Privacy Policy for The Traces App

Last Updated: February 7, 2026 Effective Date: February 7, 2026

Our Privacy Philosophy

The Traces is built on a simple principle: just showing up is enough. We extend this philosophy to your privacy - we collect only what's necessary to make the app work well, and you remain in control.

This privacy policy explains what data we collect, why we collect it, and how you can control it. We've written this in plain language because we believe privacy policies shouldn't require a law degree to understand.

Quick Summary

What we collect:

  • Your goals, entries, tags, and notes (stored locally on your device)
  • Basic app usage data (how you use features)
  • Crash reports (to fix bugs)
  • Subscription status (if you subscribe to Pro/Premium)

What we DON'T collect:

  • Your name, email, or personal information
  • Your location
  • Your contacts or photos
  • Data from other apps

Your controls:

  • Disable analytics in Settings (crash reports stay enabled to fix bugs)
  • All your goals and entries stay on your device (optionally backed up to your iCloud)
  • Delete your data anytime by deleting the app

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide

Goals, Entries, Tags, and Notes

  • When you create goals, log entries, add tags, or write notes, this data is stored locally on your device
  • We never send your goal names, entry descriptions, tags, or notes to our servers
  • This data remains private and under your control

App Settings

  • Your preferences (theme, notification settings, security settings)
  • These are stored locally on your device

1.2 Information We Collect Automatically

Analytics Data (Optional - You Can Disable This)

We use Firebase Analytics to understand how the app is used. This helps us improve features and fix problems. We collect:

  • Events: Actions you take (like creating a goal, logging an entry, changing theme)
  • Aggregate Metrics: Number of goals, number of entries, subscription tier
  • Device Information: Device model, iOS version, app version
  • Usage Patterns: Which screens you visit, how long you use the app

What we DON'T track:

  • Your goal names or content
  • Your entry descriptions or notes
  • Any text you enter in the app
  • Your location
  • Your identity or personal information

You can disable analytics at any time in Settings > Privacy > Usage Analytics

Crash Reports (Always Enabled)

We use Firebase Crashlytics to detect and fix app crashes. When the app crashes, we automatically receive:

  • Error information: What went wrong in the code
  • Device details: iOS version, device model
  • Stack trace: Technical details to help us fix the bug

Crash reports DO NOT include:

  • Your goal names, entries, or notes
  • Your personal information
  • Anything you typed in the app

Why crash reports can't be disabled: We need crash data to maintain app stability and fix bugs that affect all users. This is essential for the app to work reliably.

1.3 iCloud Backup (Optional - Your Choice)

How It Works:

If you have iCloud Backup enabled on your iPhone, your The Traces data may be automatically backed up to your iCloud account. This includes:

  • Your goals, entries, tags, and notes
  • Your app settings and preferences

Important Details:

  • iCloud backup is controlled by your iPhone's Settings (Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup)
  • Data backed up to iCloud is encrypted and protected by your Apple ID password
  • We (The Traces) do not have access to your iCloud backups
  • Only you can access your iCloud backup data
  • Your iCloud backup is governed by Apple's Privacy Policy

How to disable iCloud backup for The Traces:

  1. Go to iPhone Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Manage Storage > Backups
  2. Select your device
  3. Toggle off The Traces

1.4 Subscription Information

If you subscribe to The Traces Pro or Premium, we use RevenueCat to process your subscription. RevenueCat may collect:

  • Purchase information: Product ID, subscription tier, purchase date
  • Anonymous identifier: A random ID to link your purchases (not tied to your identity)
  • Device information: Platform (iOS), app version

What's NOT collected:

  • Your payment information (handled by Apple, not us)
  • Your name or email
  • Your Apple ID

For more details, see RevenueCat's Privacy Policy.

2. How We Use Your Information

2.1 To Provide the App

  • Store your goals, entries, tags, and notes on your device
  • Remember your settings and preferences
  • Sync your data via iCloud (if you enable iCloud Backup)

2.2 To Improve the App

  • Analyze usage patterns to understand which features are helpful
  • Identify and fix bugs and crashes
  • Measure app performance and stability

2.3 To Process Subscriptions

  • Verify your subscription status (Pro/Premium)
  • Unlock premium features for subscribers
  • Restore purchases on new devices

2.4 To Communicate With You (Only If Needed)

We may use in-app messages to:

  • Notify you of important updates or changes
  • Inform you about new features
  • Respond to your support requests

We will never:

  • Send you marketing emails (we don't have your email)
  • Sell your data to third parties
  • Show you ads in the app

3. Data Sharing and Disclosure

3.1 Third-Party Services We Use

We share limited data with these trusted service providers:

Firebase (Google)

  • Purpose: Analytics and crash reporting
  • Data shared: Usage events, device info, crash logs (NO personal content)
  • Privacy Policy: https://firebase.google.com/support/privacy

RevenueCat

  • Purpose: Subscription management
  • Data shared: Anonymous user ID, subscription status, purchase info
  • Privacy Policy: https://www.revenuecat.com/privacy/

Apple iCloud (Optional)

  • Purpose: Backup your data (only if you enable iCloud Backup)
  • Data shared: Your goals, entries, tags, notes, settings (encrypted)
  • Privacy Policy: https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/

Loops.so (Website only)

  • Purpose: Waitlist email collection for launch notification
  • Data shared: Email address (if you sign up for the waitlist)
  • Privacy Policy: https://loops.so/privacy

Plausible Analytics (Website only)

  • Purpose: Privacy-friendly website analytics (no cookies, no personal data)
  • Data shared: Anonymized, aggregated page views
  • Privacy Policy: https://plausible.io/data-policy

3.2 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law, such as:

  • To comply with a subpoena or court order
  • To protect our legal rights
  • To prevent fraud or security threats

3.3 Business Transfers

If The Traces is acquired or merged with another company, your data may be transferred. We will notify you before this happens and explain your options.

