CITT

    Scan results

    Polarsteps

    Android

    Travel app for tracking journeys, creating digital maps, and sharing adventures with photos and location data. Over 18M travelers use Polarsteps to record routes, build itineraries, and create beautiful travel books from their explorations.

    CITT SCORE
    79
    out of 100
    TRUSTish

    Quick Verdict

    Best for: Travel enthusiasts comfortable with standard analytics

    What It Means For You

    User activity is shared with several analytics and marketing platforms, including AppsFlyer and Mixpanel, which track app usage to target users with campaigns. Push notifications are managed by Urban Airship and Braze, which have visibility into user engagement patterns. Location and trip data are processed with protection in transit.

    Method and Limitations

    Static analysis only. CITT reviewed the code of this build without running the app, so runtime behavior was not observed. The findings below describe the analyzed build and may not reflect server-side controls or later versions. CITT makes no determination about compliance with any law or platform policy; it reports what the artifacts contain and cites the published guidance so a reader can compare.

    How CITT scores an app

    Findings (14)

    Data Security

    5 total
    1 High
    1 Medium
    2 Low
    1 Info

    Network Security

    2 total
    1 Medium
    1 Info

    Code Security

    3 total
    2 Medium
    1 Low

    Privacy

    4 total
    2 High
    2 Medium

    Third-Party Services

    Firebase, Mapbox, Braze, AppsFlyer, Mixpanel, RudderStack, Urban Airship, Google Play Services, ML Kit, Fresco, Glide

    Security Strengths

    • ✓Cleartext traffic disabled (HTTPS-only)
    • ✓Backups disabled
    • ✓WebView domain restrictions enforced
    What changed since the last scan

    Version diff is on the Developer plan. See developer plans.

    Context Tags

    location
    social
    ads
    sensitive data

    Package

    com.polarsteps

    Version

    9.20.0 (2000008456)

    Analysis Date

    Mar 5, 2026

    Classes Analyzed

    33,088

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    View on Play Store

    Recommendation: Acceptable

    Key Findings

    Data Security - 5 findings (1 high, 1 medium, 2 low, 1 info)

    Network Security - 2 findings (1 medium, 1 info)

    Code Safety - 0 findings

    Privacy - 4 findings (2 high, 2 medium)

    Privacy Concerns

    What Data is Collected

    Polarsteps collects location data, trip details, and behavioral usage patterns. The app tracks how users interact with its features and links activity across sessions using device identifiers.

    Third-Party Data Sharing

    User data is shared with multiple third-party services:

    • AppsFlyer and Mixpanel receive behavioral data for marketing attribution and campaign targeting
    • Braze and Urban Airship manage push notifications and track user engagement patterns
    • RudderStack aggregates and routes activity data to additional platforms
    • Firebase and Google Play Services collect app performance and usage data
    • Mapbox processes location data for map rendering

    Understanding the Scores

    CategoryScore
    Security84/100
    Privacy74/100
    Data Security84/100
    Network Security96/100
    Code Safety96/100
    Data Collection81/100
    Data Sharing100/100
    User Control79/100

    Positive Security Features

    • Network communications are well-protected, keeping data safe while it travels between the device and Polarsteps servers
    • The app's code follows safe practices that limit exposure to common software risks
    • Third-party data sharing is scoped to services directly supporting the app's core functionality

    Areas for Improvement

    • Location and trip data are shared with advertising and analytics platforms beyond what the core travel-tracking experience requires, giving users limited control over how that data is used downstream
    • Push notification services retain insight into in-app engagement patterns, and fully opting out of this tracking is not straightforward
    • Greater transparency about which third parties receive user data, and for what purpose, would help users make more informed choices before sharing personal information

    About This Analysis

    This scorecard is generated from static analysis of the app's code and configuration. Scores reflect the app's security and privacy posture at the time of the scan.

    App Details

    • App: Polarsteps
    • Package: com.polarsteps
    • Version: 9.20.0 (2000008456)
    • Scan Date: 2026-03-05
    • Platform: Android

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