Privacy policy.

Your WhereThingy library.

Your library can include names, descriptions, alternative names, saved locations and their history, text, photos, words from voice captures, and links to NFC tags. A “location” is your description, such as “top drawer”; the app does not ask to use your device's GPS location. Photos may keep extra information stored in the image file, such as when or where the photo was taken.

Your saved things are stored on your device. When iCloud is available, it keeps them up to date across devices using your private Apple account. They are never sent to a WhereThingy server. The developer cannot browse them through the app. No WhereThingy account is needed.

Apple services and permissions.

The app asks for microphone or camera access when a feature needs it. Apple's speech features turn your voice into text on your device; WhereThingy saves the words, not the audio recording. On supported devices, text and photo understanding also happens on the device. Apple's features may need to download files before use. You can always type a thing's name and location yourself.

Names and saved locations may appear when you use Siri, the Shortcuts app, widgets on your Home or Lock Screen, or Spotlight search on your device. These Apple services and iCloud follow your device and account settings and Apple's privacy policy.

NFC tags.

An NFC tag is a small sticker or card you can attach to a box, drawer or shelf and scan with your iPhone. It stores a web link containing a randomly generated code that identifies the tag. It does not store your things' names, photos or locations. Scanning it does not make your library public or let someone else see your saved things. Opening the link in a browser sends the web address and tag code to the company hosting this website.

Purchases.

Apple handles App Store purchases and payments. WhereThingy uses verified purchase information to unlock and restore features. It does not receive your payment-card details.

Optional app analytics.

Analytics are off by default. If you choose to share analytics during onboarding or enable them later in Settings, limited usage information goes to PostHog's EU service to understand feature use and improve WhereThingy.

This includes which features were used and when, counts grouped into broad ranges, purchases and features made available by them, and versions of the app, iOS and its software components. Randomly generated codes identify an installation of the app and a period of use. WhereThingy does not link these codes to your name, email or Apple ID.

Analytics never include your things' names, saved locations, descriptions or other saved content, search text, words from voice captures, photos or recordings. Your Apple ID and device advertising identifier are not sent. The analytics service does not record your screen, automatically record every tap, build profiles of individual users, collect crash reports or use your network address to work out your location. The app contains no advertising software or software that tracks you across other apps.

PostHog receives your IP address—the network address used by your internet connection—but is configured to discard it before storing usage information. Logs used to run its service may still retain network information. See PostHog's privacy policy.

Analytics are collected only with your permission. Turn off Share Anonymous Analytics in WhereThingy Settings anytime to stop new collection and clear usage information waiting to be sent. Information already received by the service remains.

Website and support.

Microsoft Azure Static Web Apps hosts this website and receives technical information needed to show the page, such as your IP address and the web address you requested. There is no advertising or tracking across websites.

Website statistics are off until you choose Allow statistics. With your permission, we send information to PostHog's EU service so we can count visits, see which links are clicked and where those links appear, and count visits from NFC tags that open this website. We never send tag codes, full web addresses or extra information in them, the address of the page you came from, page text, email addresses or your saved things as part of these statistics. We cannot count tag scans that open the app directly.

Each recorded visit or click has a new random code; we do not reuse it to link your clicks or visits together. We do not use lasting visitor codes, combine device details to recognise visitors, build profiles of individuals, record screens or automatically record every interaction. We do not use your IP address to work out your location. PostHog receives your IP address but is configured to discard it before storing statistics; logs used to run its service may still contain network information.

Your website choice is separate from the app's analytics setting. Your browser saves only your allow-or-deny choice, without a code identifying you as a visitor. If your browser cannot save it, your choice lasts only for the current page. Use Website statistics at the bottom of any page to turn collection off or change your choice. Turning it off stops new collection and cancels information still being sent; it does not erase information already received by the service. The website does not keep statistics waiting to be sent or use tracking cookies.

For support and privacy requests, the developer and email provider use your email, message and attachments to respond. Contacting us does not subscribe you to marketing or automatically attach library data.

Email is hosted by Fastmail, with main storage in the EU. Fastmail also keeps copies and backups in the US; see its information about where email is stored.

Running and protecting the website and answering support requests rely on a legal basis called “legitimate interests”: our interests in running and maintaining WhereThingy. Providers receiving information must protect it consistently with this policy and applicable privacy requirements.

Provider processing may occur outside the UK or EU, including in the US. The providers' published data-protection terms describe transfer safeguards, including standard contractual clauses that require protection of personal information: see Fastmail's data protection agreement, Microsoft's data protection information and PostHog's data processing agreement. Contact privacy@wherethingy.app for details or a copy of the safeguards applicable to your information.

How long information is kept and how to delete it.

Your library stays on your device and in private iCloud storage until deleted. Delete Thing removes the saved thing, its history, links to tags, and original text, words from voice captures and photos used only by that thing. Content shared with another saved thing or still waiting for you to review it may remain. Unfinished entries stay so you can complete them yourself.

Settings → Your things → Delete All Library Data erases your complete library, including original text and voice entries, photos, suggestions waiting for review, links to tags and unfinished voice drafts. Your purchases, preferences and analytics choices stay. Deleting your library does not remove the links stored on physical NFC stickers or cards.

When iCloud sync is enabled, it also removes deleted content from your other devices when they connect to the internet. New content from other devices can still arrive. Small records that mark content as deleted, without retaining that content, remain to prevent it reappearing from iCloud. Deleting the app may leave copies in iCloud, Apple backups or temporary system storage, depending on your Apple and device settings. The developer cannot remotely browse or directly erase your private iCloud library.

Usage analytics may be retained for the duration of our use of PostHog, unless they are deleted earlier. PostHog processes this information on our behalf.

Support and privacy messages, including attachments, are kept for as long as needed to handle your request and ongoing correspondence with you.

WhereThingy does not keep its own record of requests to view website pages. Microsoft may use technical information about these requests to run and protect the website through Azure Static Web Apps; see its Azure privacy information.

Your privacy rights.

Depending on applicable law, you can ask to see, correct, delete or receive a copy of information held directly by the developer, or limit how it is used. Contact privacy@wherethingy.app. Your identity alone may not let us find usage information because it is not linked to your name, email or Apple ID.

You can also object to our use of your information where we rely on “legitimate interests”, as explained above.

You can complain to your local data-protection authority; in the UK, the Information Commissioner's Office.

Changes to this policy.

We update this policy when there are significant changes to how we handle information. The policy date identifies the current version. Changes to optional collection will be explained before it starts.

Contact and operator.

WhereThingy is operated by Andrzej Czarkowski, an independent developer based in the United Kingdom. For privacy questions or requests, contact privacy@wherethingy.app. For app support, contact support@wherethingy.app.