for a precise fix — and it reads your location only while you are using the App, or while the AirQMinder widget is refreshing on your Home Screen or Lock Screen.
Your coordinates are used to build a geographic search box, roughly 300 km across, that is sent to Environment and Climate Change Canada's public weather API (api.weather.gc.ca) to ask for the AQHI readings inside that area. That request is what makes your approximate whereabouts visible to that service. The App then compares the returned stations on your device and displays the closest one. Your location is not written to a file, not attached to an identifier, and not sent anywhere else.
Settings stored on your device. The App saves your chosen update schedule (every 5 minutes, 30 minutes, 12 hours, or once a day). The widget also keeps a copy of the most recent reading it fetched — the station name, its AQHI value, and the observation time — so it has something to display if a later refresh fails. Both are stored on your device only, inside the App's own storage, and are removed when you delete the App.
The App does not collect your name, email address, contacts, photos, health data, or device identifiers, and it contains no advertising or analytics software.
Information We Receive
None. AirQMinder has no backend of its own — it talks directly from your device to the Government of Canada's public data service. We have no database, no logs, and no way to identify you or your device.
Third Party Services
Environment and Climate Change Canada. AQHI readings come from the GeoMet OGC API at api.weather.gc.ca, operated by the Government of Canada. Your device connects to it directly over an encrypted connection, and, like any web request, that connection carries your device's IP address and the search box derived from your location. Their handling of that information is governed by the Government of Canada's privacy practices, described at canada.ca/en/transparency/privacy.
Apple. The App is distributed through the App Store and TestFlight. Apple may collect download, crash, and usage statistics under its own privacy policy and the choices you have made in iOS Settings. If you have opted in to sharing analytics with developers, we may see aggregate, anonymous crash and usage reports through App Store Connect; these are not linked to your identity.
Data Retention and Deletion
Because nothing is sent to us, there is nothing for us to keep or delete. The settings and cached reading held on your device are removed when you delete AirQMinder from it. You can withdraw location access at any time in iOS Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services → AirQMinder; the App will then be unable to find a station near you, but will otherwise keep working.
Your Choices and Rights
- Location: grant or revoke location access at any time in iOS Settings
- Update schedule: change how often the App checks for a new reading, in Settings inside the App
- Everything else: deleting the App removes all data it holds
Depending on where you live (for example Canada, the EU/EEA, the UK, or California), you may have legal rights to access, correct, delete, or port personal information a company holds about you. We hold none, so there is nothing to produce or erase — but you are welcome to contact us at the address below with any question about this. We do not sell or share personal information as those terms are defined under the California Consumer Privacy Act.
Security
All network requests the App makes use encrypted connections (HTTPS/TLS). Data stored on your device is protected by iOS app sandboxing and the device's own encryption.
Children's Privacy
AirQMinder is a general-audience app and does not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 (or the equivalent minimum age in your jurisdiction). It collects no personal information from anyone.
Important Note About Air Quality Information
AirQMinder displays readings published by Environment and Climate Change Canada, along with the general health messages Health Canada associates with each AQHI category. It is an information tool, not medical advice, and it is not a substitute for guidance from a health professional or from your local public health authority. Readings are observations from a fixed monitoring station that may be some distance away, so conditions where you are standing can differ.
Availability
The AQHI is a Canadian index, and readings are available only near Canadian monitoring stations. Outside that coverage the App will report that it cannot find a station near you.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy from time to time. Material changes will be reflected here, and the "Last updated" date above shows when it was most recently revised.