Privacy Policy

Last updated: 2026-10-29

NVX ("the App") is a marine chartplotter application developed by Vector Dynamics Group Limited (registered in Scotland, company number SC907426), which is the controller of the personal data described in this policy. It explains what data the App accesses, how it is used, and your rights.

1. Summary

NVX stores your navigation data on your device. Installed and imported charts, saved routes and tracks, imported forecasts, downloaded climate data packs and the bundled guide can be viewed offline. There are no analytics services, crash-reporting SDKs, advertising libraries or NVX sign-in accounts. When you export files, enable NMEA forwarding or start the browser dashboard, navigation data can be shared with destinations you select or connected clients.

The App contacts NVX services to fetch the chart and climate catalogues, verify purchases, and download chart packs and climate data packs. Purchase verification sends a Google Play purchase token, and server access logs include your IP address. Weather GRIB downloads and the public coastline extract open in your browser. User-configured NMEA connections can also communicate over a network. Sections 3 and 4 describe these exchanges.

2. Data Stored on Your Device

The App uses the following information on your device, holding it in memory or saving it in app-specific storage as described below:

• GPS position, course, and speed — used for real-time navigation display and, if you choose, track recording.
• Waypoints and routes — user-created navigation data, including any free-text descriptions and web links you add, and any GPX files you import or export through the App.
• Track logs — recorded voyage history (position, speed, course over ground) saved only when you start a recording.
• Anchor watch and Man-Overboard positions — safety alarm coordinates set by you.
• AIS target data — when an AIS receiver is connected, the positions, headings, speeds, names, and MMSI identifiers of other vessels are received from NMEA sentences and held in memory. If you enable AIS track recording, a rolling history of recent target positions is also held in memory, for a configurable number of minutes. When enabled in your output filters, NMEA forwarding can send received VDM and VDO sentences to connected equipment, including target and own-vessel AIS data. This is forwarding over a data connection, not an AIS radio transmission by the App.
• Connection settings and preferences — display options, NMEA source configuration, your own vessel details (e.g. name, dimensions), and UI state such as the last chart position.
• Chart, forecast and climate files — chart packs you download or import, GRIB forecast files you import, and climate data packs you download are held in app-specific storage (section 3 describes how they are fetched).
• Chart purchase records — a cache of your Google Play chart-pack purchases, including purchase tokens, is kept in app-specific storage so purchases can be restored and download URLs re-authorised. Section 3 describes what happens to the token sent to our server.
• NMEA sentence logs — only when you explicitly enable the file-logging output sink. These files remain in app-specific storage and are pruned automatically (the newest 10 files, up to 50 MB) — they can also be removed by clearing the App's storage in Android settings.

GPX exports and sharing can copy routes, waypoints and tracks to a file location or another app you select. Recorded NMEA data (data monitor recordings and terminal sessions) can also be shared as files through the Android share sheet. NMEA outputs and the browser dashboard can share navigation data as described in section 3. If you have Android's "Back up to Google Drive" feature enabled on your device, the operating system may include the App's local data — routes, waypoints, track history, anchor/MOB positions, chart packs, imported charts, climate data, and user settings — in its system-wide backup. This backup is controlled by Android and Google, not by NVX, and can be disabled at any time in your device's Backup settings.

3. Network Communication

When you enable instrument connections, forwarding or the browser dashboard, the App can exchange data with other devices:

• NMEA 0183 / NMEA 2000 instruments via Bluetooth (classic SPP and BLE) and USB OTG serial. Bluetooth and USB serial can also be used as outputs for forwarding.
• Network NMEA — configured TCP and UDP connections exchange navigation sentences with connected clients or destination addresses. Output filters determine which sentences are forwarded, including position, instrument and AIS data. In typical use the other device is on your local Wi-Fi or wired network, but configured destinations are not restricted to the local network.
• Browser dashboard — when you enable this feature, the App serves a read-only dashboard to browser clients that can reach its network address. Intended for use on your local network, it shares available instrument readings, vessel position and active passage information, including route and waypoint names. The dashboard does not provide controls for changing the App's navigation state. It is served over unencrypted HTTP and is intended for trusted local networks; you can optionally require a numeric PIN to view it (off by default).

The chart store, climate service and browser download flows use the following services:

• NVX chart store (charts.nvx-marine.app, HTTPS/TLS) — operated by Vector Dynamics Group Limited. Three kinds of request:
  • Catalogue fetch — a download of the public chart catalogue without an NVX account. The catalogue contains chart-pack metadata (names, regions, file sizes, checksums). Requests are subject to the access logging described below.
  • Purchase verification — when you download a purchased chart pack, the App sends the product ID and your Google Play purchase token to our verification endpoint. The token is checked with Google in real time and is not logged or stored by us.
  • Chart pack downloads — file downloads using a signed URL for the chart-pack path and an expiry time. The URL does not contain your account identity or purchase token. Requests are subject to the access logging described below.
• NVX climate service (weather.nvx-marine.app, HTTPS/TLS) — operated by Vector Dynamics Group Limited. Where climate packs are offered, the App fetches the climate catalogue to check for pack updates; when you choose a climate data pack, the App downloads the pack files directly (large, resumable downloads). These requests carry no account identity, purchase token or device identifier, and are subject to the access logging described below.
• OpenStreetMap coastline extract (charts.nvx-marine.app, HTTPS/TLS) — the public ODbL coastline download offered in the App's About screen opens in your browser. It requires no NVX authentication; the server receives the browser's request and IP address.
• Weather GRIB sources — when you tap "Get GRIB", the App builds a download URL from the source you picked and the chart bounds on screen, and opens it in your own web browser. The download is performed by your browser under your control; the App itself sends nothing to any weather service. The coordinates you chose are visible in that URL to the weather provider you picked — that is a direct exchange between your browser and that provider, not data collected by NVX.

