Privacy Policy

Lodeline keeps your personal data on your device by default. Creating an account is required. There is no advertising and no third-party advertising or analytics trackers. Lodeline does run one small server of its own, used for the optional Lodeline+ AI features and (when you choose) cloud backup described below. Nothing else you do in the app touches it.

Photos and locations

Photos you import, the GPS coordinates read from them, your saved waypoints, your notes, and any attached photos are stored only in Lodeline's local storage on your device. They are never uploaded, except for the specific, optional cases described under "AI features" below.

Terrain images

To draw terrain, Lodeline sends a single map location (a bounding box around your point) to the U.S. Geological Survey 3DEP / The National Map public image service. No personal information, photo, or account is sent. Only the coordinates needed to fetch the public terrain image are sent.

AI features (off until you use them)

Lodeline's AI features (the AI Geologist, including its photo analysis, Area Intel, the AI trip planner, AI log structuring, and rock photo descriptions) are optional. Most need Lodeline+. Rock photo descriptions need Lodeline Pro. They are off until you open one of them. Nothing is sent until you open the feature. When you use an AI feature, Lodeline sends a small, structured description of the terrain context to Lodeline's own server, which forwards it to a third-party AI provider to generate the reply. What is sent depends on the feature: for the AI Geologist, the coordinates of the point you are viewing, the active terrain layer, and the favorability factors and score for that point; the coordinates are also used to look up nearby public USGS mining records (MRDS) and the host-rock geology at that spot, which are included as context; for the trip planner, the coordinates and names of the high- and moderate-favorability waypoints you chose to plan, plus the distances between them calculated on your device; for Area Intel, the center and size of the area you analyze, its dominant geology, and the ranked stream reaches found there (their names, coordinates, and favorability data); for the AI Geologist chat, a photo you choose to attach to a message, with its location and other metadata removed on your device before upload; for a rock photo you ask to describe, that photo plus a place (from the photo, this device, or the map center), with location and other metadata removed from the image on your device before upload; and when you use AI log structuring, the text transcript of your dictated note. The audio itself never leaves your device.

We never send your photo library, your waypoint photos, or a photo you did not ask to describe or attach. A rock photo is sent only when you ask to describe that photo. Nothing is sent automatically. We never send your whole waypoint list, your notes, or any advertising identifier. Email is used only for sign-in.

To keep AI usage fair, your app sends an anonymous, randomly generated install identifier with each AI request. It is not your name, email, phone, or device serial; it is a random value Lodeline created and can be reset by clearing the app's data or reinstalling.

What our server keeps

Our goal is to store none of your AI request content. The terrain context, any photo you attach or ask to describe, and any transcript you send are processed to generate the reply and are not stored by us. A saved rock report, including its photo, stays on your device. Our server keeps short-lived operational logs (status, latency, token counts; never your request content, coordinates, or the generated text) and a per-install usage counter so we can enforce a daily AI limit. We do not build a profile of you, and we do not sell or share your data for advertising.

AI processor

A third-party AI provider processes the request to generate the reply on our behalf, under their terms. We send only the structured context above, plus a photo or transcript when you explicitly include one or ask for a rock photo to be described.

Account and cloud backup

Cloud backup is part of Lodeline+. When you sign in and turn backup on, Lodeline syncs the waypoints, trips, tracks, and dig-log entries you choose to keep safe across devices. An account is required to use Lodeline. Cloud backup remains optional with Lodeline+.

Permissions

Media location lets Lodeline read the original GPS tag from photos you choose. Location powers the live map that shows where you are. Internet is used to fetch terrain images and, for Lodeline+ users, to reach the AI features and cloud backup. Lodeline does not track you in the background.

Deleting your Lodeline account

If you created a Lodeline account (Apple, Google, Facebook, or email sign-in), you can delete it in the app: Settings → Account → Delete account. This permanently removes your account (email address and user ID) and wipes every record backed up to our servers: waypoints, trips, tracks, and dig-log entries. You can add an optional note about why you are leaving. We keep that note without your name, email, or account id. Nothing else from the account is retained. Waypoints, tracks, and photos already on the phone stay on that phone until you delete them or uninstall. If you can no longer access the app, email admin@lodeline.app from your sign-in address and we will delete the account and its data for you.

Deleting your data

Uninstalling Lodeline removes all local data. You can delete individual waypoints and photos in the app at any time. To reset your anonymous AI install identifier, clear the app's data or reinstall. Signed-in users can turn off cloud backup or delete individual synced items in the app; to request deletion of server-side records without deleting your account (including the transient per-install AI usage counters), email admin@lodeline.app.

Children

Lodeline is not directed at children under 13.

Contact

Questions about this policy: admin@lodeline.app.