TfL Go

TfL Go is a travel app created by us to help Londoners better plan easy, accessible journeys on public transport and to help customers avoid the busiest times.

In January 2025 we introduced account functionality to the app, meaning you can now use the app to login to an existing Oyster and contactless account or register for a new one. This update will be implemented using a phased rollout process via the various App stores and so won't initially be available to all users.

If you access your account via TfL Go, register for a new account via the app or access your account via the website, you should also refer to the privacy notices for Oyster and Contactless payment.

Personal information we process

If you use TfL Go and have given us permission, we will access your location data (e.g. latitude and longitude) to deliver some of the app features. The location data is provided by Apple's Location Services or Google's Location Services (depending on your device's operating system). For more information visit Apple's page on Location Services & Privacy and Google's page on how it uses location information.

If you use the TfL Journey Planner in the app, we will collect the "from" and "to" location (latitude and longitude) in your searches, including your current location if planning a journey from there. We also collect any journey planning preferences you select. This could include accessibility options (e.g. 'step-free' mode, preference for escalators or stairs, etc), choice of transport, fewest changes or least walking, time of arrival or departure.

Where you have given permission, the app displays your previous search history under the 'Where to?' function. You can change your permission at any point in the app settings. You can also select an option to clear this below any search history displayed or swipe left on individual queries to clear. Your full history can also be cleared within the app settings.

If you use the 'Bus Stops Near You' feature in this app, we will collect the latitude and longitude of your current location.

You can also request to display a widget on your device's home or lock screen, to show the status of lines. This is set by you on your device, not from within the app, and TfL do not maintain a record of widgets set on individual devices.

In August 2022 a new feature was added to TfL Go. In the 'Where to?' search feature you can see content related to 'promoted places'. This is not targeted to you as an individual, instead all app users see the same content. The content may include links to plan a journey to a given place from your current location and tell you how far away you are, but this will only work if you have allowed TfL Go to access your location. Content may also include links to external websites for which we hold no responsibility. You should check the relevant third-party website for more information and to access their privacy statement.

If you access your Oyster and contactless account through TfL Go, or register for a new account, you should view the Oyster and contactless privacy notices for full details of what information we process in relation to accounts and card use on the network. In summary, this is information you provide to us during the set-up and login process or once you have registered a card to the account (e.g. name, address, email address, Oyster card number, marketing and contact preferences, journey history, transaction information, etc). To display account information to you in the app, we also capture some information about your device, such as a device identifier, type and details of the operating system and version of the app you are using.

The 'Journey planning', 'Bus Stops Near You', widgets and promoted places features described above are delivered via API calls. In addition, the app makes other API calls when various actions are taken by you - such as searching for stations, displaying crowding information and line status updates, sharing details about our stations, etc.

An API call involves a data exchange between your device and TfL's data systems, and results in collection of data. Data collected includes details of the request (e.g. latitude, longitude and preferences noted above, where applicable) and some data about the device making the request - including the device type and provider, IP address and location (including borough and country) associated with the IP address. We collect this information to provide information to you and respond to your actions in the app and investigate issues, but all API calls must be security assessed also. TfL use tools to protect and monitor the security of our external connections (including API calls).

If you have given consent, we will use analytics (a similar technology to cookies) to capture information about your use of the app (we call this "usage data"), including:

• Device type, model and Operating system
• Details of accessibility settings used on a device (e.g. whether screen readers, reduced motion, or voice control, etc, is active)
• Unique ID - pseudonymised from the device ID / MAC address, but providing the ability to track usage on a specific device over time
• Session information - number (count of visits), duration, time/date, location (mapped to a region, for example, London Borough)
• When and where accessed (this is based on IP address and is not taken from device GPS data)
• Screens viewed and interaction on screens, for example, zooming and panning on the map
• App interaction - including stations tapped on and stations entered into the 'to' and 'from' fields in Journey Planner, interaction with 'promoted places' (including links clicked on and journeys planned)
• Account interaction - including actions taken such as top-ups, travel cards held, ticket duration, card selection, etc
• Behaviour flows (journeys through the app - for example, where someone exits)
• Number, type of widget (i.e. size or format) and line installed
• App crashes

We do not use this usage data to identify you, but it provides us with the ability to see usage on a specific device over time.

If you email us from the feedback section in this app, we will receive and process your emails.

