Back to Sidereal

Privacy Policy for Sidereal

Last Updated: February 2, 2026

Introduction

Sidereal ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application.

Information We Collect

Information You Provide

  • Equipment Data: Camera and lens information you add to the Gear Locker
  • Preferences: App settings including night mode preferences, timer intervals, and language preferences
  • Checklist Data: Custom checklist items you create
  • Location Data: Your location for weather forecasts and astronomical calculations (used locally on your device)
  • Simulation Data: If using the Sky Planner feature, simulated locations you configure

Automatically Collected Information

  • Light Sensor Data: Ambient light readings for automatic night mode switching (processed locally, not stored)

How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information to:

  • Provide accurate astronomical calculations based on your location
  • Display relevant weather forecasts for stargazing conditions
  • Calculate exposure settings based on your equipment
  • Personalize your app experience with your preferences
  • Send weather alerts (if enabled and with Pro version)

Data Storage and Security

  • Local Storage: All personal data (equipment, preferences, checklist items) is stored locally on your device in the app's private storage area
  • Cloud Services: Weather data is fetched from Open-Meteo to provide current conditions. Your location coordinates are sent to this service to retrieve local weather forecasts.
  • No Account Required: We do not require account creation or collect personally identifiable information
  • Android Security: Your data is protected by Android's app sandbox, which prevents other apps from accessing Sidereal's data

Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services:

  • Open-Meteo (open-meteo.com): Free weather API for weather forecasts. Your location coordinates are sent to retrieve local weather data. Open-Meteo servers are located in the EU. See their privacy policy at https://open-meteo.com/en/terms
  • Google Play Services: For in-app purchases (Pro version) and Wear OS device communication
  • Google AdMob: For displaying advertisements in the free version. AdMob may collect device identifiers for ad personalization. See Google's Privacy Policy for details.

Wear OS Synchronization

If you have a paired Wear OS smartwatch with the Sidereal companion app:

  • Timer state and settings are synced to your watch
  • Weather conditions are synced for at-a-glance viewing
  • Pro status is synced to unlock features on both devices
  • Location data may be shared with your watch for compass features

This synchronization uses Google's Wearable Data Layer API and occurs only between your paired devices.

Google Backup

Your app data (equipment, preferences, checklist items) may be automatically backed up to Google Drive as part of Android's auto-backup feature. You can disable this in your device's backup settings.

Your Rights

You have the right to:

  • Access your data (all stored locally on your device)
  • Delete your data (by uninstalling the app or clearing app data in device settings)
  • Opt-out of weather alerts in app settings
  • Disable location access in device settings
  • Disable Google backup in device settings

Children's Privacy

Sidereal is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect information from children.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by updating the "Last Updated" date. Continued use of the app after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Data Retention

  • Equipment and preference data is retained until you delete it or uninstall the app
  • Weather data is cached locally and refreshed daily when weather alerts are enabled
  • Location is obtained when needed and not permanently logged

International Users

Your data is processed on your local device. Weather API requests are processed by Open-Meteo servers located in the European Union.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at:

Google Play Store Compliance

This app complies with Google Play's User Data policies. We:

  • Do not sell your personal information
  • Only collect data necessary for app functionality
  • Provide this privacy policy for transparency
  • Store data locally on your device whenever possible