Mileage guide
What happens to FlatMile records when a subscription ends?
By FlatMile ·
At a glance
When FlatMile subscription access ends, previously unlocked drives remain unlocked and automatic logging and typed manual entry continue. Newly captured drives are kept with restricted details until unlocked. CSV and PDF exports require an active subscription or eligible trial, including exports of older unlocked records.
Cancellation, access expiry and deletion of the app are different events. Cancelling renewal does not itself create a backup or remove the app's local history. Check the actual access date shown in your Apple subscription settings.
What stays available and what changes
The current product policy separates capturing a journey from unlocking its full details and exporting it:
| Task or record | After paid access ends |
|---|---|
| Previously unlocked drives | Remain unlocked |
| Automatic capture | Continues when correctly configured |
| Typed manual entry | Remains available |
| New captured drives | Stored, with details and classification locked |
| App CSV and PDF exports | Require renewed access or an eligible trial |
| Files already saved outside the app | Separate files; keep your own accessible copies |
For locked captured drives, the app shows limited information such as day, time, destination and duration. Distance, route, starting place, value and classification remain locked. Subscribing unlocks held drives; once unlocked, they stay unlocked. Typed manual entries and imported records are distinct from GPS drives initiated with the Record control.
A fictional lapse timeline
Imagine Casey's access is due to end on November 12. On November 10, Casey exports the year's reviewed records and opens the saved CSV to check its dates and totals. On November 13, previously unlocked journeys remain available, but a new automatically captured journey has restricted details.
Casey should not assume the November 10 file will update itself with later journeys. It is a snapshot. Casey can keep recording, but needs effective export access to create a new app CSV or PDF. A folder containing an old report is not evidence that subsequent days were preserved outside the phone.
This timeline illustrates the policy, not a promise about an individual store transaction. Billing issues, refunds or a cancellation during a trial can affect the access status shown by Apple and the app.
Before access ends
- Review the period you intend to preserve and resolve obvious missing or duplicate entries.
- Save any needed CSV or PDF while export access is effective.
- Open the saved file from its destination, not just the share preview.
- Check the latest successful iCloud Drive backup separately.
- Record the renewal or expiry date shown in your subscription settings.
Use Apple's cancellation instructions to manage the subscription. Apple advises cancelling a free or discounted trial at least 24 hours before it ends if you do not want renewal. Do not assume a reminder inside an article will cancel it for you.
Do not confuse a lapse with a storage guarantee
Records staying on the phone after a lapse does not protect them from app deletion, device loss or a failed transfer. Keep a usable backup and any exports you need independently. Restoring a purchase is also separate from restoring mileage history.
If previously unlocked entries unexpectedly appear locked, or the app's access status differs from the store, use FlatMile support before deleting or reinstalling anything. Preserve the existing log while the access issue is investigated.