First Feather

Privacy Policy

Last updated: October 2026

1. Information You Provide

When you log a bird sighting, the information you enter — species, notes, date, and location — is stored on your device. If you have iCloud enabled on your device, this data is also synced to Apple's CloudKit servers so your sightings are available across all your Apple devices signed in to the same iCloud account. First Feather does not operate its own servers and cannot access your sighting data. See Section 6 for full iCloud sync details.

2. Location Data

If you enable Location Services, your GPS coordinates are used to tag sightings with the place they were recorded. Your location data is stored on your device and, if iCloud sync is enabled, synced to your private CloudKit container as described in Section 6.

3. Photos and Audio

Photos and audio recordings you capture are stored in your app's private Documents folder on your device. If iCloud sync is enabled, these files are also uploaded to your private CloudKit container to keep them available across your devices. This sync is governed by Apple's Privacy Policy. First Feather cannot access or view your photos or recordings.

4. Advertising

If you have not purchased the Remove Ads upgrade, First Feather displays advertisements provided by Google AdMob. AdMob may collect device identifiers and usage data as described in Google's Privacy Policy. If you are in a region where consent is required, such as the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland, First Feather asks for your consent before any ads are requested. You can change your choice at any time in Settings → Advertising → Privacy Choices. If you decline, Google may still show non-personalized ads. Purchasing Remove Ads disables all advertising within the app.

5. In-App Purchases

All purchase transactions are processed exclusively by Apple. First Feather does not collect, receive, or store any payment information.

6. iCloud Sync

First Feather uses Apple's CloudKit to sync your sighting data, photos, and audio recordings across your Apple devices signed in to the same iCloud account. Your data is stored in a private CloudKit container that only you can access — First Feather has no ability to read, modify, or delete your data on your behalf. iCloud sync requires an active iCloud account and is governed by Apple's Privacy Policy. Your device data may also be included in your standard iCloud device backup, which is a separate Apple service also governed by Apple's Privacy Policy. To keep your devices in sync, Apple may send First Feather silent background notifications when your data changes; these are never shown to you and contain no personal information.

7. No Account Required

First Feather does not require you to create an account. We do not collect your name, email address, or any other identifying information.

8. Data Retention

Your data lives on your device and, if enabled, in your private iCloud account. You may delete all local data by removing the app. To remove data from iCloud, sign in to iCloud.com or your device's iCloud settings. First Feather has no ability to access or delete data on your behalf.

9. Online Services

Some features fetch information over the internet. Species photos are loaded from iNaturalist's open data service. Seasonal sighting information is requested from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) using only the species name and a country code. To show place names for your sightings, their coordinates are sent to Apple's geocoding service. No account details or other personal identifiers are included in these requests, although, like any website, these services can see your device's IP address.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be reflected on this page and in the app, with an updated date at the top.

11. Contact

For privacy questions or concerns, please contact us at: support@firstfeather.app

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