At DriveTracker, we believe your data belongs to you. We provide the tools to ensure your business records are private, secure, and easily recoverable if you switch devices.
DriveTracker is designed with a "Local-First" philosophy. This means:
- On-Device Storage: By default, all your driving logs, earnings, and expense data are stored only on your phone. We do not store your personal records on our servers.
- Privacy: Your data is never sold or shared. Even when you generate a report, the data is processed locally on your device.
- You are in Control: Because we don't have a copy of your data, it is vital that you use the Google Drive Sync feature to prevent data loss.
Backing up your data to the cloud ensures you never lose your history if your phone is lost, stolen, or damaged.
- Tap Settings on the bottom navigation bar.
- Scroll down to the Cloud Backup & Restore section.
- Tap the BACKUP button.
- If it's your first time, you will be asked to sign in with your Google Account.
- DriveTracker will create a secure, encrypted file in your private Google Drive storage.
NOTE: To ensure 100% data integrity, the app briefly "locks" the local database during the upload. This prevents data corruption.
Moving to a new phone or you just accidentally deleted some cards (like upgrading to the latest ZFold)? It’s easy to bring your data with you:
- Install DriveTracker on your new device.
- Go to Settings > Cloud Backup & Restore.
- Tap the RESTORE button.
- Sign in with the same Google Account used for the backup.
- The app will download your latest backup and merge it with your new device.
- Frequent Backups: We recommend performing a backup at the end of every work week.
- Google Account Security: Since your backups live in your Google Drive, we recommend enabling Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) on your Google account for maximum security.
- Photo Storage: When you take a photo of a receipt, it is stored in your phone's internal storage. When you perform a Google Drive backup, these records are included.
To keep your data accurate, the app requires specific system access:
- Background Location: Necessary to track miles even when the screen is off or you are using another app.
- Storage Access: Needed to save and retrieve your receipt photos and generated PDF reports.
PRO TIP: If you ever see a "Backup Failed" message, ensure you have a stable internet connection and at least 50MB of free space on your Google Drive.