Trace

Privacy Policy

Effective date: July 5, 2026

Your memories never leave your device. This is not a marketing phrase — it is the technical reality of how Trace works.

1. Overview

Trace ("we", "the app") is a personal memory and life-milestone app for iOS. We are committed to your privacy. This policy explains what data the app handles, how it is used, and what never leaves your device.

2. Data stored on your device

All of the following is stored exclusively on your iPhone and is never transmitted to our servers:

Memory records (title, date, notes, location coordinates, place name, country)
Photos you add to memories (stored in the app's private sandbox)
App settings (language preference, theme selection, notification preferences)
Widget data (your most recent memory, displayed on your Home Screen)

We do not operate servers that store your personal data. We have no user accounts, no cloud sync, and no ability to access your memories.

3. Third-party services

The app uses the following third-party services for specific features. Each is optional or limited in scope:

Mapbox (Maps & Location Search)

The app uses Mapbox for the 2D map view and place search. Mapbox's privacy policy is available at mapbox.com/legal/privacy.

When you search for a place by name, only the text you type in the search field is sent to Mapbox's Geocoding API — not your GPS location.
When you view the 2D map, map tiles are loaded from Mapbox's servers. Like any web request, this involves your IP address and the map area being viewed. Previously viewed areas are cached on your device for offline use.
We have disabled Mapbox's optional usage telemetry in the app.
If you use "Current Location" instead of searching, your GPS coordinates are determined by your device's on-board GPS and are never transmitted to any server.

Anthropic Claude (AI Title Suggestions — Optional)

When you choose to use AI-generated title suggestions while creating a memory, the app sends only the following text to Anthropic's API:

The place name, city, and country of the memory
The date of the memory

Your photos and notes are never sent to Anthropic. This feature only runs when you request suggestions — if you do not use it, nothing is sent. Anthropic's privacy policy is available at anthropic.com/privacy.

Apple (StoreKit / In-App Purchases)

If you purchase optional themes (Globe Explorer Pack, Tech Pack, or Special Editions), the transaction is processed by Apple through the App Store. We receive confirmation that a purchase was completed but do not receive any payment or personal information. Apple's privacy policy applies: apple.com/legal/privacy.

4. Device permissions

The app requests the following iOS permissions only when needed for specific features:

Photos: To let you add photos to your memories. Photos are copied into the app's private storage — your original Photos library is not modified. If you use the optional "Import from Gallery" feature, the app scans your photo library's location and date metadata on your device to suggest memories from past trips. This scan happens entirely on-device — no photos or metadata are uploaded anywhere.
Location (When In Use): To automatically detect your current location when adding a memory. Used only on request — the app does not track your location in the background.
Notifications: To deliver "On This Day" reminders about memories from past years. These notifications are scheduled locally on your device and do not require a server.

5. Data we do not collect

We do not collect analytics or crash reports.
We do not display advertising.
We do not create or maintain user accounts.
We do not share your data with third parties for marketing purposes.
We do not use tracking technologies (cookies, device fingerprinting, etc.).

6. Backup, export, and sharing

The app includes a local backup feature that lets you export all your memories and photos as a ZIP file. This file is created on your device and shared using iOS's standard share sheet (AirDrop, iCloud Drive, etc.). We do not have access to your backup files.

When you choose to share content from the app — such as a globe video — it is handed directly to the destination you select (the iOS share sheet, or an app like Instagram). What happens to shared content after that is governed by the destination service's own privacy policy.

7. Data retention and deletion

Your data stays on your device for as long as you keep it. You can delete any individual memory at any time from within the app, and deleting the app removes all of its data from your device. Because we never receive your data, there is nothing for us to retain or delete on our side.

8. Your rights

Privacy regulations such as the GDPR and CCPA give you rights to access, correct, export, and delete your personal data. Because all of your data lives on your own device, you can exercise every one of these rights directly in the app — viewing, editing, exporting (via backup), and deleting your data — without needing to make a request to us.

9. Security

Your data is protected by iOS's built-in security: the app's storage is sandboxed from other apps, and is encrypted by your device's hardware encryption whenever your iPhone is locked. We recommend using a device passcode to keep this protection effective.

10. Children's privacy

Trace is not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us.

11. Changes to this policy

If we make significant changes to this privacy policy, we will update the effective date at the top of this page. Continued use of the app after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.