Privacy Policy

Modern Forager ("we," "us," or "our") is operated by Artless. This policy explains what information we collect when you use our website and iOS app, how we use it, and the choices you have.

We built Modern Forager for private field journaling. We do not sell your personal information, and we do not run advertising based on your in-app activity.

Website waitlist. If you join the early-access list, we collect the email address you submit and, when present, a referral code from the page URL. That data is sent to a Google Apps Script endpoint we operate for list management.

Website analytics. Our site uses Vercel Analytics to understand aggregate traffic (for example, page views and performance). We do not use it to identify you personally on the marketing site.

Photos for identification. When you request a species suggestion in the iOS app, a compressed JPEG of your capture is sent from your device to our identification API (hosted on Vercel). Our server forwards that image to Google's Gemini API for analysis and returns structured identification text to your device. We do not use your photos to train models, and we do not maintain a cloud gallery of your finds.

Location. With your permission, the app reads your device location to label journal entries with coordinates and to request local weather. Location is used on-device and sent only as latitude/longitude to Open-Meteo for weather (see Third parties below)—not to our own servers for storage.

Camera & photo library. The app accesses the camera to capture specimens and may read photos you explicitly choose from your library. Saving to Photos happens only when you tap save; exports use Apple's share sheet on your device.

Purchases. Subscriptions and lifetime purchases are processed entirely by Apple via StoreKit. We receive entitlement status from Apple (for example, whether a subscription is active) but not your payment card details.

On-device data. The app stores subscription tier, identification credit balances, and related counters locally using iOS UserDefaults and the Keychain. Journal cards you create during a session are held in app memory unless you save or share them yourself.

We use collected information to:

• Provide species suggestions and journal metadata (weather, coordinates, time)
• Enforce free-tier and subscription identification limits
• Operate the waitlist and communicate about early access
• Maintain, secure, and improve the website and API
• Respond to support requests

We rely on service providers that process data on our behalf:

• Vercel — website hosting, analytics, and identification API infrastructure
• Google (Gemini) — image analysis for identification responses
• Google Apps Script — waitlist signups
• Open-Meteo — weather from coordinates (no account required)
• Apple — App Store purchases, StoreKit entitlements, and platform permissions

Each provider has its own privacy terms. We choose vendors that align with our minimal-data approach, but their policies govern data they receive directly.

Waitlist emails are kept until you ask us to remove them or we no longer need the list. Identification requests are processed in real time; we do not design the API to retain images after a response is returned, though standard server logs may briefly include request metadata. On-device journal and entitlement data remain on your phone until you delete the app or clear app data.

You can deny or revoke camera, location, and photo permissions in iOS Settings. Without location, entries may show "Location unavailable" and weather may be omitted. Without camera access, you can still pick library photos where supported.

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or export personal data we hold (such as a waitlist email). Email us and we will respond within a reasonable time.

California residents may have additional rights under the CCPA/CPRA. We do not sell or share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising.

Identification API requests require a shared secret in production builds. We use HTTPS for network traffic. No method of transmission or storage is perfectly secure; use the app on devices you trust and keep iOS updated.

Modern Forager is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect their personal information. Contact us if you believe a child has provided data we should delete.

We are based in the United States. If you use the app from other regions, your information may be processed in the U.S. and wherever our service providers operate.

We may update this policy as features evolve. We will post the revised version on this page and update the effective date above. Continued use after changes means you accept the updated policy.

Questions about privacy? Email hello@artless.app. For app support, see our support page.