Privacy Policy
Last updated: 4 October 2026
ChargeBuddy is an app for finding electric-vehicle chargers and sharing whether they work. It is made by PTRI Innovation Private Limited (“we”, “us”). This policy explains what information ChargeBuddy collects, why, who can see it, how long we keep it, and the choices you have. It applies to the ChargeBuddy app on iPhone and Android.
- You don’t need an account. ChargeBuddy gives your phone a random guest ID; we never ask for your email or phone number.
- We use your location on your phone to show chargers near you. We store only a rough area (about 1 km), plus your exact position at the moment you check in, which other riders never see.
- We record how the app is used (screens, buttons, searches) to make ChargeBuddy better.
- Your check-ins (whether a charger worked, your comment, photo and price) are shown to other riders without your name or guest ID.
- No ads. We don’t sell your information.
- You can delete your account in the app at any time. Your data is permanently erased 30 days later.
1. Information we collect
Your guest ID
The first time you open ChargeBuddy, the app creates a random ID and keeps it in your phone’s secure storage (Keychain on iPhone, Keystore on Android). Everything you do in ChargeBuddy is saved under this ID, so your saved chargers, XP and check-ins stay with you. It is not linked to your name, email or phone number.
Information you give us
- Your vehicle: type (2-wheeler, 3-wheeler or 4-wheeler), brand and model, how you usually charge, and how far you drive each day (optional).
- Your name, if you choose to enter one (optional; it is only shown to you).
- Why you use ChargeBuddy, if you answer that optional question during setup.
- Check-ins and reports: the charger, what happened (for example “charged successfully” or “could not charge”), and any comment, photo or price you add.
- Saved chargers and your notification settings.
- Feedback you send us from the app.
Location
- On your phone: while you use ChargeBuddy, your location is used on your phone to centre the map, find the nearest chargers and show distances. We don’t store this.
- Rough area: when you open the app (at most once every 30 minutes) and when you check in, we save the area you are in, rounded to about 1 km, with your guest ID. We use this to see where ChargeBuddy is used and where chargers are needed. Inside our team, areas with fewer than 3 riders are hidden.
- Check-in position: when you check in or report a charger, we save your exact position at that moment with the report, to confirm reports are made at the charger and to stop fake reports. Other riders never see it.
- Home city: when you finish setup, we save the city nearest to you.
- Arrival reminders (only if you turn them on): your phone watches the area around up to 20 nearby chargers using its built-in geofencing, and asks “Did it charge?” when you arrive. This works in the background with “Always” location permission. Your route is never sent to us; we only receive your answer.
You can turn location off at any time in your phone’s settings. ChargeBuddy still works; you browse the map yourself.
How you use the app
We record app activity under your guest ID: which screens you open, which buttons you tap, words you type into the charger search, actions such as saving a charger, getting directions or calling a charger, and when each session starts and ends. We also record your app version and whether you use iPhone or Android. We use this to understand which features help riders and to fix problems.
Technical information
- Notification token: if you allow notifications, a token from Apple or Google that lets us send you the alerts you chose.
- Server logs: our hosting provider records technical details of requests, such as IP address and time, to keep the service secure and working.
What we don’t collect
We don’t ask for your email, phone number, contacts or payment details. We don’t use advertising IDs, show ads, or use third-party advertising or tracking tools.
2. How we use your information
- To show chargers near you, distances and directions.
- To show live charger status and reliability scores, built from riders’ check-ins.
- To give you XP, levels and badges, and keep your saved chargers.
- To send the notifications you turned on (for example when a charger you saved is reported down).
- To improve ChargeBuddy: count installs and active riders, see which screens and features are used, and learn where riders are so we can add chargers and cities.
- To prevent fake reports, spam and abuse.
- To reply to your feedback, and to meet legal obligations.
3. What other riders can see
When you check in, other ChargeBuddy riders see what happened at the charger, your comment, photo and price, and when you reported it. They do not see your name, guest ID or location. Please don’t include personal information, number plates or other people’s faces in comments or photos. Before a photo is uploaded, the app removes hidden information stored inside it, such as the GPS position and phone model.
Rider reports are independent. Charger status, reliability scores, comments, photos and rider prices come only from riders’ check-ins. ChargeBuddy and PTRI Innovation Private Limited do not edit, add or change rider reports or scores, and no charging network or other company can pay us or ask us to change them. Scores are calculated automatically from rider check-ins in the last 30 days, using the same rules for every charger. We only remove content that is spam, abusive, fake, illegal or breaks our Terms of Use. Charger locations and details come from public sources: the Ministry of Power and Bureau of Energy Efficiency, OpenStreetMap, Open Charge Map, and information charging networks publish themselves.
We never share your name, guest ID or location with charging networks, and we don’t tell any network which rider wrote a report.
4. Who we share it with
We don’t sell your information. We share it only with services that help us run ChargeBuddy, and only as needed:
| Service | What for |
|---|---|
| Supabase | Stores ChargeBuddy’s data and photos. Our database is in Mumbai, India. |
| Expo | Delivers push notifications to your phone. |
| Apple and Google | Deliver notifications (Apple Push Notification service, Firebase Cloud Messaging) and provide the maps. Map requests go from your phone directly to Apple Maps (iPhone) or Google Maps (Android) under their own privacy policies. |
We may also share information if the law requires it, to protect riders’ safety or our rights, or as part of a merger or sale of our business (in which case this policy continues to apply).
5. Where your information is stored and how it is protected
ChargeBuddy’s data is stored in India (Mumbai). Information travels between your phone and our servers encrypted (HTTPS). Database rules let each phone read only its own private information; other riders’ data is never sent to your phone except the public parts of check-ins described above. Only authorised members of our team can view usage reports.
6. How long we keep it
- Your profile, saved chargers, XP and feedback: until you delete your account.
- App activity, rough areas and notification history: 18 months, then deleted automatically.
- Check-ins: kept, because they make charger reliability scores accurate for everyone. When you delete your account, your check-ins are made anonymous: your guest ID, comment and location are removed; what happened at the charger, the price, any photo and the time remain, with nothing linking them to you.
7. Deleting your account
In ChargeBuddy, go to Profile › Settings › Delete my account. The app signs you out on that phone straight away, and your information is permanently deleted 30 days later. To cancel within those 30 days, contact us with the Guest ID shown in Settings.
Uninstalling the app does not delete your information from our servers, because we can’t tell when an app is removed. Please use “Delete my account” first, or write to us with your Guest ID.
8. Your rights
Under India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 you can ask us to:
- tell you what personal data we hold about you and how we use it;
- correct or update it;
- erase it (you can also do this yourself in the app);
- withdraw your consent: turn off location or notifications in your phone’s settings, or delete your account;
- nominate someone to exercise these rights for you;
- resolve a complaint with our Grievance Officer (below). If you are not satisfied, you may complain to the Data Protection Board of India.
To make a request, contact us and include your Guest ID (shown in Profile › Settings) so we can find your data.
9. Children
ChargeBuddy is meant for people aged 18 or over. We don’t knowingly collect information from children. If you believe a child has used ChargeBuddy, contact us and we will delete their information.
10. Changes to this policy
If we change this policy, we will update the date at the top. If a change matters, we will tell you in the app before it applies.
11. Contact and Grievance Officer
PTRI Innovation Private Limited
Email: info@ptriinnovation.com
Grievance Officer: Dev Shah
Email: dev@ptriinnovation.com
We aim to reply within 7 days and resolve complaints within 30 days.