Privacy Policy

1. How the app works

The app requires no user account and runs no developer server for your countdown, camera or party data. It contains no advertising, tracking SDKs or developer-operated usage analytics. These features do not send photos, videos, audio recordings or AR data to the developer.

Apple processes data for its own services, such as downloads and purchases; see section 7.

2. Settings and devices

Display style, theme, selected city/time zone, personal New Year greeting, camera settings and verified Pro and tip unlocks are stored on your device. The app, widgets and iMessage extension share some of this local storage. Theme, time zone, greeting and Pro, tip and gold status are exchanged with a paired Apple Watch using Apple's WatchConnectivity.

The app does not request your location; it uses the device time zone or your selection. Widgets and Live Activities may display the countdown and your greeting on locked devices.

3. Camera, microphone and photos

Camera images and, when audio recording is enabled, microphone audio are processed on your device for photo, video and AR features you start. Camera and microphone access each require system permission.

Without permission, the relevant feature is limited; the regular countdown remains available. Photo library permission is requested only to add your recordings; the app does not read your existing library. Results are saved there only when you choose to save to Photos.

Sharing uses the app or service you select.

4. AR room, AR selfie and TrueDepth face data

AR room. ARKit processes camera images, device motion and detected surfaces on your device to place effects in your surroundings. The app does not persist separate spatial maps or transmit them to the developer or third parties.

Face data and purpose. When you start AR selfie and allow camera access, the app uses Apple ARKit face tracking, including the TrueDepth camera on supported devices. It processes face position and orientation, a three-dimensional face mesh, eye positions and facial expression values (blend shapes), such as opening your mouth, smiling, puffing your cheeks or pursing your lips. Temporary ARKit face identifiers keep effects aligned with the respective face when several people are visible. This data is used only to fit, position, hide and animate the masks, accessories and effects you select. It is not used to identify people, create persistent biometric profiles, track people across sessions, serve advertising, perform marketing or analytics, or train AI models.

Processing and sharing. Face-tracking data is processed locally on your device. The app does not upload, sell or share the face mesh, eye positions, expression values or face-tracking identifiers with the developer or any third party, including advertising, analytics or AI services. No external server processes this face-tracking data.

Storage and retention. Face-tracking data and the rendering geometry derived from it are held only in volatile device memory; the app does not write them to files, a database, cloud storage or backups. Their purpose is to maintain the live effects. Leaving AR selfie pauses tracking. A paused session can retain its last frame and rendering geometry in memory until the session and associated rendering objects are reset or released; this memory does not survive termination of the app process. There is no persistent face-tracking record for the developer to retain or delete.

Photos and videos you create. If you take a photo or record a video, the rendered image or video can show your face, expressions and surroundings. The app does not attach the underlying face mesh, eye positions, blend-shape values or tracking identifiers as separate data to these recordings. Photos remain in memory for preview and editing; video files and exports can remain in the app’s temporary directory until the system cleans it or the app data is deleted. Saving to Photos or sharing with an app or service happens at your request. Those actions share the visible recording, not the underlying face-tracking data. Saved or shared copies remain until you delete them in the respective app or service; iCloud Photos and backups depend on your system settings. See sections 3, 7 and 10.

Your control. You can stop face tracking by leaving AR selfie and prevent further camera access by revoking the app’s camera permission in device settings. Terminating the app process releases its volatile face-tracking state. Delete saved or shared photos and videos separately in Photos or the receiving service. The regular countdown does not require camera access. For privacy questions, contact support@neuendorf.dev.

5. Party links, QR codes and iMessage

A party invitation contains the target time and, where applicable, time zone, theme, personal greeting, Pro/gold effect unlock information and a technical verification signature. These details are in the link or QR code and can be read by anyone with access; the signature does not encrypt them. iMessage countdowns contain the target time, city and a preview image. Recipients and the services you choose for sending receive the shared content.

An App Clip link leads to Apple, which processes the invocation and download. Devices calculate the party countdown from the invitation; the developer does not operate a party server.

6. Notifications and Live Activities

Reminders are scheduled locally on your device after you grant permission. Live Activities are started and updated on the device; the app uses no developer-operated push server. You can change permissions and lock-screen visibility in system settings.

7. App Store, purchases and Apple services

Downloads, Pro purchases, tips, restoration and purchase verification use Apple services. The app processes product and transaction information supplied by Apple, including product identifiers, purchase/revocation status and the original app version, to verify and provide unlocks. Purchase checks may run when the app starts.

The developer does not receive payment details or Apple Account credentials through the app. Apple is responsible for processing data for its services, which may include processing outside the EU/EEA. Apple's privacy policy explains recipients, international transfers, safeguards and retention.

Depending on your system settings, iCloud Photos, device backups or sharing diagnostics with Apple and app developers may also be enabled.

Apple’s privacy policy

8. Support and external links

If you contact support@neuendorf.dev, your email address, message and any details or files you voluntarily include are processed to handle your request. The email service providers involved process the data needed for delivery and operation. Please include only the information needed for your request.

When you open an external link, the website provider receives connection data such as your IP address; its privacy policy applies.

9. Purposes and legal bases

Where personal data is needed to provide app features or unlocks you request, or to handle contract-related enquiries, processing is based on Article 6(1)(b) GDPR. Optional access to the camera, microphone and Photos is based on your consent under Article 6(1)(a). General support enquiries are handled under Article 6(1)(f); the legitimate interest is answering your enquiry and resolving technical issues.

Legally required retention is based on Article 6(1)(c). Storing and reading settings necessary for expressly requested features falls under section 25(2)(2) of Germany's TDDDG; further device access requires consent. Optional details and permissions are not required by law.

Without necessary data or permissions, some optional features or the handling of an enquiry may be unavailable.

10. Retention and deletion

Settings and unlock status remain locally until changed or the relevant app data is deleted. Shared data may remain while a related extension is installed; Apple Watch data is managed separately on the watch. Photos are processed in memory for preview and editing; video recordings and exports may remain in the app's temporary directory until the system cleans it or app data is deleted.

Immediate deletion when closing the preview is not guaranteed. Delete media saved to Photos or shared elsewhere, messages and backups in the respective service; deleting the app does not remove these copies. Support data is deleted once the enquiry has been resolved and no statutory retention duties or reasons necessary to establish or defend legal claims remain.

11. Your rights

Subject to the legal conditions, you have rights of access, rectification, erasure, restriction of processing and data portability (Articles 15–20 GDPR). You may withdraw consent at any time for the future, including by revoking permissions in system settings; prior processing remains lawful. For processing based on Article 6(1)(f), you may object on grounds relating to your particular situation (Article 21).

Contact support@neuendorf.dev to exercise these rights. The developer cannot access data stored only on your device. The app does not carry out profiling or automated decisions with legal or similarly significant effects.

You may complain to a data protection authority (Article 77), particularly where you live, work or believe an infringement occurred. The authority at the provider's location is the State Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information of Baden-Württemberg.

Data protection authority of Baden-Württemberg

12. Visiting this webpage

When you open this privacy policy, the web server processes connection data needed to deliver the page, including your IP address, access time, requested file and browser and operating system details. This serves page delivery and secure, reliable operation (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR). Technical logs are retained only as long as needed for operation and security or required by law.

This static page uses no cookies, analytics tools, externally loaded fonts or scripts. Further details about website operation are available in the privacy policy for neuendorf.dev (in German).

Website privacy policy (German)