KongBusKongBus is a client-only app. Japality does not run accounts and has no app server that receives your trips or location history. The app queries public Hong Kong APIs from your device.
1. What we collect
Japality does not run accounts, does not sell your favourites or trips, and has no server of ours that receives that data. The app never asks you to register an email or phone number.
To show one banner on More, Google AdMob may collect an advertising ID and device data — see section 6. Japality does not hand your exact arrival queries or ride history to the ad network.
2. Location
If you grant precise or approximate location, the app uses it on the device to show nearby stops, centre the map, walk to a stop, plan a journey, and update ride progress.
Location is not uploaded to a Japality server (there is none). When you search a walking route or a place name, coordinates are sent to the relevant Lands Department public APIs. Arrival queries usually send a stop or route id, not a continuous track of your movements.
You can deny location. The app still works, but it falls back to a default area such as Tsim Sha Tsui.
The ride feature may use location in a foreground service so remaining stops stay up to date. That stops when you end the ride.
3. Data sent to third parties
To show arrivals, maps and traffic news, your device may call public endpoints such as:
- Operator or DATA.GOV.HK live arrival APIs (KMB, Citybus, NLB, GMB, MTR and others)
- Lands Department map tiles, place search and 3D pedestrian route search
- CSDI / DATA.GOV.HK official stop pins, route geometries and tables
- The public route catalogue (including hkbus.app) and helper shape data
- Transport Department special traffic news
- Google AdMob (the More banner only; see section 6)
Those requests include technical data such as IP address and User-Agent, handled under each organisation’s own policies. Japality cannot control third-party server logs.
4. Data stored on your device
- Favourite stops and routes, home and work, language and display settings
- Recent lookups and last location (so Nearby opens faster)
- Cached catalogue, official pins, route shapes and map tiles
- If the app crashes, a local crash report may be saved for you to copy under More; it is not sent to us automatically
If Android backup is on, these local settings may be included. You can clear cache or favourites in the app.
5. Notifications
During a ride the app may ask for notification permission to show remaining stops. We do not use notifications for marketing.
6. Advertising (Google AdMob)
More may show one AdMob banner (about 320×50) under the title. If it fails to load or consent is missing, no space is reserved. Nearby, Map and Go have no ads.
Ads are served by Google. To choose an ad, Google may use:
- The Android Advertising ID (resettable in system settings)
- IP address, device and app data, and coarse location (depending on your permission and Google’s policy)
- Interaction data (whether an ad was shown or tapped)
Japality does not sell your favourites, rides or exact arrival queries to advertisers. We do not send trip history to our own server.
Users in the EEA/UK first see Google’s consent form (UMP). We do not request personalised ads before consent. You can turn off ad personalisation or reset the advertising ID in system settings.
The app is not directed at children under 13. Ad content is capped at Teen. See the Google Privacy Policy and AdMob help.
There is no Firebase Analytics or other extra analytics SDK.
7. Children
The app is for general transit use. It is not directed at children under 13 and ads are not treated as COPPA child-directed. Ad content is capped at Teen.
8. Your choices
- Turn off location or notifications in system settings
- In system settings → Google → Ads: reset the advertising ID or turn off ad personalisation
- EEA/UK users can change Google consent under More → Ad privacy options
- Clear cache, favourites or the crash report in More
- Uninstalling the app deletes on-device data (except any system backup)
9. Changes
If our practices change in a material way, we will update the date on this page. The latest version at this URL applies.
10. Contact
Developer: Japality
Website: http://app.japality.com/hkbus/a/marketing/
This policy: http://app.japality.com/hkbus/a/privacy_policy/