Privacy Policy
Rare Footprints helps people learn about endangered wildlife and privately record nature observations. This Privacy Policy explains what information the app may process and how that information is used.
Information you provide
You may add observation notes, endangered-species selections, photographs, approximate locations, dates, profile details, favorites, and comments. Most observation content is stored locally on your device unless you explicitly use a network feature, export a backup, share a card, or open the web experience.
Device and service information
When you connect to the web experience, the service may receive a randomly generated app device identifier, app version, device model, operating-system version, language, country or region, time zone, network request information, and an authentication token. These values are used to establish a session, provide compatible content, prevent abuse, and diagnose service failures.
Photos, camera, and microphone
Rare Footprints requests camera or photo-library access only when you choose to capture, select, save, or share wildlife media. The web experience may request microphone access when you intentionally use an audio feature. Permission can be denied or changed at any time in iOS Settings.
Location and endangered wildlife
Wildlife locations can be sensitive. Rare Footprints is designed to let you hide exact observation locations. Do not publicly share precise nesting, breeding, den, migration, or habitat coordinates for threatened or endangered species. Location information is used only for the feature you select and should be reviewed before exporting or sharing.
Purchases
Apple processes in-app purchases. We may receive product identifiers, transaction identifiers, order status, currency, and purchase amounts needed to create and verify an order. We do not receive your full payment-card information.
How information is used
Information may be used to provide wildlife records and educational content, authenticate web sessions, verify purchases, maintain service security, respond to support requests, and improve reliability. Rare Footprints does not claim ownership of your wildlife photos or observation notes.
Sharing and disclosure
Information may be shared with service providers only when needed to operate hosting, authentication, media, support, or purchase verification. We may also disclose information when required by law or when necessary to protect users, wildlife, or the security of the service. We do not sell precise wildlife-location data.
Data retention and control
You can edit or delete local records in the app. The Clear App Data feature removes local observations, media, preferences, and test-session state from the app. Data already exported, shared, backed up elsewhere, or retained for legal and transaction requirements may not be removed by clearing the app.
Children
Rare Footprints is an educational tool and is not intended to collect personal information from children without appropriate parental or guardian consent.
Security and changes
We use reasonable safeguards, but no storage or transmission method is completely secure. This policy may be updated when features or legal requirements change. The latest version will be made available through the Privacy Policy link in the app.
Contact
For privacy questions or deletion requests relating to online services, contact the Rare Footprints support channel listed on the app's support page.