Hikers Guild - Terms and Conditions

Last Updated: September 24, 2026
Operator: Nepherius, United Kingdom
Contact: help@nepherius.dev

1. About These Terms

These terms govern your use of the Hikers Guild application and its associated trail, map, recording and account services (the "Service"). References to "we", "us" and "our" mean Nepherius; "you" means the person using the Service. Please read these terms before using the Service. By using the Service after these terms have been made available to you and taken effect, you agree to them. If you do not agree, you should stop using the Service.

The Privacy Policy explains how personal information is handled. Agreement to these terms is not blanket consent to optional processing of personal information.

2. What the Service Provides

Hikers Guild helps users discover trails, view maps, prepare offline routes and, where available, record walks, manage hiking progress and share routes. Features depend on the app version, account access, coverage and device capabilities.

We provide information and software tools. We do not organise, supervise or guide your walk, maintain the trails, monitor your safety, or provide an emergency response service.

3. Trails Have Not Been Vetted

Trails and routes made available through Hikers Guild have not been independently inspected, walked or vetted by us for safety, accuracy, lawful access or suitability. Their inclusion in the Service is not an endorsement or confirmation that they are safe, accessible, passable or appropriate for you.

This applies to catalogue trails, third-party map data, imported routes and recordings shared by other users. Information may be incomplete, inaccurate or out of date. A route may cross private land, include hazardous terrain, contain mapping errors or be affected by closures that are not shown in the app. Conditions can change after information is published or downloaded.

You are responsible for independently researching and assessing a route before starting and for reassessing conditions during your walk. You undertake outdoor activities and choose whether to follow a route at your own risk, subject always to the legal rights and liability protections in section 10.

In particular, you should:

Check current route information, weather, daylight, terrain, water crossings, closures, access restrictions and any relevant local warnings using reliable sources, including land managers and public authorities where appropriate.
Confirm that the route is suitable for your fitness, experience, navigation skills, equipment and everyone accompanying you.
Obtain any necessary permission or permit. A line on a map does not establish a public right of way or permission to enter land.
Carry suitable clothing, supplies, navigation equipment and a means of seeking help; make appropriate arrangements for someone to know your plans.
Follow signs and lawful restrictions, respect landowners and wildlife, and change your plans or turn back when conditions warrant it.

Outdoor activity can involve getting lost, exposure, falls, flooding and other hazards that may cause injury, death or property damage. Do not continue towards a route, landmark or achievement if doing so would be unsafe.

4. Maps, GPS, Offline Packs and Recording Checks

Distances, elevations, estimated durations and difficulty descriptions are guidance, not guarantees. GPS positions can be delayed, inaccurate or unavailable. Batteries, devices, software and stored files can fail.

An "Available offline", "verified", or similar download label refers to technical download checks. It does not verify conditions on the ground, access rights, map accuracy or safety. Offline maps cover only the downloaded area and may not contain current changes. Check your downloads and equipment before leaving connectivity and carry an appropriate alternative means of navigation.

A "validated" recording, completed-hike count, badge, rank or progress award reflects automated activity checks. It is not a professional assessment or certification of the route or your ability. Another user's successful walk does not establish that a route is safe for you.

Location recording and any off-route alerts are navigation aids. They do not send a distress call or guarantee that anyone will notice if you stop moving or need help. In an emergency, contact the appropriate emergency services directly.

5. Eligibility, Accounts and Access

You must be at least 18 to use the Service under these terms. Keep account information accurate, protect your sign-in credentials and tell us if you suspect unauthorised access. Do not impersonate someone else or use their account without permission.

Anonymous access still involves a technical identifier and does not mean that all use is unidentifiable. Some features require a registered account or an active Pro subscription. You are responsible for safeguarding your device, credentials, and any exported files (such as GPX downloads). Maintain independent backups of any data you need; uninstalling the app, clearing device storage, or losing a device may permanently remove locally stored data.

6. Your Recordings and Shared Content

You retain any rights you have in recordings, route names and other content you provide. You must have permission to import, upload or share that content and must respect other people's privacy and intellectual property.

When you upload content, you give us a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to store, process, reproduce and display it as needed to provide the Service. Where you enable sharing, this includes making it available to the audience described in the Privacy Policy and allowing that audience to save routes through the app's supported features. This licence does not transfer ownership or authorise unrelated advertising use.

Your profile and recording visibility settings determine access. A recording marked Public is available to current followers, who can see its exact route, including start and end locations. Registered users can follow a public profile without approval. Review these settings before sharing.

Making content private or deleting it stops future server access as described in the Privacy Policy. It cannot recall copies already saved or exported by others. Operational processing of deleted content is limited to completing deletion, backups and any lawful retention described there. Do not redistribute someone else's route outside the permissions they and any underlying licence provide.

