Legal

Privacy Policy

Last updated: 19 August 2026

This policy describes how the Geoplacer iOS app handles information. It is written from the current shipping implementation, not from a hypothetical cloud product.

Short version. Geoplacer is local-first where technically possible. Imported GIS files are stored on your device. The app does not create a Geoplacer account. The map still uses the internet to download OpenStreetMap tiles. Location is used on the device when you choose Locate.

Who this policy covers

This policy applies to the Geoplacer iOS application (“Geoplacer”, “the app”). It does not cover third-party websites you may open from the app, including OpenStreetMap attribution pages.

[VERIFY BEFORE PRODUCTION] The legal operator / controller name, postal contact, and production support address still need owner confirmation. Until then, contact is the placeholder on the Support page.

Imported geospatial files

When you import a spatial file, Geoplacer copies it into app-owned storage on the device so the original file in Files or another app is not rewritten. The app may also create derived local files needed for display, such as a normalised GeoJSON cache or raster preparation output.

Imported datasets can include coordinates, attributes, layer names, folder names you create, and other content already present in the files you open. Geoplacer does not operate a Geoplacer server that receives those files.

If you email support, do not attach restricted datasets unless you have authority to share them.

Local device storage

Library metadata and imported files are stored in the app’s Application Support area on the device (a local catalogue plus imported-data copies). Drawings can be exported by you as GeoJSON using the iOS share sheet; Geoplacer does not upload those exports to a Geoplacer server.

Deleting the app removes this local library from the device, subject to ordinary iOS backup behaviour.

[VERIFY BEFORE PRODUCTION] Confirm whether iCloud device backup is enabled for the app container in the shipping build, and whether that backup is acceptable for the datasets users import.

Location permission

Geoplacer requests When In Use location permission only after you tap Locate. The system prompt explains that Geoplacer uses your location to show where you are relative to the spatial data you open.

If you deny or later revoke permission, the rest of the app remains usable. You can still import files and view layers; Locate will not show your position.

Geoplacer does not prompt for location on launch, and global map view does not auto-request location.

Whether precise location is stored

When Locate is authorised, the app uses the device location services to display your position on the map and to recenter the map. In the current implementation, Geoplacer does not write a location history file or attach GPS tracks to imported datasets.

Precise location is used on-device for that map display. Geoplacer does not send your location coordinates to a Geoplacer backend, because the app does not have one.

Opening the map around your position still requests basemap tiles for that area. Those tile requests can reveal an approximate map viewport to the tile provider. See “Third-party services” below.

Diagnostics and crash information

The current Geoplacer app does not include a third-party crash-reporting or analytics SDK such as Firebase, Sentry, or similar.

Apple may collect diagnostic and crash information through iOS if you have system sharing with app developers enabled. Geoplacer also writes some technical messages to the system log for debugging; those logs stay on the device unless you, Apple, or a support process separately capture them.

[VERIFY BEFORE PRODUCTION] Confirm App Store Connect privacy answers for Diagnostics / Crash Data against the final binary and any Xcode/TestFlight settings before submission.

Analytics

The current implementation does not include a product-analytics SDK and does not run an in-app tracking pixel.

[VERIFY BEFORE PRODUCTION] If a later build adds analytics, this section and the App Store privacy nutrition label must be updated before that build ships.

Third-party services

Geoplacer uses the following third-party components in the current iOS app:

MapLibre Native — map rendering. MapLibre’s bundled privacy manifest states that it does not collect tracking data types; it may access certain device APIs (file timestamps, system boot time, and UserDefaults) for reasons declared in that manifest.
OpenStreetMap raster tiles — the current basemap is requested from tile.openstreetmap.org. Those requests travel over the internet and include your IP address, a Geoplacer user-agent string, and the tile coordinates for the map area being viewed. OpenStreetMap’s own terms and privacy policy apply to that tile service. The Info control in the map workspace links to OpenStreetMap copyright information.
Bundled geospatial libraries — format reading and coordinate conversion run on the device. They are not a cloud GIS API.

Geoplacer does not fetch remote images referenced by KML/KMZ GroundOverlay URL hrefs. Only local overlay images in the imported file or package are used.

[VERIFY BEFORE PRODUCTION] The app source currently notes that the public OSM development tile endpoint should be replaced with an approved production provider or self-hosted service before public release. Update this policy if the shipped basemap host changes.

Network communication

Geoplacer is not an offline-only product. Viewing the basemap requires network access to download map tiles. Importing and inspecting local files does not require a Geoplacer account or a Geoplacer file-upload API.

Do not assume that nothing ever leaves the device. Tile requests, and any links you open (for example OSM copyright), are network activity.

Data sharing

Geoplacer does not sell personal information. The current app does not include advertising SDKs.

Information may be shared:

with you, when you export a drawing or share a file through iOS;
with Apple, as part of standard App Store, operating-system, and optional diagnostics behaviour;
with the basemap tile provider, as described above;
if required by law.

Data retention

Imported files and folders remain on the device until you delete them in the app or delete the app. Geoplacer does not run a server-side retention schedule for GIS files because it does not host those files.

If you contact support, any email you send is retained only as needed to handle the request, subject to the operator’s ordinary mailbox practices.

[VERIFY BEFORE PRODUCTION] Confirm mailbox retention and whether support email is processed by a third-party provider (issue #27 / Resend is for sending, not automatically for receiving).

Your choices

Decline or revoke location permission in iOS Settings.
Use the app without Locate.
Delete imported files or folders in the app.
Delete the app to remove local app storage from the device.
Disable cellular or Wi-Fi if you do not want tile requests to be sent; the basemap will not load in that case.

Geoplacer does not currently provide an in-app account deletion flow because it does not create accounts.

Children

Geoplacer is a GIS utility. It is not directed at children under 13 (or the equivalent age in your jurisdiction).

International users

The app stores GIS data on the device you use. Basemap tile requests are processed by the tile provider according to that provider’s practices, which may involve servers outside your country.

Contact

Questions about this policy: support@YOURDOMAIN.com

Policy updates

We may update this policy when the app’s behaviour changes, when third-party map services change, or when the law requires it. The “Last updated” date at the top will change when this page is revised. Material changes should be reflected in App Store privacy answers before the corresponding build is released.