Last updated: July 22, 2026
Headsign is a transit app for Philadelphia, published by TurnCards LLC. The short version: Headsign has no account, no analytics, no advertising, no trackers, and no server that collects your data. Nearly everything happens on your device. This page explains the few places data leaves it, and why.
Headsign does not require an account or sign-in. It contains no analytics, no advertising, no third-party trackers, and no software development kits that collect data. TurnCards LLC operates no server that receives your personal information, because there is nothing of yours to send to one — the app has no back end.
If you grant location access, Headsign uses your location on your device to find the transit stops nearest you and to center the map. Your coordinates are sent to SEPTA's public transit API only as the query point of a "stops near this location" lookup, so the app can show what's around you. Your location is never stored off your device, never associated with an identity, and never sent to TurnCards or any third party other than that SEPTA request. You can use most of the app without granting location access by choosing stops yourself.
To show live arrivals, vehicle positions, and service alerts, Headsign
makes requests to SEPTA's public data feeds (at www3.septa.org).
These requests carry only what's needed to answer them — a route, a stop,
or (for nearby lookups) a coordinate. They do not carry your name, an
account, a device identifier, or any advertising ID, because the app has
none of those. SEPTA's own handling of requests to its public API is
governed by SEPTA's policies, not this one.
Your favorites, pinned stops, followed vehicles, and preferences are saved locally on your device (and shared with the Headsign widget and Lock Screen Live Activity on the same device). This information stays on your device. It is not backed up to a TurnCards server, because there isn't one. Clearing the app's data (Settings → "Clear everything") or deleting the app removes it.
Arrival and track-change alerts are scheduled locally on your device from data the app has already fetched. There is no push notification server and no account tied to them.
Headsign is a general-audience app and collects no personal information from anyone, including children.
If this policy changes, the updated version will be posted at this address with a new "Last updated" date.
Questions about this policy can be sent to [email protected].