7. Permitted Use and Third-Party Rights

You may use the Service for lawful personal purposes through its supported features. Do not interfere with its operation, bypass access controls, access restricted trail catalogues without authorisation, upload malicious material, harass others, falsify activity to manipulate progress, use automated tools or ad-blockers to bypass ad-supported download requirements or paywalls, or use the Service to facilitate unlawful access to land.

The app, branding and content remain subject to their respective owners' rights. Maps and trail sources may have separate licences and attribution requirements. OpenStreetMap data is available under the Open Database Licence; see OpenStreetMap copyright and licence information. These terms do not remove rights granted by open-source or open-data licences. Keep required notices when using content under those licences. Private-source content is not made public or freely redistributable merely because you can access it in the app.

External services and linked websites may have their own terms. Their inclusion does not establish that we have checked their information or endorsed a route.

8. Free Tier, Advertising, and Pro Subscriptions

Free Tier and Ad-Supported Features

Free access enables discovering trails, recording hikes, and accessing supported community features. To help support the free service, certain actions—specifically downloading an offline trail map and exporting a GPX recording—require viewing an interstitial advertisement provided by Google Mobile Ads.

If a download fails or is incomplete, retrying that download does not require viewing an additional advertisement. Advertising privacy choices can be managed in the app under Settings > Ads privacy & consent.

Pro Subscriptions

We offer an optional paid auto-renewing subscription tier (Pro). Subscribing to Pro provides an ad-free experience (removing ads before offline map downloads and recording exports), automated cloud recording synchronisation, and access to premium features as detailed on the in-app paywall.

In-App Purchases, Billing, and Renewals

Store billing: Pro subscriptions are purchased through Google Play In-App Billing and managed via RevenueCat. All payments, renewal billings, and payment methods are handled directly by Google Play. We do not receive or store your payment card or bank details.
Pricing: The applicable subscription fee, billing currency, billing frequency (such as monthly or annual), and included features are clearly displayed on the paywall before you confirm your purchase. Prices include applicable taxes where required.
Automatic renewal: Your subscription automatically renews at the end of each billing period at the agreed price unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the current period expires. Payment will be charged to your Google Play account at the time of purchase confirmation and at each renewal.

Cancellation and Management

You can manage or cancel your subscription at any time through the Google Play Store (under Subscriptions) or via the in-app Customer Center accessible from Settings.

If you cancel, your cancellation takes effect at the end of your current paid billing cycle; you will retain Pro access until that billing period concludes, after which your account reverts to the Free tier. Uninstalling the app, signing out, or deleting your Hikers Guild account does not automatically cancel an active Google Play subscription; you must cancel it directly in Google Play.

Refunds and Consumer Rights

Purchases and refund requests are governed by Google Play's refund policies. Nothing in these terms affects your mandatory statutory rights as a consumer under UK law (including the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013) or applicable local consumer protection legislation. You may request a refund directly through Google Play support or contact us at help@nepherius.dev if you experience technical issues accessing paid features.

9. Availability, Changes and Ending Access

We may update the Service to maintain security, fix problems, reflect data or licensing changes, or improve its operation. Availability and route coverage can change. We do not promise uninterrupted access or permanent availability of every trail or feature. Any paid service remains subject to its purchase terms and applicable consumer rights.

We may restrict an account or content where reasonably necessary to address a material breach, security threat or legal requirement. Where practical and lawful, we will explain the reason and how to contact us to challenge an error.

You may stop using the Service at any time. Account deletion and data choices are explained in the Privacy Policy. Deleting your account does not cancel an active Google Play subscription; you must cancel any active subscription in Google Play. We will give reasonable advance notice of material changes to these terms, explain when they take effect and seek fresh agreement where required. Changes will not retrospectively remove accrued rights.

10. Responsibility and Limits of Liability

We will provide the Service with reasonable care and skill. Subject to your statutory rights, we do not guarantee that third-party information or routes will be accurate, complete, current or suitable for a particular outing.

To the extent permitted by law, we are not responsible for losses caused by your failure to make reasonable preparations or follow lawful restrictions, except insofar as our breach of duty caused or contributed to those losses. We are not responsible for losses that were not reasonably foreseeable when you accepted these terms, or business losses arising from use of a service provided for personal purposes, where such exclusions are lawful.

Nothing in these terms excludes or limits liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability that cannot legally be excluded or limited. Nothing removes your statutory consumer rights or remedies. Acknowledging outdoor risks does not waive those protections.

11. Governing Law and Contact

These terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales. This choice does not deprive you of mandatory consumer protections that apply where you live. You may bring a claim before any court available to you under applicable law, including the courts of Scotland or Northern Ireland where applicable. These terms do not require private arbitration.

If a provision is unenforceable, the remainder continues to apply so far as lawful. Contact help@nepherius.dev with questions, complaints, content-rights concerns or reports of inaccurate or hazardous trail information. This address is not an emergency reporting service.

Hikers Guild Terms and Conditions