Privacy Policy – Huck

Overview

Huck ("Huck", "we", "our") is a wildlife identification and collection app. You point your camera at an animal, bird, plant, or insect, Huck helps identify it, and you build a personal field guide of the species you discover. We are committed to protecting your privacy and being transparent about how your data is handled.

This Privacy Policy explains what data is collected, how it is used, who it is shared with, and your choices regarding that data. Huck does not require you to create an account.

Data We Collect

Photos & Camera Content

When you capture or upload an image to identify a species:

• The image is sent to our secure backend for processing
• It is analyzed by an AI vision service to identify the species in the photo
• Photos you choose to save with a sighting are stored locally on your device as part of your collection

Images submitted for identification are used only to return a result and are not retained by our backend after processing is complete.

Location Data (Optional)

With your explicit permission, Huck may use your location to:

• Tag your sightings so they appear on your personal map
• Improve identification with region-appropriate species data
• Alert you when wildlife is reported near you, if you enable notifications

Location is optional. You can use Huck without granting location access, choose approximate rather than precise location, or revoke access at any time in iOS Settings.

Notifications (Optional)

If you enable notifications, Huck collects and stores on our backend:

• A device push token issued by Apple, used to deliver notifications to your device
• An approximate (coarse) location, used to determine when wildlife is reported near you
• The species you mark as favorites, so we can alert you when they are sighted nearby
• Your subscription status, used to tailor which notifications you receive

This information is linked to an anonymous identifier (not your name or an account). Notifications are delivered through Apple's Push Notification service. Notifications are optional — you can turn them off at any time within Huck or in iOS Settings.

Sightings & Collection Data

As you use Huck, the app stores the species you identify, your collection progress, rarity tiers, levels, badges, and challenge activity. This data is stored primarily on your device.

Usage Analytics

To improve the app experience, Huck collects usage data including:

• App launches, screen views, and feature interactions
• Onboarding progress and completion
• Paywall interactions and subscription events
• Identification and collection events

Subscription Data

When you start a free trial or purchase a subscription, purchase and entitlement information is processed to manage your access to premium features. Payments are handled entirely by Apple; we never receive your card or payment details.

Advertising & Attribution Data

Huck works with advertising and measurement partners to understand how people discover the app and to show relevant ads. For these purposes we and our partners may collect:

• Advertising identifier (IDFA) — only if you grant permission via the App Tracking Transparency prompt
• Device and app identifiers, device type, and operating system version
• Install and attribution data (which ad or campaign led you to install)
• In-app events such as installs, trials, and purchases, used to measure ad performance

Device Information

To ensure compatibility and diagnose issues, we collect device model and operating system version.

Advertising & Tracking

Huck uses third-party advertising and analytics SDKs to promote the app and measure the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns. These partners include:

• TikTok for Business — ad attribution, measurement, and audience building
• Meta (Facebook & Instagram) — ad attribution, measurement, and audience building
• Google — ad attribution, measurement, and campaign optimization

On iOS, these SDKs only access your advertising identifier (IDFA) or track you across apps and websites if you grant permission through Apple's App Tracking Transparency prompt. If you decline, we and our partners will not use the IDFA or link your activity to third-party data for ad targeting, though we may still receive limited, privacy-preserving measurement (such as Apple's SKAdNetwork install reporting).

You can change your tracking choice at any time in iOS Settings under Privacy & Security > Tracking, and you can reset or limit your advertising identifier in the same area.

How We Use Data

The data we collect is used to:

• Identify species from the photos you submit
• Build and display your collection, map, levels, and challenges
• Send you notifications about wildlife reported near you, including species you've favorited
• Process and manage subscriptions
• Measure and improve our advertising campaigns
• Improve app usability, reliability, and performance

Third-Party Services

Huck uses the following third-party services to operate:

• AI vision service — Receives photos you submit to identify the species in the image. Images are processed and not retained beyond what is necessary to return a result.
• RevenueCat — Subscription management. Receives an anonymous user ID and purchase data to manage premium access.
• Mixpanel — Product analytics. Receives usage events and non-identifying user properties.
• TikTok, Meta, and Google — Advertising and measurement partners, as described in the Advertising & Tracking section above.
• Apple — Handles all payments and, via SKAdNetwork, provides privacy-preserving ad attribution. Apple's Push Notification service delivers notifications to your device.
• Vercel and Neon — Host our backend and database. If you enable notifications, your push token, approximate location, and favorited species are stored here to deliver nearby-wildlife alerts.

Important Safety Note

Huck's identifications are provided for general informational and educational purposes and may not be accurate. Huck does not provide foraging, edibility, medical, or safety advice. Never handle, consume, or rely on the app to assess the safety of any wild species. Always consult a qualified expert.

Data Security

Your data is protected using industry-standard security measures including encrypted connections (HTTPS/TLS) and authenticated API endpoints. Photos submitted for identification are transmitted securely and are not retained after processing.

Data Retention

Your collection and sightings are stored on your device and remain until you delete them or remove the app. Photos submitted for identification are not retained after processing. If you enable notifications, the related data (push token, approximate location, and favorites) is stored only to provide the notifications feature and retained only as long as necessary for that purpose. Analytics and advertising data are retained only as long as necessary for the purposes described above and in accordance with our partners' policies.

Your Choices

• You control camera and photo permissions in iOS Settings
• Location access is optional and can be revoked at any time in iOS Settings
• Notifications are optional and can be turned off in Huck or in iOS Settings
• You can decline or revoke app tracking at any time via Apple's App Tracking Transparency controls in iOS Settings
• You can delete your collection data by removing the app

If you have questions about data collection or would like to request deletion of your data, you may contact us at: zpmakes@gmail.com

Children's Privacy

Huck is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child under 13, we will promptly delete it.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the app or legal requirements. Updates will be posted on this page with a revised "Last updated" date.

Contact

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact:

ZP Makes
Email: zpmakes@gmail.com