Privacy
bound.zone is a Garmin Connect IQ data field that records whether the internet was reachable during an outdoor activity, so that a shared coverage map can be built.
Participation is optional
Contributing is entirely your choice. The data field only sends observations while contribution is enabled in its settings, and you can turn it off at any time. Turning it off stops all future uploads immediately.
What the Garmin app submits
In batches, the watch sends: a random installation identifier it generated itself, a random session identifier, your watch model and app version, the activity type (walk, hike, run, cycle, other), and for each sample the time, the result of the connectivity check (online, offline or timeout), how long the check took, a rough GPS quality flag, and the distance and active time since the previous sample.
Locations are reduced to grid cells roughly 50 metres across before they leave the watch. Only the centre of that cell is stored. Your exact position and continuous track are never collected.
What is never collected
No names, email addresses, Garmin account details, advertising identifiers, phone identifiers or device serial numbers. The server does not store the IP address of an upload. Nothing collected identifies you personally, and the public coverage map never shows who contributed an observation.
How the data is used
Observations are aggregated per location cell into a green (reliable), amber (mixed) or red (unreliable) rating, together with counts and the time of the last observation. Administrators of the closed pilot can view aggregated statistics and individual records to debug the app.
Coverage shown is internet connectivity observed by a watch. It is not a guarantee of calling, SMS or emergency service coverage, and must not be relied on for safety decisions.
Retention and removal
Observations are kept for as long as the pilot runs so that coverage history remains meaningful. If you want your contributions removed, send the installation identifier shown in the app settings and an administrator will delete the installation and every observation it contributed; the affected cells are recalculated without your data.
Feedback form
The tester feedback form is optional and asks for no account or name. Only submit information you are happy to share; submissions are visible to pilot administrators only.