ForageThe short version
- Forage has no account and no sign-in. We don't know who you are.
- There are no ads, no analytics, no tracking and no crash-reporting tools in the app.
- We don't run a server. Your spots, notes, photos, visits, permits and harvest records stay on your device.
- The app does talk to a few outside services, mostly to draw the map. They are listed below, with exactly what each one receives.
1. Who we are
Forage is a mobile app for iOS and Android, made by an independent developer (“we”, “us”). This policy explains what happens to your information when you use the app and this website. If you have questions, email support@foragejournal.app.
2. What we don't collect
We do not collect, receive or store any personal information through the app. In particular:
- There is no account, no sign-in, and no email or name to give us.
- There is no analytics, advertising, tracking or crash-reporting software in the app.
- We don't operate any server that the app sends your data to.
- We don't sell or share personal information, because we don't have any.
This website is a set of static pages. It uses no cookies, no analytics and no third-party scripts. Our hosting provider, Cloudflare, processes standard request information such as IP addresses in order to serve the pages and protect against abuse.
3. What is stored on your device
Everything you put into Forage is stored only on your device:
- Spots, paths and areas, with their names, notes, categories and seasons
- Photos you add
- Visit history
- Permits and harvest records (weights, quantities, sales, buyers and prices) if you use Pro
- Your settings, downloaded offline map regions, and cached map tiles and weather
Your device's own backup may include this data, for example iCloud Backup on iPhone or Google's device backup on Android, depending on your settings. Those backups are handled by Apple or Google under their privacy policies, not by us. We can't see them.
4. Location
Forage uses your device's location to show where you are on the map, to save a spot where you stand, and to record the paths you walk. It is used while the app is in use.
While you are recording a walk, recording may continue in the background so the path isn't cut short when your screen locks. When that happens, your device shows it: the location indicator on iPhone, or a notification on Android. Recording stops when you end the walk.
The app never sends your GPS position to us or to anyone else. Like any map, the map tiles you look at reveal the general area you're viewing to the server that provides them (see below).
5. Services the app connects to
Forage connects to the services below. Each one sees your IP address, as with any internet request, along with the information listed. We don't control these services; their own privacy policies apply.
| Service | When | What it receives |
|---|---|---|
| OpenFreeMap (OpenStreetMap data) | Drawing the default map, and downloading offline regions | Which map tiles you load, which shows the general area you're viewing |
| USGS The National Map | When you use a USGS basemap or layer | Which map tiles you load |
| OpenStreetMap tile servers | Only if you choose the OpenStreetMap basemap | Which map tiles you load |
| Bureau of Land Management, USDA Forest Service, and the U.S. federal GeoPlatform (ArcGIS servers) | Premium land and habitat overlays (public land, burn scars, forest type) | Which overlay tiles or images you load |
| Bureau of Land Management | Public-land overlay on, and you tap the map to ask who manages the land | The coordinate you tapped |
| Open-Meteo | Premium spot conditions and “probably ready” alerts, including periodic checks in the background when alerts are on | Coordinates rounded to a grid cell about 10 km (0.1°) across. Never a spot's exact location. |
| Apple App Store or Google Play | Buying, restoring or checking a purchase | Handled by Apple or Google under your store account (see Purchases) |
Privacy policies: OpenStreetMap Foundation, OpenFreeMap, USGS, U.S. Department of the Interior (BLM), USDA, Open-Meteo, Apple, Google.
6. Purchases
Premium and Pro are sold through the Apple App Store and Google Play. Apple or Google processes the payment. We never receive your name, email, card or other payment details. The app asks the store whether you have an active purchase so it can unlock features, and remembers the answer on your device.
7. The on-device assistant
The Premium assistant answers questions about your own spots and visits. It runs entirely on your device: Apple's on-device Foundation Models on supported iPhones running iOS 26 or later, Gemini Nano on supported Android devices, or otherwise a simple rule-based answerer built into the app. Your questions and its answers are not sent to us or to any server.
8. Notifications
Notifications, such as “probably ready” alerts, are created on your device. We don't use push notification services and can't send you messages.
9. Exports and sharing
You can export your spots as GeoJSON, share a spot, print a walk handout as a PDF, or export harvest records as CSV. These only go where you send them, using your device's share sheet. A shared spot includes its name, coordinates and a map link. Once you share something, the app you shared it to handles it under its own terms.
10. Permissions
- Location: to show your position, save spots and record walks, as described above.
- Camera and photos: to take or attach photos of your spots. Photos stay on your device.
- Notifications: for alerts you turn on.
You can change these at any time in your device settings. The app still works without them, with fewer features.
11. Keeping and deleting your data
Your data stays on your device until you delete it. You can delete individual spots, photos and records in the app. Uninstalling Forage deletes everything it stored. There is no account to close and no copy on any server of ours. Copies in your own device backups or exports are under your control.
12. Children
Forage is not directed at children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect information from anyone. Foraging carries real risks; children should forage only with a knowledgeable adult.
13. Your rights
Depending on where you live, laws such as the GDPR or California's privacy laws give you rights to access, correct or delete personal information and to opt out of its sale. Because we don't collect or hold personal information about you, there is nothing for us to access, correct, delete or sell. You control all of your data directly on your device. For data held by Apple, Google or the services listed above, contact them directly. You are always welcome to email us with questions.
14. Changes to this policy
If the app starts handling information differently, we will update this policy and its effective date before the change takes effect.
15. Contact
Questions about privacy: support@foragejournal.app.