Privacy Policy

Last updated: May 29, 2026

Thank you for using Return Buddy. Your privacy matters. This policy explains exactly what Return Buddy does — and doesn't do — with your information.

In short: Your orders, receipts, and notes stay on your device. We don't run our own servers. The only data that ever leaves your device is (a) your Apple subscription transaction and (b) anonymous crash reports sent to Sentry — but only if you opt in. We never share or sell any personal information.

1. Information stored on your device

Return Buddy lets you track product return deadlines. To do that, the app stores the following locally on your iPhone or iPad:

• The retailer name you selected (e.g., "Amazon")
• Optional item name you entered (e.g., "Wireless Headphones")
• The order date and (optional) delivery date you entered
• Any notes you typed
• Optional receipt images, PDFs, or text snippets you attached
• Local notification settings and scheduled reminders
• Your subscription status (Free / Premium), as reported by Apple
• Your crash-reporting consent preference (allow / don't allow)

This information is saved only in Return Buddy's private storage on your device. It is not sent to us or to any third party, except as described in Sections 3 and 4.

2. Information we collect

Almost none, and never anything personal.

We do not run our own servers. We do not use advertising trackers or "Sign in with..." features. Outside of (a) Apple's StoreKit handling your subscription and (b) Sentry receiving anonymous crash reports when you opt in, no data ever leaves your device.

We use Sentry for crash and error reporting only — not for analytics, performance monitoring, or user tracking. See Section 3 for exactly what Sentry receives.

3. Crash reporting (Sentry) — opt-in only

To find and fix bugs, Return Buddy can optionally send anonymous crash reports to Sentry, an industry-standard error-tracking service. You are asked for consent on first launch. You can change your choice anytime in Settings → Crash Reports.

If you opt in and the app crashes, encounters an error it can recover from, or hangs for more than two seconds, an anonymous report is sent to Sentry.

What Sentry receives (when you opt in):

• The crash or error itself — a stack trace showing which line of code failed, the error type, and the error message.
• Device type — for example, "iPhone 15 Pro." Helps us identify device-specific bugs.
• Operating system version — for example, "iOS 26.1." Helps us identify OS-specific bugs.
• App version and build number — so we know which release the crash came from.
• App state at the time of the crash — which screen you were on and recent in-app navigation (breadcrumbs, limited to 20 entries).
• Timestamp — when the crash happened.

What Sentry does NOT receive:

• Your name, email address, Apple ID, or any account identifier.
• The contents of any of your orders, item names, notes, retailer selections, receipt images, or attachments.
• Anything you typed into the app.
• Performance traces or session recordings — these are disabled.
• Default personally identifiable information (PII) — sendDefaultPii is disabled and user/request fields are stripped before transmission.

IP address handling: We configure Sentry to strip user identifiers from every event before it is stored. We recommend verifying in your Sentry project settings that IP address storage is disabled (Settings → Security & Privacy → Data Scrubbing).

Crash reports are stored by Sentry, Inc. on servers in the United States. We use this information only to diagnose and fix bugs.

Sentry's privacy policy: https://sentry.io/privacy/

4. On-device receipt scanning (OCR)

Return Buddy can use Apple's Vision framework to read text from receipt photos you choose to scan. This OCR processing happens entirely on your device. The extracted text is used only to pre-fill order fields (store name, dates, item name) within the app. No receipt images or OCR results are uploaded to our servers or to any third party.

5. Information shared with Apple

Like every iOS app, Return Buddy uses Apple-provided frameworks. The following information may be shared with Apple (not with us) when you use the app:

• Subscription transactions — when you subscribe to Return Buddy Premium, your purchase is processed by Apple's StoreKit and managed through your Apple ID. We do not see your payment details.
• Apple crash analytics (opt-in) — if you have opted in to share Apple's diagnostic data (Settings → Privacy & Security → Analytics & Improvements → Share with App Developers), Apple may also share anonymized crash logs with us via Xcode. These do not contain personal data.
• Local notifications — return-deadline reminders are scheduled with iOS and stay on your device.

Apple's own privacy policy applies to these interactions: https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/

6. Camera and Photo Library access

Return Buddy can request access to your camera and photo library so you can attach or scan receipts. These permissions are entirely optional. Photos you attach are stored only in Return Buddy's private folder on your device. We do not upload them anywhere.

If you deny these permissions, you can still use Return Buddy normally — you just won't be able to attach or scan receipt photos.

7. Data retention

8. Your rights

Because everything personal stays on your device, you are always in full control of your data.

• Access / export: Go to Settings → Export Data inside the app to receive a CSV file of every order you've stored. Free for all users.
• Deletion: Go to Settings → Delete All My Data to permanently erase every order, receipt, import draft, and scheduled reminder from this device. You can also delete individual orders from the order detail screen at any time.
• Uninstall: Deleting the Return Buddy app from your device permanently removes all data stored by the app.
• Crash reports: Toggle off Settings → Crash Reports to stop sending data to Sentry immediately. Because crash reports do not contain user identifiers, we cannot look up reports tied to a specific person. Contact us (Section 11) if you need help.

9. Children's privacy

Return Buddy is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect any information from anyone. The App Store age rating is 13+.

10. International users (GDPR / CCPA)

Because Return Buddy does not collect data on its own servers, most data-protection obligations are inherently satisfied — your data is on your device and under your control. The in-app Export and Delete tools described in Section 8 fulfill the GDPR's Article 15 (access), Article 17 (erasure), and Article 20 (portability) rights.

CCPA (California residents): We do not sell your personal information. We do not share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising. Return Buddy has no advertising SDKs and no data brokers. To exercise your CCPA rights (know, delete, opt-out of sale), use the in-app Export and Delete tools or contact us at [email protected]. We will respond within 45 days.

Anonymous Sentry crash reports (when opted in) do not contain personal data under GDPR's definition because they cannot be linked to an identified person.

11. Changes to this policy

If this policy ever changes materially, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top and announce the change inside the app or on the App Store listing. Continued use of the app after a change means you accept the new policy.

12. Contact

Questions, requests, or concerns? Email us at [email protected].

Return Buddy is a single-developer indie app. Plain English, no dark patterns. If anything in this policy is unclear, ask and we'll fix the wording.