3.4 What We NEVER Do

  • Sell your data - We never sell your personal information to advertisers or data brokers
  • Share your content - Your goals, entries, and notes are never shared with third parties
  • Track you across apps - We don't use cross-app tracking

4. Data Storage and Security

4.1 Where Your Data Is Stored

On Your Device (Primary Storage)

  • All your goals, entries, tags, notes, and settings are stored locally using Hive (encrypted local database)
  • This data stays on your iPhone unless you delete the app

In iCloud (Optional Backup)

  • If you enable iCloud Backup, your data is encrypted and stored in Apple's iCloud servers
  • iCloud data is protected by Apple's security measures and your Apple ID password

Firebase Analytics/Crashlytics

  • Aggregate usage data and crash logs are stored on Google's Firebase servers
  • This data is anonymized and does not include your personal content

RevenueCat

  • Subscription status is stored on RevenueCat's servers (hosted on AWS)
  • Uses anonymous identifiers only

4.2 Security Measures

We take security seriously:

  • Local encryption: Your data on the device is encrypted
  • Biometric authentication: Optional Face ID/Touch ID/PIN to protect your data
  • HTTPS: All network communications are encrypted
  • No passwords: We don't require accounts or store passwords
  • iCloud encryption: iCloud backups are encrypted by Apple

No system is 100% secure, but we use industry-standard practices to protect your data.

5. Data Retention

5.1 How Long We Keep Your Data

On Your Device

  • Your goals, entries, tags, and notes remain on your device until you delete them or uninstall the app
  • Settings persist until you reset them or uninstall the app

In iCloud

  • iCloud backups are retained according to Apple's policies
  • You can delete iCloud backups anytime through iPhone Settings

Analytics Data

  • Firebase Analytics data is automatically deleted after 14 months
  • Crash reports are retained for 90 days

Subscription Data

  • RevenueCat retains subscription history for accounting and support purposes
  • Typically deleted 90 days after subscription ends

5.2 Deleting Your Data

To delete all local data:

  1. Uninstall The Traces app from your iPhone
  2. This permanently deletes all goals, entries, tags, notes, and settings from your device

To delete iCloud backups:

  1. Go to iPhone Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Manage Storage
  2. Select The Traces and tap "Delete Data"

To delete analytics data:

  • Analytics data is anonymous and cannot be linked back to you
  • It is automatically deleted after 14 months

To delete subscription data:

  • Contact us at help.thetraces@yahoo.com with your app receipt number
  • We'll request deletion of your subscription history from RevenueCat

6. Your Privacy Rights

6.1 Rights for All Users

  • Access: Your data is always accessible to you within the app
  • Control: You can edit or delete any goal, entry, tag, or note
  • Export: Use the "Export Data" feature (Pro/Premium) to get a copy of your data
  • Opt-out: Disable analytics in Settings > Privacy > Usage Analytics
  • Delete: Uninstall the app to delete all local data

6.2 Additional Rights (GDPR, CCPA, etc.)

If you're in the EU, UK, California, or other regions with privacy laws, you may have additional rights:

Right to Access

  • Request a copy of any data we hold about you (though most is already on your device)

Right to Deletion

  • Request deletion of your analytics data and subscription history

Right to Object

  • Object to analytics data collection (disable it in Settings)

Right to Data Portability

  • Export your data in JSON or CSV format (Pro/Premium feature)

Right to Withdraw Consent

  • Change your analytics preference anytime in Settings

To exercise these rights, contact us at help.thetraces@yahoo.com with your request.

7. Children's Privacy

The Traces is suitable for users of all ages, including children under 13. However:

  • We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13
  • The app does not require an account, email, or personal information
  • Parents can disable analytics to ensure no usage data is collected
  • All data stays on the device (or in the family's iCloud if enabled)

If you believe we have inadvertently collected personal information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately at help.thetraces@yahoo.com.

8. International Data Transfers

The Traces is developed in Norway and may be used worldwide. If you use the app outside Norway:

  • Your device data stays on your device (no international transfer)
  • iCloud backups are stored in Apple's data centers (location depends on your Apple ID region)
  • Firebase/RevenueCat data may be processed in the United States or other countries

By using The Traces, you consent to any necessary international data transfers. We ensure all third-party services comply with GDPR and other privacy laws.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do:

  • We'll update the "Last Updated" date at the top
  • If changes are significant, we'll notify you via an in-app message
  • Continued use of the app after changes means you accept the updated policy

We recommend reviewing this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your privacy.

10. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests about this Privacy Policy or your data:

Email: help.thetraces@yahoo.com Website: thetraces.app

We typically respond within 2-3 business days.

11. App Store Privacy Labels

For transparency, here's a summary of data practices for Apple's App Store privacy labels:

Data Used to Track You

  • None - We don't track you across apps or websites

Data Linked to You

  • None - We don't collect data linked to your identity

Data Not Linked to You

  • Usage Data (optional, can disable): Events, interactions, crash logs
  • Diagnostics (always on): Crash data, performance data

Data Stored on Device Only

  • User Content: Goals, entries, tags, notes
  • App Settings: Preferences, theme, notification settings

Your Privacy Matters

We built The Traces with privacy at its core because we believe in supporting you without surveillance. Your goals, your progress, and your data belong to you - not us, not advertisers, not data brokers.

Thank you for trusting The Traces to support your journey.

Questions? Read our full privacy policy above or contact us at help.thetraces@yahoo.com