Privacy policy

Who we are. Ask Bengaluru (askbengaluru.com) is an independent, privately run information service based in Karnataka, India. It is not affiliated with KSRTC, KKRTC, NWKRTC, BMTC, BMRCL or any government body. Contact: hello@askbengaluru.com.

Summary

• The website needs no account. The apps work without an account; you can optionally create one for rewards.
• We collect only what a feature needs: an email and name for an account, your location while you choose to share a bus's position or find the nearest stand, and the details you type into forms.
• We never sell personal data. Ads on the website (Google AdSense) and in the Track My Bus and Namma City apps (Google AdMob) are served by Google under Google's policies, next to ads we manage ourselves.
• You can delete your account from inside the app at any time, or ask us by email. See Delete your account.

1. Information we collect on the website

Browsing

Our server keeps standard access logs (IP address, requested page, browser type) for security and to stop abuse. They are rotated and deleted within 14 days. Rate limits for forms use the IP address in memory for up to one hour.

Live visitor count

While a page is open, your browser sends an anonymous heartbeat every 30 seconds: a random id for that tab (kept in session storage and gone when you close the tab) and the page address. It powers the “online now” count. It is held in memory for about a minute and is not linked to you.

Forms you choose to submit

“Rate & suggest”, “Add Bus”, “Add plate number” and “Report bus” store what you type (a name if you give one, your comment or the bus details, and the page you were on) on our server so our team can check it. Names are never shown publicly. Your browser may remember the name you typed in its local storage so you do not have to retype it; clearing site data removes it.

Advertising (Google AdSense)

The website shows ads served by Google. Google and its partners may use cookies or similar identifiers to show ads based on your visits to this and other sites, and may collect your IP address and device information. You can opt out of personalised advertising at adssettings.google.com. Google's use of data is described at policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites. Where the law requires it, you will be asked for consent before personalised ads are shown.

Analytics

If analytics is enabled we use Google Analytics with IP anonymisation to count page views and understand which stands and routes are popular. We build no advertising profiles from it.

2. Information we collect in the apps

This section applies to Track My Bus (formerly Where is My Bus and Track My KSRTC; package com.trackmyksrtc.app) and Namma City (package com.askbengaluru.app) on Android.

Account (optional)

If you sign up we store your name, email address and a salted hash of your password (we cannot read the password). Sign-in sessions are stored as hashed tokens. One account works across both apps and the website. You can use all timetable, metro and live-tracking features without an account.

Location

• Nearest stand and “near you”: with your permission the app reads your approximate location on the device to pick the nearest bus stand or metro station. For “live buses near you” and nearby businesses it is sent to our server rounded to about 2 km and is not stored.
• “I am on this bus” (Track My Bus): only when you tap this button, the app runs a foreground service with a visible notification and sends your position to our server about every 15 seconds while you are on that bus. Positions are tagged with a random device id, not your account. The server keeps them in memory for up to 30 minutes and publishes only the bus's combined position (the median of all riders sharing). Individual rider positions are never shown to anyone and are never written to disk. Sharing stops automatically at the destination, after the scheduled arrival, or when you tap Stop.
• “I'm waiting at …”: registers an anonymous count for a stop for 30 minutes.
• Automatic sharing (Track My Bus, off by default): only if you turn it on in the Me tab and allow location “all the time”, the app watches your location in the background around the departure times of buses you searched or opened that day, to detect when you board. A notice lets you cancel before sharing starts; turn it off any time. Without it we do not collect location in the background.

Rewards (Track My Bus, account required)

If you take part, we store your points history (verified sharing sessions and bus numbers you added or confirmed) and, when you request a free ticket, the phone number and optional UPI id you enter so our team can fulfil it. Bus numbers you add are shown publicly once confirmed; your name is not shown with them.

Content you post (Namma City)

Business listings, reviews, photos, rental and community posts you submit are stored with your account and reviewed before publishing. Published content shows your first name only. Photos are stored on our server with random file names.

Advertising in the apps

Track My Bus shows ads we manage ourselves (an image with a link, loaded from our server; tapping one asks before opening the advertiser's website) and, since version 3.3.1 (October 2026), banner and full-screen ads served by Google AdMob where we have no ad of our own. In the EU, UK and other places that require it, Google's consent form asks first and no ad is requested until you choose. Namma City shows banner ads served by Google AdMob. AdMob may collect your device's advertising ID, IP address, coarse location and app usage to serve and measure ads. You can reset or delete your advertising ID and opt out of personalised ads in Android Settings → Google → Ads. Google's policy: policies.google.com/privacy.

Device data

The apps store your saved stands, recent searches, reminders and the downloaded timetable cache on your device only. Notifications are scheduled on the device; we run no push servers. The versions downloaded from askbengaluru.com can update themselves from our server and check the file's SHA-256 before installing; versions installed from Google Play are updated only by Google Play. We do not collect contacts, messages, call logs, photos (other than the ones you choose to upload in Namma City) or files.

3. How we use information

• To provide the service: show timetables, estimated arrivals, live bus positions, your saved items and rewards.
• To check and publish user submissions (bus details, plates, reports, listings) after review.
• To keep the service secure, prevent abuse and enforce rate limits.
• To fulfil free-ticket rewards you request.
• To show ads (via Google) that keep the service free.

We do not sell personal data and we do not use it for our own profiling or marketing.

4. Who we share data with

• Google (AdSense, AdMob, Analytics) as described above.
• OpenStreetMap tile servers receive your IP address when the apps or website load map tiles.
• Open-Meteo receives rounded coordinates when Namma City shows the weather.
• Hosting: our servers are provided by Hostinger and located in Europe; by using the service you agree to this transfer.
• Authorities, where required by law.

5. Retention

• Account data: until you delete the account.
• Live positions: up to 30 minutes, in memory only.
• Website heartbeats: about one minute, in memory only.
• Form submissions, reports and feedback: until acted on, then up to 12 months for audit, after which they are deleted or anonymised.
• Server access logs: up to 14 days.

6. Your choices and rights

• Delete your account in the app (Track My Bus: Me → Account → Delete account; Namma City: Profile → Delete account) or by email. Details: /delete-account/. Deletion removes your account, sessions, points, redemption requests and reviews immediately.
• Location: deny or revoke the permission in Android settings; stop sharing from the notification or the bus page at any time.
• Ads: opt out of personalised ads in your Google ads settings or device settings.
• Access and correction: email us to receive a copy of your account data or to correct it.

7. Children

The service is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from them. If you believe a child has created an account, email us and we will delete it.

8. Security

All traffic uses HTTPS. Passwords are stored as salted scrypt hashes and session tokens as SHA-256 hashes. Access to the server is limited to our team. No method is perfectly secure; tell us at once if you suspect a problem.

9. Changes

We will post changes on this page and update the date below. Material changes to app data practices will also be announced in the app. Last updated: 6 October 2026.

10. Contact

Ask Bengaluru, Karnataka, India · hello@askbengaluru.com