Privacy Policy

Overview

PuppyByte ("we," "our," or "us") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we handle information in connection with the Xpenses mobile application ("App") available on Apple's App Store. Xpenses is a privacy-focused expense tracking application designed to keep your financial data completely private and under your control.

Key Privacy Principles

• Privacy by Design: Your financial data remains on your devices and in your personal iCloud account only
• No Server Storage: We do not collect, store, or process your financial data
• Encrypted Sync: When using iCloud sync, the content of your records is encrypted on your device before it is uploaded, and is end-to-end encrypted when you have Apple's Advanced Data Protection turned on (see Data Encryption)
• User Control: You decide what data to store, where to store it, and whom to share it with

Information We Collect

Personal Information

We do not collect personal information when you use the App. The App operates without requiring account creation, email addresses, or any personal identifiers. The only personal information we ever receive is what you choose to send us through a contact form (see Connections the App Makes).

Financial Data

We do not collect or access your financial data. All expense tracking information, categories, budgets, and related financial data you enter into the App remains exclusively under your control and is stored as follows:

• Local Storage: By default, stored only on your iOS device using SwiftData
• iCloud Storage (Optional): If you enable iCloud sync, stored in your personal iCloud account using CloudKit, encrypted as described under Data Encryption
• Shared Data (Optional): If you choose to share with family members, stored in iCloud shared databases that you control

Usage Information

We do not collect usage analytics or crash reports. The App does not track how you use it, what features you access, or gather any behavioral data.

Device Information

The App does not send information about your device to us, with one exception you control: a message sent through the App's contact form includes your device model, iOS version, App version and screen size unless you turn that option off.

How We Use Information

We do not use your information because we do not collect it. The App keeps your data on your device and, if you enable sync, in your personal iCloud account. We have no access to your financial data or usage patterns. The few connections the App makes to the internet are listed under Connections the App Makes.

App Functionality

The App uses your financial data solely to provide expense tracking services to you, including:

• Displaying your expenses, income, and budgets
• Generating reports and analytics for your personal use
• Syncing data between your devices (if you enable iCloud sync)
• Sharing data with family members (if you choose to share)
• Exporting data for backup purposes (if you use this feature)

All processing occurs locally on your device or within your iCloud account using Apple's secure infrastructure.

Connections the App Makes

The App contacts the internet only for the purposes below. None of them sends your financial data to us.

Apple Services

• iCloud: Only if you enable iCloud sync or sharing, as described in this policy
• App Store: To show plans and prices and to process and verify purchases

Promotional Text

When it starts, the App downloads a small public file with the text of current offers shown on the Premium screen. The request carries no information about you or your data, and we do not use it to identify or track you.

Contact Form

If you choose to write to us through the App's contact form, we receive what you enter: your name, email address, subject and message. Unless you turn that option off, the message also includes your device model, iOS version, App version and screen size. Your financial data is never attached.

Messages from the App's contact form, and from the one on this website, are delivered to our support mailbox by a form-handling service acting on our behalf. We use what you send only to answer you and to fix the problems you report. You can ask us to delete your messages at any time.

Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do not share your financial information with third parties because we do not have access to it. Messages you send through a contact form pass through the form-handling service described above, and are not shared with anyone else.

No Third-Party Sharing

We do not:

• Share data with advertisers or marketing companies
• Sell personal information to data brokers
• Provide information to analytics services
• Share data with business partners or affiliates
• Transfer data to other companies or organizations

User-Controlled Sharing

The only data sharing that occurs is when you explicitly choose to share your financial data with other iCloud users through the App's family sharing feature. This sharing:

• Is entirely voluntary and controlled by you
• Uses Apple's iCloud sharing infrastructure
• Can be revoked by you at any time
• Is limited to users you specifically invite
• Is protected by the same encryption as the rest of your iCloud data in the App

Legal Requirements

Since we do not collect or have access to your personal data, we cannot be compelled to provide information we do not possess. Your data in iCloud is subject to Apple's legal obligations and privacy policies.

