Privacy Policy

App Name: RealDex

Last Updated: March 16, 2026

Data Controller: Alp Yalay ("RealDex", "we", "us")
Contact: alpyalay@gmail.com
Privacy inquiries: Use subject "Privacy Request".
If required by local law, we will designate an EU/UK representative and publish their contact details here.

This Privacy Policy explains how RealDex (the "App") collects, uses, shares, and protects information when you use the App. The App is a mobile wildlife identification and collection experience that uses on‑device machine learning and optional cloud AI identification.

If you do not agree with this policy, do not use the App.

Privacy Rights

  • Depending on your location, you may have the right to: access, correct, delete, obtain a copy of, and object to or restrict certain processing of your personal data.
  • You may also have the right to withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.
  • To exercise your rights, use the in-app Privacy Center (Settings → Privacy) or email us at alpyalay@gmail.com with your device identifier.
  • We may ask for your RealDex Device ID or other information to verify your request.
  • If you are in the EU/EEA/UK, you may lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority.

Legal Bases for Processing

  • Core app features: Performance of a contract / providing the service you request.
  • Optional location logging: Your consent / your request to use location-based features.
  • Cloud AI identification: Performance of a contract and/or your consent depending on jurisdiction.
  • Fraud prevention, rate limiting, security: Legitimate interests in keeping the service secure and preventing abuse.
  • Ads (Free tier), analytics, crash reporting: Consent where required (e.g., EEA/UK/CH), otherwise legitimate interests / contractual necessity for reliability.

1. Summary

  • The App can use your camera to capture photos for species identification.
  • Location data can be captured for encounter logs if you enable location permission.
  • The App stores photos, encounters, and settings locally on your device.
  • Optional Cloud AI identification uploads an image to our server to process it with Google Gemini. Images are processed for identification and are not intentionally stored after processing.
  • We use third‑party providers for subscriptions (RevenueCat) and ads (Google AdMob).

2. Information We Collect

2.7 Third-Party Integrations

  • Firebase Analytics & Crashlytics: Used for app analytics and crash reporting.
  • iNaturalist API: Used for regional hints and species queries (location-derived, if enabled).

2.1 Information You Provide or Create

  • Photos you capture in the App for identification.
  • Encounter details created by the App (e.g., species identified, timestamps, and confidence scores).
  • Preferences and settings (theme, sound, haptics, subscription tier, and other settings).

2.2 Automatically Collected Information

  • Device identifier generated by the App (a random, locally stored ID used for Cloud AI rate limits and subscription linking). This is stored in local storage and sent to our cloud services.
  • Technical data needed to operate services, such as IP address, device type, OS version, and app version (collected by third‑party service providers like AdMob, RevenueCat, and Firebase as part of their standard operation).

2.3 Location Data (Optional)

If you grant location permission, the App may capture latitude and longitude at the time of an encounter. This is stored locally with the encounter data. You can disable location permission at any time in your device settings.

2.4 Cloud AI Image Data (Optional)

If you use Cloud AI identification:

  • The App converts your photo to a base64 image and sends it to our Firebase Cloud Function endpoint.
  • The image is processed by Google Gemini for identification.
  • We do not intentionally store the image after processing. However, Google and other providers may retain limited logs as described in their own privacy policies.

2.5 Subscription and Purchase Data

If you purchase a subscription:

  • Transactions are handled by Apple App Store or Google Play.
  • RevenueCat manages subscription status and entitlements.
  • We receive subscription status (e.g., premium or free) and may store a RevenueCat user ID linked to your device identifier.

2.6 Advertising Data

If you see ads (free tier), Google AdMob may collect information such as advertising identifiers, IP address, and device information to serve ads and measure performance.

3. How We Use Information

We use information to:

  • Provide core App functionality (identification, encounters, Dex collection).
  • Process Cloud AI identification and enforce rate limits.
  • Manage subscriptions and entitlements.
  • Display ads for free users.
  • Improve performance and reliability.

4. Where Data Is Stored

4.3 Cross-Border Transfers

Our cloud services may process limited data in the United States (e.g., Cloud AI in us-central1). Where required, we rely on approved transfer safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses via our providers’ data processing terms, and we take additional measures as appropriate.

4.1 On Your Device

The App stores data locally using a SQLite database and on‑device storage, including:

  • Photos and their metadata (size, timestamp, optional location).
  • Species and encounter logs.
  • App settings and preferences.

4.2 In Our Cloud Services

We store limited data in Google Firebase (Firestore), including:

  • Device identifier
  • Cloud AI usage counters
  • Subscription tier
  • Reset timestamps
  • RevenueCat user ID (when applicable)

Cloud AI requests are processed in us‑central1 (United States).

5. Sharing of Information

5.1 Third-Party Service Inventory

We share information only as needed to operate the App:

Service Providers

  • Google Firebase (Cloud Functions + Firestore) for Cloud AI and usage tracking.
  • Google Gemini for Cloud AI species identification.
  • RevenueCat for subscription management.
  • Google AdMob for advertising.

App Stores

  • Apple App Store and Google Play for billing and subscription processing.

We do not sell your personal information.

6. Your Choices and Controls

  • Camera Permission: required for photo capture.
  • Location Permission: optional; you can enable/disable in device settings.
  • Cloud AI: optional; you can choose not to use it and rely on on‑device identification.
  • Advertising Preferences: you can reset or limit your advertising ID in device settings; ad personalization controls may also be available in your Google account.
  • Delete Local Data: uninstalling the App or clearing app data removes locally stored photos and encounters.

To request deletion of cloud usage records, contact us and provide your device identifier.

7. Data Retention

  • Device identifier + usage counters: Retained for 13 months for fraud prevention/rate limiting, then deleted or irreversibly anonymized.
  • Subscription entitlement metadata: Retained while you have an active subscription and for 24 months for accounting/support, then deleted.
  • Crash logs: Retained for 90 days or 13 months depending on configuration.
  • Cloud AI images: Processed transiently and not stored by us; providers may retain limited logs per their policies.
  • Local data: Remains on your device until you delete it or uninstall the App.

8. Security

Ad-Tech Consent and Opt-Out

  • We do not sell personal information for money. Some jurisdictions define “sale” or “sharing” broadly to include disclosure of identifiers for cross-context behavioral advertising.
  • Where applicable, you can opt out of personalized ads via Settings → Privacy → Ads and/or your device settings.
  • AdMob consent is required in EEA/UK/CH for ad personalization and storage/access where required.

We use reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect data. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Children’s Privacy

The App is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

10. International Users

If you use the App outside the United States, you understand that information may be processed in the United States where our cloud services operate.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will revise the "Last Updated" date and may provide additional notice in the App.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions or requests, contact:

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