HikeFolio Privacy Policy

01 · Overview

Privacy from the trailhead.

HikeFolio is a local-first outdoor portfolio, route tracker, field journal, and expedition archive for iPhone and iPad. You do not need an account. You may use the app locally without signing in, and optional features remain under your control.

HikeFolio does not operate a custom user-data server. The developer does not collect HikeFolio app user data, sell user data, run ads, use third-party analytics SDKs, or track users across apps or websites.

02 · Local-First Design

Local use is the default.

HikeFolio stores user-created records primarily on your device using Apple platform storage. Core features are available without a HikeFolio account or Sign in with Apple. If you choose not to enable private iCloud sync, your supported HikeFolio records remain local to that device.

03 · Information Stored on the Device

The records you create.

Depending on the features you use, on-device HikeFolio content may include:

• Profile preferences and optional profile information.
• Movement summaries, dates, distance, duration, and elevation.
• Adventures, journal notes, checklists, and linked records.
• Observations, category-specific details, field notes, and photos.
• Pending Quick Capture items in the Field Inbox.
• Saved Places, including destination details, Adventure links, notes, and optional cover photos.
• Active and completed Offline Field Sessions and locally saved waypoints.
• Notification preferences and other app settings.
• Authorized Apple Health readings and imported workout records cached locally for portfolio features.

04 · Apple Health

Optional and read-only.

Apple Health integration is optional. After you choose to connect, HikeFolio may request read-only access to supported workouts, steps, and resting heart rate. Denying access does not disable unrelated HikeFolio features.

You can review or revoke access in Apple’s Health app. Removing an imported Health record from HikeFolio removes the local HikeFolio import; it does not change the source record in Apple Health.

05 · Location and Background Location

Location supports features you choose.

For a standard route-tracking session or an Offline Field Session that you deliberately start, HikeFolio uses location to support your live position, distance, elevation, heading, GPS quality, maps while available, waypoint recording, and straight-line directional guidance.

With permission, background location allows that visible session to continue while HikeFolio is in the background or your device is locked. Location updates stop when you stop, save, or discard the session. HikeFolio does not use location for continuous background monitoring, advertising, or cross-app tracking.

Offline Field Mode does not download maps and does not provide turn-by-turn navigation. Sensor and GPS accuracy can vary, and no navigation or location result is guaranteed.

Quick Capture does not request a new location permission when opened. Opening Places or searching does not request your location. Both features continue to work when location is unavailable or disabled.

06 · Photos, Camera, and Quick Capture

Access follows your action.

HikeFolio accesses the camera or photo library only after an explicit action, such as taking or selecting a photo, choosing a profile image, or saving an Expedition Card. HikeFolio may create an app-managed, compressed copy of an image you select.

Quick Capture and Field Inbox

Quick Capture may associate an optional location snapshot with a photo when location access has already been authorized. Quick Capture continues to work when location is unavailable or disabled.

Pending Field Inbox captures remain stored on your device. After a capture is converted into an observation, supported metadata follows your existing local storage and optional private iCloud sync settings. HikeFolio does not embed location coordinates into the photo file or automatically save Quick Capture photos to your Photo Library.

You may capture multiple photos before sorting each capture individually later. Any later export or save action remains user initiated.

Deleting a HikeFolio record or its app-managed copy does not delete the original image from your Apple Photos library. When private iCloud sync is enabled, supported app-managed photos may sync as private CloudKit assets in your Apple iCloud account.

07 · Routes, Saved Places, Adventures, Observations, and Field Data

Your outdoor archive.

HikeFolio processes the details you enter so it can organize your Movement Portfolio, Observation Portfolio, Adventures, journal notes, observations, Expedition Cards, Offline Field Sessions, and waypoints. This content is stored locally and may privately sync when you enable iCloud for supported records.

Saved Places

Saved Places stores the destination names, coordinates, categories, statuses, Adventure links, notes, and optional cover photos you choose to save. Saved Places and their cover photos remain stored locally on this device and are not currently included in HikeFolio iCloud sync.

Place search and map content are provided through Apple MapKit. Opening Places or searching does not request your location. When location access has already been authorized, HikeFolio may use an available location only as optional nearby search context.

HikeFolio does not permanently store or upload Apple Look Around or Apple Maps imagery and does not automatically save that imagery to your Photo Library. Opening a place in Apple Maps occurs only when you choose the Open in Apple Maps action.

Apple imagery may be cached temporarily in memory only as required for display. HikeFolio does not own or export that imagery. Live Apple Maps, Look Around, place-search, and map-preview content may be unavailable offline.

During an active route session, coordinates support the live map and activity calculations. When the session is completed, HikeFolio retains the activity summary and any supported Adventure relationship, not a detailed route polyline.

08 · Notifications

Local reminders you choose.

Daily HikeFolio Wisdom notifications are optional local notifications. If you enable them and grant permission, HikeFolio schedules dated Wisdom notifications on your device for the time you select. You may change the time, turn the feature off, or manage permission in Apple Settings.