Data Storage and Security

Storage Options

Xpenses offers flexible storage options to suit your privacy preferences:

• Local Storage (Default): Your data remains stored locally on your iOS device using SwiftData, Apple's secure data persistence framework
• iCloud Sync (Optional): Must be explicitly enabled by you; stores data in your private iCloud account
• CSV Export/Import (Premium Feature): Allows manual backup and transfer of data under your complete control

Security Measures

We implement industry-standard security practices:

• Encrypted Content: When using iCloud sync, the content of your records is stored in CloudKit encrypted fields, which are encrypted on your device before upload
• Private Database: Your iCloud data is stored in your private CloudKit database, not shared storage
• No Servers: We operate no servers, so there is nothing on our side holding your data that could be compromised or accessed
• Apple's Security: Benefits from Apple's iOS and iCloud security infrastructure

Data Encryption

This section applies only if you enable iCloud sync. Everything the App stores in iCloud is encrypted in transit and on Apple's servers, and we cannot access any of it.

The content of your records (titles, amounts, categories, budget amounts and the details of recurring transactions) is additionally encrypted on your device before it is uploaded. Who can decrypt it depends on a setting of your Apple Account, not on the App:

• With Advanced Data Protection turned on: it is end-to-end encrypted. Only your trusted devices, and those of the people you share with, hold the keys. Apple cannot read it.
• With standard data protection (Apple's default): it is encrypted, but Apple holds the encryption keys.

A few details are not end-to-end encrypted even with Advanced Data Protection: the date of each entry, whether it is an expense or an income, the month of each budget, and technical details such as when a record was last changed. No amounts, titles or category names you created are among them.

Apple explains both settings, and how to turn on Advanced Data Protection, in its iCloud data security overview.

Important Security Notice: If you have Advanced Data Protection turned on and lose access to your Apple Account without the recovery methods Apple asks you to set up, Apple cannot help you recover end-to-end encrypted data, and it may be permanently inaccessible. We strongly recommend:

• Setting up Apple Account recovery options
• Maintaining iCloud Keychain recovery methods
• Keeping at least one device with the App installed and synced
• Regularly exporting data for backup purposes (Premium feature)

Data Export and Backup

As a Premium feature, Xpenses provides tools to help you maintain control and backup of your data:

• CSV Export: Export your complete financial data as CSV files at any time
• CSV Import: Import data from properly formatted CSV files to restore from backups
• Manual Sync: Use export/import functionality to manually transfer data between devices if you prefer not to use iCloud
• Backup Responsibility: All exported data remains your responsibility once it leaves the App

Security Recommendation: Securely store any exported CSV files and protect them with appropriate measures, as they contain sensitive financial information. Consider encrypting exported files or storing them in secure, password-protected locations.

Family Sharing and Data Sharing

As a Premium feature, Xpenses offers the ability to share expense information with family members or trusted individuals. Here's how data sharing works:

User-Controlled Sharing

• Voluntary: Sharing is completely optional and under your control
• Explicit Choice: You explicitly choose with whom to share your data
• iCloud Infrastructure: Sharing uses Apple's iCloud shared database functionality
• Invitation-Only: Only specifically invited iCloud users can access your shared data
• Revocable: You can revoke access at any time through the App
• Same Encryption: Shared data is protected the same way as your own iCloud data in the App (see Data Encryption)

Shared Data Scope

When you enable sharing, the shared data comprises:

• Expenses and income information
• Configured categories
• Budgets configuration

Sharing Security

Shared data remains secure through:

• The encryption described under Data Encryption
• Access limited to invited iCloud accounts only
• No intermediary storage: we operate no servers
• Your ability to immediately revoke access

App Store and In-App Purchases

Xpenses offers different pricing tiers through Apple's App Store:

Purchase Information

• Free Tier: Basic expense tracking functionality
• Premium Subscription: Monthly or yearly subscription for advanced features
• Premium Lifetime: One-time purchase for permanent access to premium features

Payment Processing

All purchases are processed exclusively through Apple's App Store:

• We do not collect payment information
• We do not store credit card or payment details
• Apple handles all payment processing and security
• Refunds and subscription management are handled through Apple

Subscription Information

The App may receive basic subscription status information from Apple to provide appropriate features, but this does not include personal or payment information.

