Paper Map GPS — Privacy Policy
Effective date: June 7, 2026 Last updated: July 7, 2026
Paper Map GPS (“the App”; Japanese name 紙どこ) respects your privacy and handles personal information with the utmost care. This policy explains what information the App handles and how it is used.
The App overlays your device’s GPS location on top of paper guide maps, information boards, and illustrated maps. You can also share a map with friends and see each other’s locations in real time.
1. Provider
- App name: Paper Map GPS (紙どこ)
- Provider: Usui Yoshihiro
- Contact: kamidoko@biz.nifty.jp
2. Information stored on your device
The App stores the following information you create on your device. It is used solely to display and align your maps, and is never sent to any third-party server — including the developer — unless you start “map sharing”.
- Imported map images (photos, camera shots, PDFs, illustrated maps, etc.)
- Map alignment (calibration) points: the points you tap on the map and their corresponding GPS coordinates
- Markers placed on the map (destination / favorite / caution spot) and their label text
- Your display name (shown on other participants’ screens while sharing)
- App settings
This on-device data is deleted when you delete the App (except the free-tryout usage record, which is stored in Apple iCloud to prevent reuse — see “6. Subscriptions” below).
3. How location data is handled
The App uses location data to show your current position on the map.
- Normally, your location is used on the device only and is neither stored nor transmitted.
- Only while “map sharing” (described below) is active, your current location is sent to the devices of the people you share with. During sharing, the App also uses location in the background so it can keep sending your position while the App is closed.
- When you stop map sharing, location transmission stops.
- To keep sharing while the App is closed, you must set the iOS location permission to “Always” and turn on “Share in Background” in the App’s settings. With “While Using the App”, your location is sent only while the shared map is on screen.
- If GPS becomes temporarily unavailable (e.g., indoors) while sharing is active, the App keeps updating your last known location to your share partners’ devices for up to 24 hours, until you take the “stop” action — the same “last known location” behavior as Apple’s Find My app. To stop sharing completely, use the “Share” button at the bottom of the shared map screen.
4. Map sharing and iCloud (transmission to third parties)
Information leaves your device only when you yourself start “map sharing”.
When you start sharing, the following information is sent to your share partners’ devices through Apple iCloud (CloudKit):
- Your current location (precise location)
- The map’s alignment points
- Markers on the map (destination / favorite / caution spot) and their label text
- Your display name
Please pay particular attention to the following:
- Anyone who has the share link (URL) can view the map and the real-time locations on it. Share only with people you trust.
- When you stop map sharing, real-time location transmission stops.
- This data travels through Apple’s iCloud infrastructure and is never stored in a form the developer can access.
5. Device permissions
The App uses the following permissions, with your consent, to provide its features.
| Permission | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Camera | To photograph a paper map or guide map on the spot and create a new map |
| Photo library | To pick a photo on your device as the source image of a map (via the system photo picker; full photo-library access is never requested) |
| Location (While Using the App) | To show your current position on the map |
| Location (Always / background) | To keep sending your position to your share partners’ devices while map sharing is active, even when the App is closed |
If you decline a permission, only the corresponding feature becomes unavailable (e.g., declining the camera disables map creation by photographing; declining location disables the current-location display and map sharing).
6. Subscriptions (payments)
Map sharing is a paid feature. There are three plans:
| Plan | Type | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Free 30 Minutes | Free (once per lifetime) | ¥0 |
| 24-Hour Share Pass | One-time purchase (non-renewing) | ¥300 |
| Monthly Outing Pass | Auto-renewable subscription | ¥600 / month |
Prices shown are for the Japanese storefront and may vary by region.
Payment processing
All payments are processed through Apple (the App Store). Payment details such as credit-card numbers are never shared with the developer.
Who pays
Only the person who shares the map (the owner) pays. People invited to a shared map are never charged (owner-pays model). Creating and using maps by yourself is free.
Canceling the auto-renewable subscription
The Monthly Outing Pass renews automatically each month unless canceled. You can cancel from your device’s Settings > your Apple Account > Subscriptions, or from the App Store > Account > Manage Subscriptions. The same page is also reachable from the App’s Settings > Share Pass > “Manage or Cancel Monthly Pass”.
About the free-tryout record
The Free 30 Minutes can be used only once per lifetime. To prevent reuse, the App records the tryout usage in Apple iCloud. Deleting and reinstalling the App does not make the tryout available again. This record contains only the time the tryout started — no location or other data.
See also Apple’s Privacy Policy.
7. Third-party services
The only external services the App uses are the following, provided by Apple:
- Apple iCloud: data sync for map sharing (CloudKit), and the free-tryout usage record (Key-Value Store)
- Apple App Store: subscription payment and management
The App uses no other third-party services. Specifically, there are no ads, no analytics, and no user tracking of any kind. No external map or search APIs (such as Google’s) are used either.
8. Data storage and security
- Data stored on your device is protected by iOS standard File Protection.
- Data handled by iCloud sync and map sharing travels through Apple’s iCloud infrastructure and is never stored in a form the developer can access.
- If you export a map as a file (.gpsmap format), that file is under your control. Exported files may contain location data, so please avoid sharing them with unspecified audiences (e.g., posting to social media).
9. Children’s privacy
The App is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.
10. Your rights
You can do any of the following yourself, at any time:
- Individually delete maps, markers, and alignment points
- Stop map sharing (stops real-time location transmission)
- Cancel the subscription (from App Store settings)
- Grant or revoke permissions (from the iOS Settings app)
11. Changes to this policy
This policy may be updated as needed. If there are important changes, we will notify you via an App update or on this page.
12. Contact
For questions about this policy, please contact:
Email: kamidoko@biz.nifty.jp