Trail Milestones

Trail Milestones are optional and turned off by default. They apply only to new, user-started native HikeFolio tracked sessions, not manual movement entries, Apple Health imports, Offline Field Sessions, historical routes, Saved Places, observations, journal entries, Quick Capture, or Field Inbox captures. If notification authorization has not already been decided, HikeFolio requests notification permission only after you explicitly enable Trail Milestones in HikeFolio Settings.

During an eligible session, Trail Milestones may provide up to three local notifications at 10 minutes or 1 mile, 30 minutes or 3 miles, and 60 minutes or 5 miles. HikeFolio evaluates those milestones on the device using active tracked time and accepted tracked distance.

Per-session Trail Milestone state is stored locally with active route-recovery information. It is not added to HikeFolio’s CloudKit synchronization. It is not sent to a developer-controlled server, and no analytics or remote-notification service is used for Trail Milestones. Notification metadata may contain a tracking-session identifier, milestone stage, and whether it was reached by time or distance; it does not contain route coordinates, Explorer Handle, Explorer Name, journal content, observation content, photos, or Health information.

Tracking continues to work if Trail Milestones are disabled, notification permission is denied, or notification delivery fails. You can disable Trail Milestones in HikeFolio Settings and manage HikeFolio notification permission in iOS Settings. Trail Milestones are separate from Daily HikeFolio Wisdom notifications.

09 · Live Activities

Transient active-session details.

On supported devices, qualifying user-started route and Offline Field Sessions may display transient details on the Lock Screen or Dynamic Island. These may include elapsed time, distance, GPS quality, waypoint count, and guidance status. Live Activities end with the session or when iOS removes them.

10 · Optional Sign in with Apple

No HikeFolio password required.

Sign in with Apple is optional and uses Apple’s authentication service. HikeFolio does not create a custom password account or use a third-party account provider. You may continue locally without signing in.

11 · Optional Private iCloud Sync

Your private Apple account.

If you enable iCloud sync, supported HikeFolio records and app-managed photos may be transmitted to and stored in your private Apple iCloud account using CloudKit. HikeFolio does not route that content through a custom HikeFolio user-data server. Health-derived state and pending Field Inbox captures are excluded. Saved Places and their cover photos are not currently included in HikeFolio iCloud sync.

Sync depends on Apple services, connectivity, storage, device state, and conflict resolution. HikeFolio does not promise immediate or conflict-free synchronization, and it does not guarantee that every deletion will immediately propagate to every device.

12 · Data Collection

No developer collection of app data.

HikeFolio does not operate a service that collects your routes, observations, Health information, photos, Adventures, or field data. The developer does not collect HikeFolio user data through the app, and the app does not sell or share user data with data brokers or advertisers.

If you voluntarily email support, your email provider and the recipient’s email service process the message and information you choose to include. Do not include sensitive health or precise location information unless it is necessary and you choose to do so.

13 · Analytics, Advertising, and Tracking

No ads. No third-party analytics.

HikeFolio does not use advertising SDKs, third-party analytics SDKs, or tracking technologies that follow you across other companies’ apps or websites. HikeFolio does not build public profiles, feeds, or leaderboards.

14 · Third-Party Platform Services

Apple services you control.

HikeFolio uses Apple platform capabilities such as Core Location, MapKit, HealthKit, Photos, ActivityKit, Sign in with Apple, and CloudKit when their related features are used. Apple processes those services under its own terms and privacy policies. Availability and behavior may vary by device, system version, region, permissions, and account.

15 · Data Deletion

Remove records from HikeFolio.

You can delete supported user-created records inside HikeFolio. You can remove local app data by deleting records or deleting the app. Deleting an app-managed photo does not delete the original from your Photos library. Deleting a Health import does not delete the source record in Apple Health.

If private iCloud sync is enabled, synchronization and deletion depend on Apple’s CloudKit service and may not appear immediately on every device. Disabling sync does not by itself guarantee immediate removal of previously synced records from every device or iCloud.

16 · Children’s Privacy

A general-audience outdoor tool.

HikeFolio is not directed to children under 13 and does not knowingly collect personal information from children through a HikeFolio-operated service. Parents and guardians should supervise device permissions, location use, and optional Apple services for younger users.

17 · Data Security

Protected by the Apple platforms you use.

HikeFolio relies on iOS and iPadOS protections for local app storage and on Apple’s iCloud and account protections for optional sync. Keep your device software, passcode, Apple Account, and recovery methods secure.

No storage or transmission method is guaranteed to be perfectly secure. HikeFolio does not claim custom encryption beyond the protections provided by Apple platforms and iCloud.

18 · Changes to This Policy

Updates stay visible.

This policy may change as HikeFolio, Apple platform requirements, or applicable practices evolve. Material updates will be reflected on this page with a revised effective date. Continued use after an update is subject to the policy then in effect.

19 · Contact

Questions about privacy?