Legal basis for using your information

Under data protection legislation, TfL is only allowed to use personal information if we have a proper reason or 'legal basis' to do so. In the case of TfL Go, there are a number of these legal grounds we rely on, which are:

• We process your location, preference and device data and feedback emails to perform tasks in support of our statutory functions:
  
  - To undertake activities to promote and encourage safe, integrated, efficient and economic transport facilities and services, and to deliver the Mayor's Transport Strategy
  - To provide you with control over the use of your location data, we ask for your permission to access your location data when the app is first launched. If you haven't given your permission, we will ask again when you try to use a feature that requires access to your location data, such as tapping a station on the map and planning a journey. You can change your permission for this app via Location Services in your device settings at any time. Some users can also control the accuracy level of location data TfL Go is allowed to use. iOS users (iOS 14 and 14+) can do so by managing their preference for Precise Location when we ask for their permission to access location data and in their device settings. Android users can do so by managing their preference for Location Accuracy (Android 9 and 9+) or Mode (Android 8) in their device settings
• Where you have created an account, we process your information for the 'performance of a contract'
• To verify your identity when you log on to your account and to process data for online account security monitoring purposes, we process your information for the 'purposes of legitimate interests'
• Where you have opted in to receive marketing messages from us during the account registration process, we process your information based on consent. You can change this at any time by logging on to your account on our website (you currently can't change this setting in the app)
• We process your usage data based on consent. We ask for your consent to share your usage data with us when the app is first launched and will review this by asking again on occasion, where appropriate. You can withdraw or change your consent in the app settings at any time

If you are under 13, we ask you to get your parents or guardians to decide whether to give us consent to process your personal data. Your use of the app is also subject to Apple or Google's rules and policies (including age requirements). If there is anything you don't understand or aren't sure about in this notice or in Apple or Google's rules and policies, talk to a trusted adult (such as your parent or guardian) and ask them to help.

Obtaining and using your information

If you allow TfL Go to access your location data, we will use it to provide you with location-based features, such as to:

• Show you where you are on the Tube map
• Show you where you are and walking directions on the geographic map
• Make it easier for you to use the Journey Planner. For example, we will use your current location as the "from" location and you can tap on a station to get the best routes from your current location
• Show you bus stops nearby. For example, you can tap on 'Bus Stops Near You' on the home screen to show a list and map of bus stops near your current location. If you tap on a bus stop, it will show you the full stop view with all buses and where you are on the geographic map. 

If you choose not to allow TfL Go to access your location data, you are still able to use the app but you won't see where you are on the maps and bus stops nearby. You will also need to enter your "from" and "to" location manually when using the Journey Planner.

If you turn off Precise Location in the iOS app, turn off Location Accuracy or select Mode options other than High Accuracy in the Android app, you can still use these features but it may impact the accuracy of location data.

If you use the Journey Planner in this app, we will collect your "from" and "to" location in your searches and any preferences you submit to process your search requests. If you use the 'Bus Stops Near You' feature in this app, we will collect the latitude and longitude of your current location.

If you give consent to share your usage data with us, we will use your usage data to help us understand how this app is used and measure its performance. For example, to find out the most useful sections, spot bugs and identify things we can improve.

During your use of the app some information is stored directly on your device to support a variety of functions. It is stored in iOS User Defaults and Android's Encrypted Shared Preferences depending what type of device you use. This includes your journey planning preferences, detail about screens shown to you and when to support the logic of displaying screens (e.g. not displaying an announcement you have already seen), your recent search history (if you have opted to save this) and your most recent location (if location sharing is enabled). Where applicable this information will be routinely updated and will be removed from your device if you delete the app.

If you email us from the feedback section in this app, we will use your email to fix problems you reported and reply to your communications. We will also use your feedback to identify areas for improvement.

In July 2021 the app was updated to provide customers with near real-time information on how busy London Underground stations are throughout the day. This uses aggregated and depersonalised data from TfL's Wi-Fi network. Please see our Wi-Fi data collection privacy notice to find out how and why TfL collects Wi-Fi connection data from mobile devices.

Your Oyster and contactless account

The personal information we hold is provided by you when you access or create an Oyster and contactless account via the app and register your Oyster and contactless cards to it. Accounts can be created and accessed via TfL Go, and on our website. Depending on how you set up an account and attach an Oyster or contactless card to it, we will request only necessary information from you. For example, if you create an account via the app for your Oyster card we do not require a security question and answer, or security passcode number. But if you add a contactless card we will ask for additional information. If you set up the account via our website, or access your app account via our website, this additional information is also required. 

When you access your journey history via this app, it is only possible to view the last eight weeks of travel for both Oyster and contactless cards. More journey history may be available if you login to your account via the website, alongside some other account related information not available in this app. 

In May 2023 we introduced multi-factor authentication (MFA) to strengthen the existing security measures for online accounts. We request a mobile phone number which will be used each time you sign in to receive a text with a unique code to enter in the sign in screen. The phone number provided for MFA will only be used for the purposes of MFA, unless you have previously provided the number to TfL for a separate purpose (e.g. when liaising with Customer Services). 

Some account related information is stored directly on your device (including in Apple's Keychain and Android's Encrypted Shared Preferences), to support the ability to remain logged in and display information to you, including the display order of your cards and whether any are hidden. This includes your name, address, email address, Oyster and contactless cards, card nicknames and journey history. This will be routinely updated and depending on the type of information and what device you use, it will be removed if you sign out, or when the app is uninstalled or reinstalled.

Cookies in the app

Some of the specific actions you need to take in your Oyster and contactless account when accessing via the app take you to an 'in-app web view'. These actions include: create account, signing in, forgot password, claim a refund, add a contactless card. This means you leave the app temporarily and access a webpage via an in-app web browser, resulting in interaction with cookies on the website.  

