Privacy Policy

1. Overview

Time Zone Buddy does not collect, store, transmit, or sell your personal information.

The App is designed with a privacy-first philosophy. All data you enter — time zones, work hours, groups, and preferences — stays on your device. We have no backend servers, no user accounts, and no advertising SDKs.

The App uses Firebase Analytics (by Google) solely to understand aggregate usage patterns — such as which features are used and how often — so we can improve the app. Firebase Analytics does not link any data to your identity, and we do not use it for advertising, profiling, or selling data. See §2.7 for full details.

2. What Data the App Uses

2.1 Data You Enter

The App stores the following data locally on your device only:

• Time zones you add to your list
• Work hours you configure for each zone
• Groups you create and their members
• App preferences (sort order, appearance, 24-hour time, notification settings)
• Display labels you apply to zones

This data is stored in your device's local storage (UserDefaults / on-device JSON). It never leaves your device unless you explicitly enable iCloud Sync (see §2.3).

2.2 Location Data

The App does not request or use your device's GPS location.

Time zones are derived solely from your explicit searches, your device's system timezone setting, and MapKit city search results (address/timezone lookup only — no GPS involved). MapKit search is handled by Apple's servers, subject to Apple's Privacy Policy.

2.3 iCloud Sync (Plus Tier Only)

If you subscribe to Time Zone Buddy Plus and enable iCloud Sync, your time zone list and groups are synced across your Apple devices using Apple's iCloud Key-Value Storage (NSUbiquitousKeyValueStore).

2.4 Notifications

If you enable DST notifications (Lifetime/Plus tier), the App schedules local notifications on your device using Apple's UNUserNotificationCenter framework. Notifications are scheduled entirely on-device — no network request is made. Manage permissions in iOS Settings → Time Zone Buddy → Notifications.

2.5 In-App Purchases

Purchases (Lifetime, Plus Monthly, Plus Annual) are processed entirely by Apple's App Store using StoreKit 2. We do not handle payment information. Subject to Apple's App Store Privacy Policy.

2.6 MapKit

The Detail view shows a city map thumbnail powered by MapKit (Apple Maps). Map tiles are fetched from Apple's servers when a detail view is opened. The only data sent to Apple is the geographic coordinate of the timezone city. No personal data is sent. Subject to Apple's Privacy Policy.

2.7 Firebase Analytics (Google)

2.8 SunriseSunset.io (Solar Data)

The App fetches sunrise, sunset, golden hour, and blue hour times from SunriseSunset.io — a free, open-source solar data API.

• The only data sent is the geographic coordinate (latitude/longitude) of a location you have added and the date range being fetched
• No personal data, device identifiers, or account information is sent
• Data is fetched once per year per location and cached locally on your device — it is not synced to iCloud and is excluded from device backup
• No data passes through our servers

Provider: sunrisesunset.io

2.9 Nager.Date (Public Holiday Data — Lifetime/Plus only)

For Lifetime and Plus subscribers, the App fetches public holiday data from Nager.Date — a free, open-source public holiday API (MIT licence).

• The only data sent is the ISO country code (e.g. "AU", "US") of locations you have added and the calendar year being fetched
• No personal data, device identifiers, or account information is sent
• Holiday data is fetched once per year per country and cached locally on your device — it is not synced to iCloud and is excluded from device backup
• A weekly version check is also performed — the App sends each cached country code to Nager.Date's version endpoint to see if their data has been updated; if so, the cache is refreshed automatically so corrections reach you without waiting for the next annual cycle
• No data passes through our servers

Provider: date.nager.at

3. Data We Do NOT Collect

We explicitly do not collect or use:

• ✗ Names, email addresses, or contact details
• ✗ Device advertising identifiers (IDFA, IDFV) — ad personalisation is disabled
• ✗ Personal analytics linked to your identity
• ✗ Crash reports sent to third-party services
• ✗ GPS or precise location
• ✗ Contacts, calendar, or health data
• ✗ Microphone, camera, or Face ID data
• ✗ The content of your time zones, groups, or preferences (Firebase only receives event names, not your data)

4. Third-Party Services

5. Children's Privacy

The App has an age rating of 4+ on the App Store. It does not collect any personal data from anyone, including children under 13 (or under 16 in the EU). Firebase Analytics is configured without advertising identifiers and does not collect any personally identifiable information. COPPA and GDPR children's provisions are satisfied.

6. Data Retention and Deletion

7. International Data Transfers

8. Your Rights

9. Security

All data is stored on your device using standard iOS security (encrypted at rest when the device is locked). iCloud data is encrypted in transit and at rest by Apple. Firebase Analytics data is transmitted over HTTPS.

We have no backend servers that could be breached to expose your personal data.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top of this document will reflect any changes. We will not retroactively apply changes to collect data that we don't currently collect.

If we introduce new data collection beyond what is described here, we will clearly communicate this to users before the change takes effect, and obtain consent where required by law.

11. Contact

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or the App's privacy practices, please contact us:

12. Legal Basis (GDPR — EU Users)

For users in the European Economic Area (EEA) and United Kingdom:

• On-device data: No legal basis required — processing occurs entirely on your device under your control.
• iCloud Sync: Any processing by Apple is governed by Apple's Data Processing Agreement with EU Standard Contractual Clauses.
• Firebase Analytics: Processed under our legitimate interest in understanding aggregate app usage to improve the product (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR). No personal data is processed; no individual profiling occurs. You can opt out at any time via iOS Settings → Privacy & Security → Tracking.

13. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

For California residents: We do not sell personal information. We do not share personal information for cross-context behavioural advertising. Firebase Analytics data collected is not linked to your identity and is not "personal information" under CCPA. There is no personal information to access, delete, or correct because none is collected.

14. App Store Privacy Nutrition Label

Third-party partners: Google LLC (Firebase Analytics — anonymous aggregate usage data only).