Your Privacy at HappyTrails

Account information. When you create an account we collect your email address and a password. Passwords are stored only as secure cryptographic hashes — never as plain text.

Location. If you grant permission, your device's location is used to find attractions near you. Location is used to perform your searches; we do not build a history of your movements, and you can use the app without sharing location by searching for places by name.

Content you create. Trips, saved places, itinerary days, notes, ratings, packing lists, and any photos or files you upload (for example itinerary screenshots or trip attachments) are stored so the service can work.

Payment information. If you purchase a subscription or Trip Pass, payment is processed by Stripe. We never see or store your full card number; we keep only a reference to your Stripe customer and subscription so we can manage your plan.

Messages you send us. If you contact us through the contact form, we receive your name, email address, and message so we can reply.

Technical information. Like most websites, our servers receive standard request data (IP address, browser type, requested pages) used for security, rate limiting, and keeping the service running.

• To provide the service: finding nearby places, generating guides and audio, and storing your trips.
• To keep your account secure and let you sign in, reset your password, and stay signed in across visits.
• To process payments and manage subscriptions through Stripe.
• To respond when you contact us.
• To protect the service against abuse, fraud, and technical problems.

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not use it for third-party advertising.

HappyTrails is built on a small set of service providers, each receiving only what it needs:

• Google Maps & Places — place search, maps, photos, and routing. Your search queries and map coordinates are sent to Google to return results.
• AI providers (OpenAI) — generating guide text, audio narration, and parsing itineraries you import. Place names and itinerary text you submit are processed to generate the results you request.
• Stripe — payment processing. Card details go directly to Stripe and are governed by Stripe's privacy policy.
• Resend — transactional email, such as password reset links and contact-form messages.
• Cloud hosting and storage — our servers, database, and file storage (for uploaded attachments) run on managed cloud infrastructure.

We use a session cookie to keep you signed in. It is essential for the service to function. We do not use advertising or cross-site tracking cookies.

Your trips are private by default. They become visible to others only when you choose to share them: a share link makes a read-only copy of that trip viewable by anyone who has the link (share links are kept out of search engines), and publishing a trip to Explore Trips makes it publicly visible along with the display name you choose. You can revoke a share link or unpublish a trip at any time.

We keep your data for as long as your account is active. You can delete individual trips, places, and attachments at any time from within the app. To delete your account and its associated data, contact us and we will process the request.

All traffic to HappyTrails is encrypted in transit with HTTPS. Passwords are hashed with modern algorithms, password reset links are single-use and expire quickly, and access to production systems is restricted. No online service can guarantee absolute security, but we design with security as a requirement, not an afterthought.

HappyTrails is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has provided us personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.

If we make material changes to this policy, we will update this page and revise the "Last updated" date above. Continued use of the service after a change means you accept the updated policy.

Questions about this policy or your data? Reach us through the contact page — we're happy to help.