Nearby Meows Privacy Policy

Effective Date: September 20, 2026

Nearby Meows (the "App") is developed and operated by Kevin Taniguchi ("we," "us," or "our"). This Privacy Policy explains what information the App handles and how it is used. The short version: everything you create in Nearby Meows stays on your device. We do not operate servers, we do not create accounts, and we do not collect, transmit, sell, or share your personal information.

1. Information the App Handles

The App uses the following device features and data solely to provide its functionality:

• Camera. The App uses your camera to scan and identify cats you spot. Live camera frames are analyzed by a machine-learning model that runs entirely on your device. When you catch a cat, the photo you capture is saved locally within the App. Camera frames are never sent to us or to any third party.
• Location (while using the App). With your permission, the App records the approximate location where each cat was spotted so you can see your sightings on a map. Location is captured only at the moment of a catch, is stored only on your device, and is never sent to us.
• Your catch log and profile. Information you enter, such as a display name, cat names, notes, and your experience points and level, is stored locally on your device.

2. Where Your Data Is Stored

All App data, including photos, locations, notes, and your profile, is stored in the App's private storage on your device. We have no access to it. If you have iCloud Backup or device backups enabled in iOS, your App data may be included in those backups, which are managed by Apple under Apple's Privacy Policy.

3. Information We Do Not Collect

• We do not collect names, email addresses, contact information, or account credentials.
• We do not use analytics, crash-reporting, or advertising SDKs.
• We do not track you across apps or websites, and we do not use cookies.
• We do not sell, rent, or share personal information with anyone.

4. Third-Party Services

The App displays your sightings using Apple Maps (MapKit). When a map is shown, your device requests map tiles from Apple. That request is handled by Apple and is subject to Apple's Privacy Policy. We do not receive any information from these requests. The App does not integrate any other third-party service.

5. Permissions and Your Choices

You can grant or revoke Camera and Location access at any time in Settings › Privacy & Security on your device. Without camera access the App cannot scan cats; without location access, catches are saved without a location and will not appear on the map. You can delete any individual capture from within the App, and you can delete all App data by deleting the App from your device.

6. Children's Privacy

The App does not collect personal information from anyone, including children under 13. Because no data leaves the device, there is nothing for us to review or delete on request.

7. Security

Your data is protected by the security features built into iOS, including app sandboxing and device encryption. Because we never receive your data, there is no data of yours for us to secure, lose, or breach.

8. Changes to This Policy

If the App's data practices ever change (for example, if we add an optional iCloud sync feature), we will update this policy and revise the Effective Date above. Continued use of the App after a change means you accept the updated policy.

9. Contact

Questions about this policy can be sent through the Nearby Meows support page on GitHub.