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Privacy and data

Good maps need trust. FreqMapper is useful only if people can see what a map point represents and stay in control of their own data.

This policy applies to the FreqMapper Android and iPhone mapping apps, the FreqMapper service, and the public coverage map. It is written for people using the service, not just for developers setting it up.

Mapper data

During a mapping trip, the app needs the phone location at the time of a tagged test. The service uses that location to place a possible coverage result only after independent feeder evidence arrives.

Your normal Meshtastic node position, a feeder's position, and a nearby IATA area are never quietly substituted for the phone's mapping location.

The Android app keeps completed wardrives in its Trips tab and can erase local route samples. Closing the app clears its current-session route and test overlays. Region policies may control how much location precision is public, but they cannot silently turn ordinary position reports into mapping evidence.

The iPhone app follows the same mapping rule: it asks for location so a user-started wardrive can record mapping samples, including while the app is temporarily in the background. It does not use a nearby radio position as a fallback for the phone's GPS location.

Public map data

Public coverage is an aggregate of verified evidence. The map may display:

  • coverage cells and quality class;
  • approved Watcher display names and map location when a current Position Packet is available;
  • a node's voluntary public Position Packet in the separate blue activity layer;
  • regional statistics and opt-in contributor names.

Feeder data

An MQTT watcher securely provides metadata about packets it heard to help maps and statistics. It does not extend RF range, replace radio coverage, or send internet traffic back onto the mesh. It is a helpful witness, not a magic radio tower.

Watchers without a usable map position can still verify coverage; they simply are not shown as an eye icon. Connection information, broker credentials, invite keys, channel keys, and private setup details are not published in this guide.

Questions and requests

Start with your region administrator if you have a question about a trip, coverage result, or local region policy. For general product feedback, use the FreqMapper Feedback project. Never put channel keys, invite keys, broker credentials, or private message content in a public issue.

Data quality and abuse prevention

The backend deduplicates repeated evidence, keeps privileged changes auditable, and requires review for feeder and region enrollment. Suspect or ambiguous data is retained for diagnostics or review rather than being silently painted as coverage.

Last updated: 2026-08-28