How PlugSense handles account, location, Tesla, and charging data.

Scope

PlugSense is an EV charging app and website focused on reliability-first charger decisions. This policy applies when you use the PlugSense iPhone app, browse plugsense.app, connect a Tesla account, submit community reports, or contact support.

Information we collect

Account and profile data

• Email address and authentication records through Firebase Authentication.
• Display name, profile photo, distance unit preference, and notification preference settings.
• Sign-in method metadata, such as email/password or Sign in with Apple when enabled in your build.

Charging activity and app data

• Check-ins, notes, optional photos, connector type, and outcome data such as worked, slow charge, blocked, or didn’t work.
• Saved chargers, route plans, confirmed route history, achievements, stats, and leaderboard-related activity.
• Support messages and any attachments or screenshots you send us.

Location data

• Precise location, with permission, to show nearby stations and current map results.
• Check-in verification, which currently requires you to be within 100 meters of the charger.
• Live Presence verification, which currently requires you to be within 500 meters of the charger to start a presence session.
• Origin and destination coordinates used for route planning when you provide or select them.

Tesla connection data

• If you connect a Tesla account, PlugSense processes Tesla OAuth state, linked vehicle identifiers, vehicle display names, charging state, battery level, range, and charge-limit information.
• If you trigger commands such as start charging, stop charging, or set charge limit, PlugSense logs and relays the request through the backend.
• Tesla token material is stored in a server-side collection and encrypted at rest.

Device, attribution, and ad-related data

• Notification device registration data such as APNs token, platform, app version, and build number.
• Apple Search Ads attribution token uploads when that feature is enabled in the build.
• If ad-supported experiences are enabled, advertising SDKs may process device or contextual data to serve ads, subject to their own terms.

How we use your information

• Operate nearby station search, charger detail views, route planning, saved chargers, and support tooling.
• Calculate reliability features, best-time predictions, community stats, and other product intelligence layers.
• Verify that check-ins and presence sessions come from users who are physically near a charger.
• Deliver notifications and saved-station status alerts when you enable them.
• Provide Tesla account linking, vehicle state retrieval, and charging commands you explicitly request.
• Protect the service from abuse, fake check-ins, automated scraping, or other misuse.
• Debug outages, improve app performance, and answer support requests.

Sharing and visibility

PlugSense does not sell your personal information. We share data only where it is necessary to run the service, comply with law, or provide the product you requested.

What other users may see

• Check-ins, notes, and any optional photos you submit may be visible to other PlugSense users in station detail views.
• Live Presence uses anonymized display names for other viewers and does not publish your exact location.
• Your exact device location is not shown publicly to other users.

Service providers and integrations

• Google / Firebase for authentication, hosting, database, storage, and messaging infrastructure.
• Tesla when you voluntarily connect a Tesla account or send Tesla-related commands.
• Charging data sources and station providers such as Open Charge Map, NREL, OCPI providers, and OpenStreetMap for station metadata and status.
• Advertising or attribution partners when those features are enabled in the app build you use.

Legal and safety reasons

We may disclose information if required to comply with law, legal process, or to protect the rights, safety, and security of PlugSense, our users, or the public.

Security and retention

PlugSense uses HTTPS for API traffic, authenticated requests for protected endpoints, and provider-supported encryption at rest and in transit. Sensitive user-side tokens such as Tesla credentials, notification device tokens, and Apple Search Ads attribution tokens are encrypted server-side before storage.

We retain personal data for as long as needed to operate the service, maintain your account, comply with legal obligations, and support legitimate business records. When you delete your account through the app or via a verified support request, PlugSense removes active account data and associated backend records tied to that account. Some backups, logs, or aggregated analytics may persist for a limited period.

Your choices

• Update your display name, distance unit, profile photo, and notification preferences inside the app.
• Control location and notification permissions in iOS Settings.
• Disconnect Tesla from the PlugSense profile area at any time.
• Delete your account from the Profile tab when you can access the app.
• Contact support for access, correction, deletion, or data questions.

Contact

For privacy and account-help guidance, use the support page and Delete Account instructions. The public website does not publish a support inbox or collect personal request details.