If using the app with an Android device, you will interact with our cookie consent management tool to set your cookie preferences within in-app web views. When accessing the app via an Apple device, this 'in-app web view' has been set to only drop those cookies which are essential to ensure the web pages work properly. For more information on our approach to managing cookies on TfL websites see the cookies privacy notice.

If you follow a link to a web page from elsewhere in the app (i.e. not via an 'in-app web view'), it will open in the web browser on your device, not within the app itself. This means you will interact directly with our cookie consent management tool. 

Length of time we keep your information

We will retain personal information in line with our data retention policies. This means that we will not hold information for longer than is necessary for the purposes we obtained it for.

• Your most recent location data is held in your device's memory by the app for a very short period of time for you to use location-based features.
• Your usage data is kept for 3 years. You can withdraw your consent to process this within the app settings. Once consent is withdrawn, we will no longer collect this data. 
• Your feedback emails are kept for 7 years.
• For more details on the length of time we keep your information in relation to your Oyster and contactless cards and account, see the Oyster and contactless privacy notices.

Keeping your information secure

We take the privacy of our customers very seriously, and a range of robust policies, processes and technical measures are in place to control and safeguard access to, and use of, your personal information.

This includes ensuring that your payment card data is handled in accordance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard ('PCI DSS').

Anyone with access to personal information held in TfL's systems is required to complete TfL's privacy and data protection training on an annual basis.

In 2023 we introduced multi-factor authentication (MFA) to strengthen the existing security measures for Oyster and contactless online accounts. MFA is an additional layer of security to the account sign in process, helping to confirm you are who you say you are each time you sign into your account. You may be prompted with a subsequent MFA request in certain circumstances. 

Alongside the use of MFA, account sign-ins are subject to automated fraud and security monitoring to identify suspicious activity and further protect accounts and the information within them. This includes monitoring login activity at the point of sign in and over time (e.g. IP address, browser, geographic location determined by IP address, identity information, known compromised credentials, previous login behaviour, etc). 

We also publish guidance on the steps you can also take to protect your personal information.

Automated processing and profiling

Under data protection legislation we must let you know when we use your personal information to make an automated decision (without human intervention) that significantly affects you.

If you use an Oyster or contactless card, or access your Oyster and contactless account via the app you may be subject to automated decisions. Full details are published in the Oyster and contactless privacy notices.

We use automated processes to support the security of your account and the information within it - such as presenting MFA requests to authenticate your identity and ongoing monitoring to identify suspicious activity such as fraud.    

If you have difficulties accessing your account, you can contact Customer Services for support.

Sharing of your information

We share information only in limited circumstances.

If you use the Journey Planner in this app, we will share the latitude and longitude for the "from" and "to" location in your searches, and any preferences submitted, with our Journey Planner engine provider to process your search requests, this is required for the engine to return accurate directions.

If you give consent to share your usage data with us, we will use analytics to collect your usage data to understand how the app is used and measure its performance. Your usage data will be processed on our analytics service provider's platform.

We use the Google Places API in TfL Go to provide predictions for the search terms you enter into the Journey Planner and your search terms will be passed to Google with a session token ID. The session token ID is a random string which is only linked to one complete search and is not reused if you use the same device to carry out a new search. Google collect your search terms and may use this data to provide and improve Google products and services. For more information about how Google handles your personal information, please see Google's privacy policy.

In some circumstances we may disclose personal information in response to valid requests from the police. Before any such disclosure takes place, the police are required to demonstrate that the personal information concerned will assist them in the prevention or detection of a specific crime, or in the apprehension or prosecution of an offender. Each request from the police is dealt with on a strictly case-by-case basis to ensure that any such disclosure is lawful and in accordance with data protection legislation.

Overseas processing

TfL and its service providers may process your personal information in the UK and countries within the European Economic Area (EEA). Any such processing will be carried out in strict accordance with UK and EU data protection legislation and the appropriate contractual safeguards which TfL has put in place.

Your information rights

Under data protection legislation you are entitled to ask to see any personal information that we hold about you.

To request access to personal information held by TfL, please see our page on how to access your data.

To request to delete your Oyster and contactless account you can follow instructions from within the app to submit a request.

If you would like to withdraw your consent for TfL to process your usage data or manage how TfL processes your location data, you can do so in your app settings and your device's location services settings.

If you would like to unsubscribe from TfL emails, please use the link we include at the end of every email. You can also update your contact preferences within your online account, or by emailing unsubscribe@tfl.gov.uk at any time.

You also have a number of other information rights which include:

• The right to question any information we have about you that you think is wrong or incomplete
• The right to object to how we use your information or to ask us to delete or restrict how we use it
• In some cases, the right to receive a copy of your information in a format that you can easily re-use
• The right to complain to the regulator - the Information Commissioner's Office

Our Privacy and Data Protection team considers and coordinates responses to requests and complaints from people whose personal data is processed by TfL and its subsidiary companies. You can contact the Data Protection Officer by email at dpo@tfl.gov.uk.