Last updated: October 2026
GemSnap ("we", "us", "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights. If you have questions, contact us at support@gemsnap.app.
Photos you scan. When you use the camera or photo library to identify a specimen, the image is sent to our identification server for processing. We do not store your photos on our servers — images are processed and immediately discarded. Your scanned images are saved locally on your device only.
Location data. If you enable "Save scan location" in settings, GemSnap requests your device's location at the time of each scan so you can map where you found each specimen. Your coordinates and place name are stored locally on your device and are never sent to our servers. To turn coordinates into a place name, iOS uses Apple's geocoding service, so Apple receives the coordinates for that lookup (see Apple's Privacy Policy). You can disable this at any time in the app's settings or in iOS Settings → Privacy → Location Services → GemSnap.
Collection data. Specimen names, identification results, notes, and photos you save are stored locally on your device using Apple's SwiftData framework. This data does not leave your device unless you explicitly use the Share feature.
AI chat. If you use the AI chat feature, the question you type, recent messages in that conversation, the details of the specimen you are asking about, and, if you choose to attach one, a photo are sent to our server to produce an answer. We do not use accounts, so this is not linked to your identity.
Free-scan marker. GemSnap stores a small flag in your device's Keychain to remember that your free scan has been used. Unlike the rest of your data, the Keychain can keep this flag after the app is deleted, so that reinstalling does not reset the free scan. It contains no personal information.
Purchase information. Subscriptions are processed entirely by Apple via the App Store. We do not receive or store your payment details. We use StoreKit 2 to verify your subscription status locally on your device.
Usage data. We do not currently use any third-party analytics or tracking SDKs. We do not collect advertising IDs. We count a few anonymous app events (first open, finishing onboarding, viewing the subscription screen, starting a trial and subscribing) so we can understand how the app is used. If you installed GemSnap after tapping an Apple Search Ads ad, Apple's attribution service tells the app which ad campaign and keyword it came from, and we count the events against that campaign. These counts are not linked to you or your device and do not use Apple's App Tracking Transparency, because nothing is tracked across other apps or websites. To prevent abuse, our server temporarily keeps a request count against your IP address for up to 24 hours. It is used only for rate limiting and is not linked to a person.
AI identification server. Images are sent to our proxy server, which runs on Cloudflare, for processing. The proxy forwards the image to Google's Gemini API for identification. Images are not logged, stored, or used for training.
Wikimedia Commons. Reference specimen photos are loaded from Wikimedia Commons via their public API. Your IP address may be visible to Wikimedia when these images load. See the Wikimedia Foundation Privacy Policy.
Apple App Store. Subscription purchases, renewals, and receipt verification are handled by Apple. See Apple's Privacy Policy.
All personal data — your collection, photos, notes, and location history — is stored locally on your device. We do not operate a user account system. If you delete the app, all locally stored data is permanently removed.
Images transmitted to our identification server are sent over HTTPS and are not retained after processing.
GemSnap is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.
Because we do not maintain user accounts or server-side personal data, most personal data rights (access, deletion, portability) can be exercised simply by deleting the app from your device. If you believe we hold any personal data about you, contact us at support@gemsnap.app.
We may update this policy from time to time. We will post the updated policy on this page with a revised date. Continued use of GemSnap after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.
Questions about this policy? Email us at support@gemsnap.app.