MapCar

Privacy policy

MapCar uses data to provide maps, navigation and driving alerts. You can manage permissions, choose what to share and request deletion of your data.

Scope

This policy covers MapCar for head units, Android phones, iPhone and MapCar Launcher, including use through Android Auto and CarPlay. The provider is Z-SOFT CO., LTD.

Data on your device

Trip history, saved places, familiar routes and speed-limit corrections are stored on your device. MapCar does not upload your complete trip history. Address lookups and route requests may use the locations needed for those requests.

MapCar keeps a recent drive trace (GPS position and where the car icon was drawn, about once a second) on the device to diagnose road-snapping problems; only the last 20 trips are kept and you can turn it off in Settings › Map. It leaves the device only when you tap “Send drive trace” or agree to send road-snapping data as described below.

Camera images for sign recognition and distance alerts are processed on your device. Photos and videos are saved when you capture them or enable dashcam recording. You can delete or share them yourself. Sign reports do not include camera images. Vehicle and tyre-pressure readings are also processed on your device. MapCar Launcher accesses music files for playback and, with notification access, displays and controls the current track.

Connected features

Maps, place search, routing and alerts use the map area, search text, vehicle location, start, destination and waypoints needed for the feature. Route requests are not retained. Location-based alerts continue to download when the community map is off.

When you use place photos, radio or other online content, the content service may receive your IP address and the information needed to fulfil the request. Its own policy also applies.

Community map

The community map is on by default and can be disabled in Settings. When enabled, MapCar sends your reports, camera-recognised signs, traffic speed samples and route-choice information to improve traffic updates and route suggestions. This may include location, direction, report type, speed, technical information and a device identifier, but not your complete trip history.

Sharing unmapped roads requires a separate opt-in on supported versions. Submissions include road segments, movement information and a device identifier, with areas near the start and end removed before sending. Other users cannot see your device identifier.

Road-snapping improvement data

Only if you agree (the app asks once; change it any time in Settings › Map), MapCar sends about one minute of the drive around a moment the car icon left the road or jumped: GPS position, speed, heading, location source and where the car was drawn, with the app version and device model. Whole trips are never sent; the parts within 300 m of the start and end of every trip are removed before sending. It is stored with a hashed device code, not linked to your account or activation code, and used only to fix road snapping. Alongside, the app sends the total distance (km) and time (minutes) driven while monitoring — no position, no time of day — to compute incidents per 100 km for each app version. Some incidents are moved to a random place and time (about 50–150 km away) so they no longer point to the real place or moment, and are then kept longer as an internal test set.

Voice and Mika

The microphone is used when you activate a voice feature. Recognition takes place on the device or online, depending on the device and feature. On some Android devices, a command recording is sent for transcription and then discarded. The iPhone version does not send audio to MapCar.

Mika uses your question and relevant context, such as location, speed, heading, road name, speed limit, vehicle type, destination, saved places and language. Online processing may be performed by service providers on behalf of Z-SOFT, including outside Vietnam. MapCar does not retain question or answer content or audio recordings. Usage and credit records are retained to manage your plan.

Custom greeting text is used to generate audio. The text and audio may be cached for reuse and are removed after 12 months without use.

Device, purchases and support

MapCar does not require an account. A device identifier and technical details, such as app version, operating system and device model, support trials, purchases, contribution checks, data protection and troubleshooting. The identifier may persist after reinstallation. MapCar does not use advertising identifiers.

Purchase and restoration records identify the transaction, plan and device to confirm access. App-store payments follow the store’s policies. Bank transfers on supported versions require order and bank transaction information for reconciliation and refunds.

When you contact support, we use your message and contact details to respond. IP addresses and access logs may be used for service security and troubleshooting.

Retention

Device records are kept while the app remains in use. Raw community reports are cleaned up periodically with a target of 12 months; compiled signs are retained while relevant. Temporary incidents expire after 30–60 minutes, traffic samples after 10 minutes and route-choice records after 12 months. Raw unmapped-road submissions are cleaned up with a target of 30 days. Road-snapping improvement data is cleaned up with a target of 30 days.

The latest location used for abuse prevention is retained for one day. Data delivery records may be kept to protect licensed use. Plan, transaction and usage records are retained for the plan duration and accounting obligations.

Your choices

Turning off the community map in Settings stops contributions, traffic samples, route-choice sharing and community report downloads. Place photos and unmapped-road sharing are off by default. Mika, radio and online content are used when you choose those features. Sending road-snapping improvement data is on only if you agree and can be turned off at any time; turning it off deletes incidents not yet sent from the device.

You can manage location, camera, microphone, speech recognition, notifications, photos, Bluetooth and local-network permissions in your device settings. Some versions also need background access, overlay, music or update-installation permissions. Denying permission may prevent the related feature from working. MapCar has no advertising, does not track you across apps and does not sell your data.

Deletion and contact

Delete history, saved places, downloaded data, photos and videos in Settings or the relevant screen. To request deletion of data linked to your device, copy its identifier from Settings and use the Delete data page or email support@z-cloud.com.vn. We process requests within 30 days. Transaction information required for accounting and active activation codes are retained until the relevant obligations end.

Changes to this policy are published here. Last updated 22 October 2026.