Last updated: 14 August 2026
Polestar Insights is an independent companion app for analysing Journey Log CSV exports and related vehicle data you import or enter yourself. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or associated with Polestar Automotive or its affiliates. Polestar is a trademark of its respective owner.
The app does not operate a proprietary backend and does not sell personal data.
Data you import or enter (journeys, charging sessions, maintenance, vehicle profile, optional car photo) is stored on your device using Apple Core Data. Trip history is imported from files you choose (Journey Log CSV export or an Insights JSON backup). The app does not call a manufacturer Journey Log API to pull trips, and it does not sign in to manufacturer vehicle accounts.
When you are signed into iCloud and sync is enabled, Core Data content (except the local car photo) may be mirrored to your private iCloud / CloudKit container so it can sync across your own devices — including journeys, charging, maintenance, settings, and opt-in GPS trip recordings. Apple processes that data under Apple’s privacy policy.
If you choose Record (Journeys screen, Home Screen / CarPlay widget, confirming a drive suggestion, or enabling Auto-start recording in Settings), the app collects precise location only while that recording session is active (When In Use authorization, including background location updates for the active session). The app does not request Always location access for this feature.
Optional drive detection (Settings) may use CarPlay audio-route changes and on-device Motion activity. With Auto-start recording enabled (default), those on-device signals can begin a GPS session when a drive is detected so a missed notification does not lose the trip; you still receive a local “Recording started” notice and can stop anytime. With Auto-start off, the same signals only ask whether you want to record.
Recorded tracks are stored on your device and, when iCloud sync is enabled, mirrored to your private CloudKit container so pending recordings can restore on your other devices. When a track is matched to an imported Journey Log trip, the path is also written onto that journey’s map geometry. You can discard short or unmatched recordings from the pending-tracks list. Location is not used for tracking, advertising, or sharing with other users, and is never sent to a Polestar Insights server.
No advertising identifiers or analytics SDKs are included.
If you choose a car photo, it stays on this device (app storage). It is not synced via CloudKit.
If you share a CSV into the app (for example from Mail), the file is written to an App Group inbox on device and imported when you open Polestar Insights.