Data & Safety

How Pollen Bear explains what you are seeing.

Pollen Bear combines provider data, modeled estimates, fallback states, and community observations with clear labels. The goal is to make local allergy context easier to understand without presenting approximate markers as precise sensor readings.

Google Pollen

Area-level pollen forecasts

Where configured, Google Pollen can provide area-level pollen forecast context such as tree, grass, and weed levels. This context is not used to create exact emoji marker locations.

Provider data

Weather and air quality context

Weather comes from Google Weather where configured, with Open-Meteo retained only as a safety fallback. Air quality may come from Google Air Quality, AirNow, or Open-Meteo depending on configuration, location, quota, and provider availability. Values are shown with provider and freshness labels when available.

Location approximate

Modeled nearby markers

Emoji allergen markers are modeled, location-approximate estimates unless a reviewed provider-backed marker source is connected and clearly labeled. They are not live sensors.

Provider unavailable

Fallback estimates

When provider data is unavailable, Pollen Bear may keep the app usable with fallback estimates or unavailable states. Those states should be labeled so they are not confused with provider data.

Review required

Community observations

Community observations require review. They do not become verified markers, change marker positions, or affect map marker generation automatically.

Not medical advice

Health and safety

Pollen Bear is an informational allergy map experience. It is not a medical device and does not diagnose allergies, predict individual reactions, or replace professional medical advice.

Trust labels

Data source, freshness, confidence, and data-status labels help distinguish recent provider data, modeled estimates, fallback estimates, local preferences, and community reports that require review.