Detector TrailsUpdated 2026-08-18

Terms of Service

Detector Trails — Terms of Service
Last updated: 2026-08-18

1. What Detector Trails is
Detector Trails is a hobbyist aid that maps where metal detecting and prospecting
may be permitted, shows geological information, and lets you log finds and record
private walk tracks. It is provided for general information only.

2. Not legal advice
Permission to detect depends on land ownership and local law, which change by
place and over time. The permission zones, verdicts and rule summaries in the app
are best-effort summaries, may be wrong or out of date, and are NOT legal advice.
You are solely responsible for confirming you may lawfully detect and dig at any
location before doing so, and for holding any permit (such as a Miner's Right)
that the law requires.

3. Your responsibilities
You agree to detect responsibly: obey all laws and land-manager conditions, get
written permission where required, backfill your holes, remove your rubbish, and
report finds of possible archaeological or heritage value to the relevant
authority. You must not use the app to trespass, damage heritage, or break the law.

4. Your account
You must provide accurate registration details, keep your password secure, and be
old enough to form a binding contract in your country (at least 16). You are
responsible for activity under your account.

5. Your content
You keep ownership of photos and text you post. By posting to the public feed you
grant us a licence to display that content within the app. Do not post content
that is unlawful, infringing, or that reveals a sensitive or protected site.

6. Location and tracks
Walk tracks you record are stored on your device and are not uploaded unless you
explicitly choose to share. See the Privacy Policy for detail.

7. Disclaimers and liability
The app is provided "as is" without warranties. To the fullest extent permitted
by law, we are not liable for fines, losses, injury or damage arising from your
use of the app, including reliance on any permission information.

8. Changes and termination
We may update these terms; continued use means you accept the update. We may
suspend accounts that misuse the service.

9. Contact
Questions: support@detectortrails.com

Privacy Policy

Detector Trails — Privacy Policy
Last updated: 2026-08-18

1. Summary
We collect the minimum needed to run your account and the community features. Your
private walk tracks stay on your device. We never sell your data.

2. What we collect
- Account: email address, a password (stored only as a secure hash by our auth
  provider), username, display name, optional profile photo, optional home town.
- Finds you choose to post: photo, item, depth, approximate location, and whether
  you marked them public or private.
- Device location: used while the app is open to show nearby ground and, if you
  start a recording, to draw your walk track.
- Basic technical data needed to operate and secure the service.

3. Your walk tracks are private by design
Recorded tracks are stored locally on your device (not on our servers) and are
never shown on the community feed. They leave your device only if a future feature
asks for, and you grant, explicit opt-in consent.

4. Location permission
We request "while using the app" location only. You can decline and still browse
the map; recording a walk requires it. You can revoke it anytime in system
settings.

5. Photos
Uploading a profile picture or a find photo needs camera / photo-library access,
requested only when you choose to add a photo.

6. How we use data
To provide and secure the service, show the community feed, and respond to support
requests. Public finds are visible to other users; private finds are visible only
to you.

7. Sharing and processors
We use Supabase (database, authentication, file storage) and open mapping and
geology data providers (OpenStreetMap/CARTO for the basemap, Macrostrat for
geology). We do not sell personal data.

8. Retention and your rights
You can edit your profile, delete your finds, and request deletion of your account
and associated data by contacting us. Deleting the app removes your on-device
tracks.

9. Children
Detector Trails is not directed at children under 16.

10. Contact
Privacy questions or deletion requests: privacy@detectortrails.com

Cookies

Detector Trails uses only the cookies and local storage strictly necessary to run the site. We do not use advertising or third-party tracking cookies.

  • Authentication — when you sign in, our authentication provider (Supabase) stores a secure session cookie so you stay logged in. Removing it signs you out.
  • Your preferences — a small amount of browser local storage records choices such as your cookie-consent acknowledgement so we don't ask again.

Because these are essential to the service, they can't be turned off from within the app, but you can clear them anytime from your browser settings. Questions? See the Privacy Policy above.