Web links you attach to waypoints, routes or tracks also open in your browser when tapped — a direct exchange between your browser and the site you linked, not data collected by NVX.

Beyond the services described above, NVX does not send your data to us or to third parties. Google Play and your device's own services operate under their own policies. Traffic to Vector Dynamics Group Limited servers uses HTTPS.

Our servers keep standard access logs: IP address, requested URL, time, user-agent and similar request details. We keep them for up to about 52 days to run and secure the service (legitimate interests, UK GDPR Art. 6(1)(f)). Chart-pack purchase verification is processed to deliver what you bought (Art. 6(1)(b)). Your purchase token is sent to Google to check the purchase and is not logged or stored by us.

The App asks Android for the following permissions, each used only for the feature described:

• Location — to read your device's GPS position for the chart, tracks, anchor watch and man overboard.
• Bluetooth (connect, scan, advertise) — to find and connect to NMEA instruments and, if you enable it, to host a Bluetooth NMEA output.
• Internet and network state — for the chart store, climate service and the network connections you configure.
• Notifications, foreground services, wake lock and vibration — so anchor watch, man overboard, track recording, downloads and the NMEA router can keep running and alert you with the screen off.
• Run at startup — to restore an active anchor watch after your device restarts, and to restart the NMEA router if you have enabled restart after reboot. Track recording and man overboard are not restarted.

4. Third-Party Services and Libraries

NVX does not include any analytics, advertising or crash-reporting SDKs. The App uses open-source libraries for chart rendering (OpenCPN-derived chartengine, GDAL, libtess2, pugixml, S52 PLib), HTTP networking (OkHttp), USB serial communication, and standard AndroidX components. Networking and communication libraries support the data exchanges described in section 3.

The chart store uses Google Play Billing to process purchases. Payment details (card, account, billing address) are collected and processed by Google and are never visible to Vector Dynamics Group Limited — our servers never see or store payment information. Ownership of a purchase is confirmed using the Google Play purchase token as described in section 3: verified in real time and not stored by us. Your purchase history with Google Play is governed by Google's own privacy policy.

5. Data Flow Summary

The App's data flows depend on the features you use:

• Navigation data is held on your device. Exports, sharing, NMEA forwarding and the browser dashboard can send it to selected destinations or connected clients. Android backup may also copy local data according to your device settings.
• Chart purchases and downloads involve Google Play, purchase-token verification and server access logs, as described in section 3.
• Climate data packs (where offered) are downloaded directly from the NVX climate service — no account or purchase token is involved — subject to the server access logs described in section 3.
• Browser downloads send requests to the selected provider. Weather URLs can include the chart area you chose.
• Traffic between the App and Vector Dynamics Group Limited servers uses HTTPS.
• The App does not offer account creation of any kind — no usernames, passwords, OAuth, or any other sign-in method.
• Section 6 explains how to remove local App data and what happens to copies shared elsewhere.

6. Data Retention and Deletion

You can remove locally stored navigation data and settings by:

• Clearing tracks, waypoints, or routes from within the App.
• Clearing the App's storage from its entry under Android Settings > Apps > Storage.
• Uninstalling the App, which removes its app-specific storage.

Removing local App data does not delete exported files, copies shared with other apps or devices, Android backups, or Google Play purchase records. Those copies are managed through their respective locations or services. Vector Dynamics Group Limited does not provide NVX user accounts or store your routes and tracks as a cloud library. Server access logs are described in section 3; contact details are below.

7. Safety Disclaimer

NVX is a navigational aid and is not a substitute for official paper charts, an approved electronic chart system, or proper seamanship. The user is solely responsible for safe navigation. Always cross-reference position and depth information with authoritative sources.

8. Changes to This Policy

If this policy is updated, the revised version will be posted at the same URL with a new "Last updated" date. Material changes will be highlighted in the App's release notes.

9. Your Rights

The personal data we hold is the server access logs described in section 3 and any messages you send us. You can ask what we hold about you, ask us to correct or delete it, or object to our processing. We may need your IP address and dates of use to find your log entries. If you believe we have handled your data unlawfully, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ico.org.uk).

10. Contact

Vector Dynamics Group Limited is the controller. Questions about this policy or about NVX's handling of data can be sent to:
support@nvx-marine.app