Privacy Policy

Last updated: June 30, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how Handicap Tracker (the "app") and the website at handicaptracker.app handle your information. Handicap Tracker is a golf handicap tracker for iPhone. It has no account and no developer-run server: the courses and rounds you enter stay on your device and sync only through your own private iCloud. The app is free and supported by ads, so a limited amount of data is handled by Google to serve ads and to measure app usage, as described below.

1. Who we are (data controller)

Handicap Tracker is published by Corey Smith, an independent developer, who is the data controller for the limited personal data described in this policy. You can reach us at support@handicaptracker.app for any privacy question or request.

2. What data is involved

2.1 Golf data you enter

The courses, rounds, scores, and related details you enter are stored on your device. If you're signed in to iCloud, they also sync to your own private iCloud (CloudKit) container. This data is not sent to a server run by the developer, and the developer cannot read your private iCloud data.

2.2 Advertising data

The app shows ads through Google AdMob. To request and display ads, Google may process:

• Your device's advertising identifier (IDFA) — only if you allow tracking through Apple's App Tracking Transparency prompt; if you don't, the IDFA is unavailable (all zeros).
• The Identifier for Vendors (IDFV) and general device and ad-request information (device model, operating system, language, coarse/approximate location derived from IP address, and IP address).
• Information used to serve, cap, and measure ads, and — where you have consented — to personalize them.
• Limited crash and performance diagnostics generated by Google's advertising and analytics SDKs to keep the service working reliably. This diagnostic data is not linked to your identity.

2.3 Analytics

The app uses Google Analytics for Firebase to understand how the app is used so it can be improved. This includes a Firebase app-instance identifier, the IDFV, app events and screen views, app version, device model, operating system, and network type. We do not use this data to identify you personally.

3. How data is used & legal bases

The data above is used to:

• Run the app's core features — store your courses and rounds and calculate your Handicap Index, Course Handicap, and Score Differentials on your device.
• Show ads to keep the app free, including personalized ads where you've consented.
• Measure and improve the app through usage analytics and the crash/performance diagnostics our advertising and analytics providers collect.
• Protect the service against fraud, abuse, and technical problems.

For users in the European Economic Area (EEA), the United Kingdom, and Switzerland, the legal bases are:

• Consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR), where required, for any use of your device's advertising identifier for tracking — obtained through Apple's App Tracking Transparency prompt. You can withdraw it at any time (see Section 5).
• Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR) for serving non-personalized ads, basic measurement, analytics, security, and fraud prevention, where these interests are not overridden by your rights.
• Performance of your request for on-device features you actively use.

No decisions producing legal or similarly significant effects are made about you by automated means.

4. Who receives data

The app shares data with the following providers, each acting under its own terms:

• Google (AdMob) — serves and measures ads. Google and its ad partners may use cookies, device identifiers, and IP address to serve ads, including personalized ads based on your prior activity in this and other apps and sites (where consented). See Google's Privacy Policy and "How Google uses information from sites or apps that use our services."
• Google (Firebase / Analytics) — app usage analytics. Google processes this as our service provider. See Google's Firebase privacy information.
• Apple (iCloud / CloudKit) — stores and syncs your courses and rounds in your own private iCloud container as a processor of your data on Apple's infrastructure. See Apple's Privacy Policy.

We do not sell your personal data. Data may be disclosed if required by law, or in connection with a business transfer, in which case we'll keep this policy's commitments or notify you of changes.

5. Ads, tracking & your choices

Advertising and tracking are optional and never gate any feature of the app — Handicap Tracker works fully either way.

• App Tracking Transparency (all regions). iOS asks whether the app may track you across other companies' apps and websites. "Tracking" here means use of the IDFA for cross-app/site advertising. If you don't allow it, the IDFA is unavailable and you'll see only non-personalized ads. You can change this anytime in Settings → Privacy & Security → Tracking, and you can reset your advertising identifier there as well.
• Ad personalization (EEA, UK, Switzerland). Where local law requires consent for personalized advertising and that consent is not available, you are shown only non-personalized ads. You can also limit ad personalization directly through Apple's App Tracking Transparency setting above and Google's controls below.

You can also opt out of personalized advertising more broadly:

• Google's Ad Settings.
• The DAA's aboutads.info and the NAI's opt-out page.
• iOS Settings → Privacy & Security → Tracking (turn off "Allow Apps to Request to Track") and reset your Advertising Identifier.

To opt out of Firebase analytics, you can decline tracking, reset your advertising identifier, and use the controls in Google Ad Settings.

6. Your golf data & iCloud

Your courses and rounds are stored on your device and, if you're signed in to iCloud, in your own private iCloud (CloudKit) container. There is no developer-operated backend that holds a copy of this data, and the developer cannot read your private iCloud data.

7. International data transfers

Our providers (Google and Apple) operate globally, and data — including for users in the EEA, UK, and Switzerland — may be processed in the United States and other countries. Where required, these transfers rely on safeguards such as the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses and applicable Data Privacy Framework certifications incorporated into Google's and Apple's data-processing terms.

8. Retention & deletion

Your golf data is kept until you delete it. You can:

• Delete individual rounds or courses in the app.
• Delete the app to remove its on-device data.
• Remove the synced iCloud copy from Settings → [your name] → iCloud → Manage Account Storage on your device.

Because there is no developer-run account, there is no server-side profile for us to export or erase on request. Advertising and analytics data held by Google is retained according to Google's policies (for example, Firebase Analytics event data is retained for a limited period set in the analytics configuration), after which it is deleted or aggregated.

9. Your privacy rights

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, restrict, or object to processing of your personal data, to data portability, and to withdraw consent at any time without affecting prior processing. EEA/UK/Swiss users also have the right to lodge a complaint with their local data protection authority.

Because most of your data lives only on your device and your private iCloud, you can exercise much of this directly (see Section 8). For requests about advertising or analytics data, contact us at support@handicaptracker.app and we'll help, including directing you to the relevant Google or Apple controls. We aim to respond within 30 days.

10. California notice (CCPA/CPRA)

If you are a California resident, the categories of personal information involved are identifiers (such as device and advertising identifiers and IP address) and internet/app activity (usage and analytics events). This information is used for the purposes in Section 3 and disclosed to the providers in Section 4.

We do not "sell" personal information for money. However, using third-party advertising can be considered "sharing" personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising under California law. You can exercise your right to opt out of this "sharing" using the in-app tracking and ad-consent controls and the opt-outs in Section 5. You have the right to know, delete, correct, and to non-discrimination for exercising these rights. To make a request, contact support@handicaptracker.app.

11. Children

Handicap Tracker is a general-audience app intended for golfers. It is not directed to children, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children or serve them personalized ads. Advertising is configured for a general, non-child-directed audience.

12. This website

The website at handicaptracker.app is a simple, static informational site. It does not use advertising or analytics cookies and does not track you. Your color-theme choice is stored only in your browser's local storage on your own device. This site is separate from the in-app data flows described above.

13. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Material changes will be reflected here with a new "Last updated" date. Continued use of the app or website after an update means you accept the revised policy.

14. Contact

Questions or requests about this policy or your data? Email support@handicaptracker.app.