Analytics and Crash Reporting

We do not collect usage analytics or crash report data. The App operates without any telemetry, tracking, or data collection mechanisms.

No Data Collection

We do not collect:

• Usage statistics or behavioral data
• Crash reports or error logs
• Performance metrics
• Feature usage information
• Device identifiers or advertising IDs

Apple's Optional Analytics

If you have enabled "Share iPhone Analytics" in your iOS settings, Apple may collect standard app usage information as part of their system-wide analytics program. This is controlled entirely by your iOS settings and Apple's privacy policy, not by our App.

Your Rights and Control

You maintain complete control of your data with the following rights:

Data Control Rights

• Access: View all your financial data within the App at any time
• Portability: Export your data in CSV format (Premium feature)
• Deletion: Delete any or all of your data from the App at any time
• Modification: Edit, update, or correct any information in the App
• Sharing Control: Control sharing permissions with other users
• Storage Choice: Choose between local-only storage or iCloud sync

Since We Don't Collect Data

Traditional privacy rights like data access requests, deletion requests, or opting out of data collection don't apply because:

• We don't collect personal information through your use of the App
• We operate no servers and don't store your financial data
• We don't have access to your financial information
• All data remains under your direct control

The exception is messages you send us through a contact form. You can ask for a copy of them, or for their deletion, by contacting us.

How to Exercise Your Control

• Delete Local Data: Use the App's settings to clear all local data
• Delete iCloud Data: Disable iCloud sync and delete data through the App
• Revoke Sharing: Remove shared access through the App's sharing settings
• Export Data: Use the CSV export feature (Premium) to backup your information

International Data Transfers

Since we operate no servers and do not collect or store your financial data, traditional international data transfer concerns do not apply to it. Messages sent through a contact form are handled by the form-handling service named above and by our email provider, and may be processed outside your country.

iCloud Data Location

If you enable iCloud sync, your data storage location is determined by:

• Your Apple ID country/region settings
• Apple's iCloud data center locations
• Apple's data residency policies

For information about where your iCloud data is stored, please refer to Apple's privacy policy and iCloud documentation.

Children's Privacy

The App is designed for general use and does not specifically target children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13: the App collects no personal information from any user, and the only personal information we receive is what someone chooses to send us through a contact form.

Family Accounts

If the App is used on a device associated with a family Apple ID or if data is shared with family members:

• Parents/guardians maintain control over their children's data through Apple's Family Sharing controls
• The same privacy protections apply to all users regardless of age
• No additional data collection occurs for child users

European Union Users

For users in the European Union, this section provides additional information about your privacy rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Legal Basis for Processing

For messages you send us through a contact form, we process your name, email address and message in order to answer your request, at your initiative. For your financial data, traditional GDPR processing bases don't apply to us, since we operate no servers and do not process it. Any processing of it occurs:

• Locally on your device for App functionality
• In your iCloud account under your control (if you enable sync)
• Through Apple's services subject to their privacy policies

Data Controller

For any personal data stored in iCloud (if you enable sync), you are the data controller of your own financial information. Apple acts as a data processor for iCloud services. For messages you send us through a contact form, PuppyByte is the data controller.

GDPR Rights

For your financial data, which we don't collect, you maintain full control through the App's features as described in the "Your Rights and Control" section above. For messages you have sent us, you can exercise your rights of access, correction and deletion by contacting us.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or App features. When we make changes:

Notification of Changes

• We will post the updated Privacy Policy on this page
• We will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this policy
• For significant changes, we may provide additional notice through the App or App Store updates

Effective Date

Changes to this Privacy Policy will be effective immediately upon posting the updated version. Your continued use of the App after we post any modifications constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

Previous Versions

If you would like to review previous versions of this Privacy Policy, please contact us using the information provided below.

Contact Information

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:

Developer Contact

Contact PuppyByte

Response Time

We aim to respond to privacy-related inquiries within 30 days. Since we do not collect your financial data, most privacy requests can be addressed by using the App's built-in data control features.

Jurisdiction

PuppyByte operates from Europe. For EU users with privacy concerns that cannot be resolved through direct contact, you may have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.