Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to Dog Whistler ("we," "our," or "us"). This privacy policy explains our data practices for our iOS mobile application ("App") available through the Apple App Store.

Simple Truth: We respect your privacy and collect minimal data necessary for app functionality. Your voice recordings and dog profiles are stored locally on your device.

This policy describes what data the App collects, how it's used, and your rights. Dog Whistler is designed as a privacy-first dog training application.

2. Information We Collect

Dog Whistler collects minimal information to provide its core functionality:

Data Stored Locally on Your Device:

• Dog Profiles: Name, breed, photo, and notes you create for your dogs
• Voice Recordings: Audio recordings you make for voice commands
• Training Sessions: Date, duration, module, and success tracking data
• Whistle Presets: Your saved frequency preferences
• Reminder Schedules: Training reminder times you configure

All of this data is stored exclusively on your device using iOS secure storage (SwiftData). We do not upload, sync, or access this data.

Data We Do NOT Collect:

• No User Accounts: The App requires no registration, login, or account creation
• No Personal Information: We don't collect names, email addresses, or phone numbers
• No Usage Analytics: We don't track how you use the App or which features you access
• No Location Data: We never access or collect your location
• No Device Identifiers: We don't collect device IDs or hardware identifiers
• No Third-Party Analytics: We don't use Google Analytics, Firebase, or any tracking services

3. Microphone Permission

Dog Whistler requests microphone access for the following purpose:

• Voice Command Recording: To record your voice commands that you can play back during dog training sessions

Voice recordings are:

• Stored locally on your device only
• Never uploaded to any server
• Completely under your control to delete at any time
• Stored in a secure format using iOS data protection

You can deny microphone access and still use all other app features (whistle, sounds, training modules). The voice recording feature simply won't be available.

4. Notification Permission

Dog Whistler may request notification permission for:

• Training Reminders: To remind you about scheduled training sessions (Premium feature)

Notifications are:

• Scheduled locally on your device
• Completely optional
• Configurable and can be disabled at any time in iOS Settings

5. In-App Purchases and Payments

Dog Whistler offers a premium upgrade through Apple's In-App Purchase system:

• Payment Processing: All transactions are processed exclusively by Apple through the App Store
• Apple's Privacy Policy: Apple's privacy policy governs payment information collection and processing
• Purchase Records: We do not receive, store, or have access to your payment information
• Local Unlock State: Purchase status is stored locally on your device using standard iOS mechanisms
• No Personal Data: We never see your name, email, payment method, or transaction history

For information about Apple's data practices, please review Apple's Privacy Policy.

6. Third-Party Services

Dog Whistler uses no third-party services, SDKs, or integrations that could collect your data. The only external interaction is with Apple's App Store for downloads and purchases, which is governed by Apple's privacy policy.

We do not use:

• Advertising networks
• Analytics platforms (Google Analytics, Firebase, etc.)
• Social media integrations
• Cloud storage or backup services
• Crash reporting tools
• Any other third-party data collection services

7. Your Privacy Rights

Since your data is stored locally on your device, you have complete control:

• Access: All your data is visible within the app
• Modification: Edit or update your dog profiles, recordings, and settings at any time
• Deletion: Delete individual items within the app, or delete the entire app to remove all data
• Portability: Premium users can export their data to PDF/CSV format
• No Cloud Storage: We don't store anything remotely, so there's nothing to request from us

8. Children's Privacy (COPPA Compliance)

Dog Whistler is rated 4+ on the App Store and is suitable for all ages. The app contains no inappropriate content.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone, including children under 13 years of age. Since the app stores all data locally and doesn't transmit data to servers, children can safely use the app under parental supervision.

9. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), California residents have specific rights regarding their personal information. Since Dog Whistler:

• Stores all data locally on your device
• Does not sell, share, or process personal information on servers
• Does not collect personal identifiers

CCPA requirements regarding disclosure, deletion, and opt-out do not apply in the traditional sense. You already have complete control over your local data.

10. European Privacy Rights (GDPR)

For users in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, and Switzerland, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) provides specific rights.

Dog Whistler is designed with privacy-by-design principles:

• Data Minimization: We collect only data necessary for app functionality
• Local Storage: All data remains on your device under your control
• No Data Processing: We don't process your data on remote servers
• Transparency: This policy clearly explains all data practices

Since we don't operate as a data controller for cloud-stored data, most GDPR obligations don't apply. Your rights to access, modify, and delete data are exercised directly through the app interface.

11. Data Security

While we don't collect data on remote servers, we take security seriously:

• Local Device Security: Your data is protected by iOS built-in security features and Face ID/Touch ID if enabled
• No Data Breach Risk: Since we don't store user data remotely, there's no risk of server-side data breaches
• Secure Coding: The app follows Apple's secure coding guidelines
• Secure Purchases: Apple's secure payment infrastructure handles all transactions
• Audio Stops on Background: For safety, the dog whistle stops when the app goes to background

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. If we make changes, we will:

• Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
• Post the new policy on our website
• For material changes, notify users through App updates

Our core commitment to local-only data storage and minimal data collection will not change.

13. Contact Information

If you have any questions, concerns, or feedback regarding this privacy policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:

We typically respond to inquiries within 48 hours.

14. Your Consent

By downloading and using Dog Whistler, you consent to this privacy policy. Your use of the app involves only local data storage on your device.

You can stop using the App at any time by deleting it from your device, which will remove all local data associated with the App including voice recordings, dog profiles, and training history.