Introduction
Welcome to HotCar ("we", "us", or "our"). We are committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application (the "App").
Please read this privacy policy carefully. If you do not agree with the terms of this privacy policy, please do not access the App.
Information We Collect
We only collect information that is necessary for the functionality of the App. We never collect more data than we need.
Information You Provide to Us
- Vehicle Information: When you add a vehicle to the App, we store vehicle details such as make, model, year, and API credentials on your device only.
- Account Credentials: If you connect your vehicle account (Tesla, Ford, GM, Toyota), your authentication tokens are stored securely in your device's keychain and never transmitted to our servers.
- App Preferences: Your settings and preferences are stored locally on your device.
Information Collected Automatically
- Location Data: With your permission, we collect your current location to provide accurate weather data for warm-up time calculations. Location data is only used locally on your device and is not sent to our servers.
- Usage Data: We may collect anonymous, aggregated usage statistics to improve the App's performance and user experience. This data cannot be used to identify you personally.
- Device Information: Basic device information such as iOS version, device model, and App version may be collected for troubleshooting purposes.
Important: We do not store your vehicle account passwords. All authentication uses secure OAuth protocols, and only access tokens are stored locally on your device.
How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
- Provide and maintain the App's functionality
- Calculate accurate vehicle warm-up times based on weather conditions
- Connect to your vehicle's API for remote climate control
- Send you important notifications about timer status and updates
- Improve and optimize the App's performance
- Troubleshoot issues and provide customer support
Data Storage and Security
Local Storage
All personal data including vehicle information, API tokens, and preferences are stored locally on your device using iOS's secure storage frameworks. API tokens are stored in the system keychain, which is encrypted and protected by your device's passcode.
Data Transmission
When using remote vehicle control features, all communication is directly between your device and the vehicle manufacturer's API servers. We do not intercept, store, or transmit this data through our servers.
Security Measures
We implement appropriate security measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
Third-Party Services
The App uses the following third-party services:
Weather API
We use weather service providers to obtain current and forecast weather data. When requesting weather data, only your approximate location (latitude and longitude rounded to 2 decimal places) is sent, and no personal identifiers are included.
Vehicle Manufacturer APIs
When you connect your vehicle, your data is subject to the privacy policy of the respective vehicle manufacturer (Tesla, Ford, GM, Toyota). We recommend reviewing their privacy policies for more information.
Analytics
We may use third-party analytics tools to collect anonymous usage data. This data helps us understand how users interact with the App and improve our services.
Your Privacy Rights
As an iOS user, you have the following rights:
- Access Rights: You can access all your personal information stored in the App through the Settings menu.
- Data Deletion: You can delete all your data by uninstalling the App from your device. We do not store any of your personal data on our servers.
- Permission Management: You can manage or revoke app permissions (location, notifications) at any time through your device Settings.
- Opt-Out: You can opt out of analytics collection in the App settings.
Children's Privacy
Our App is not intended for use by children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you become aware that we have collected data from a child under 13, please contact us, and we will take steps to delete that information.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date. You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes.
Contact Us
If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:
We will respond to your inquiry as soon as possible.