Privacy Policy — Northstar

Last updated: 2026-04-25 Effective date: 2026-04-25

Who we are

Northstar is an iOS app developed and published by Frederik Dengler (“we”, “us”).

Questions about this policy? Write to us at: frederik.dengler@brickfox.com

The short version

Your data stays on your device. We never see it. We never collect it.

What data Northstar stores

Northstar stores the content you enter:

• Your goal titles and descriptions
• Notes, resources, and obstacles you add to each goal
• Stakeholder names you associate with goals
• Your progress log entries
• App preferences (language, appearance, reminder settings)

All of this lives in a private database on your iPhone. Nothing is sent to a server. There is no server.

How your data is protected

Your data is stored using Apple’s SwiftData framework inside the app’s private sandbox. We set the file protection level to NSFileProtectionComplete, which means the database is encrypted and only accessible while your device is unlocked.

In plain terms: if your phone is locked, the data cannot be read — not by other apps, not by us, not by anyone without your passcode.

Data we do not collect

• We do not collect your name, email address, or any account information (there are no accounts).
• We do not collect device identifiers or advertising IDs.
• We do not run analytics.
• We do not collect crash reports that contain your content.
• We do not use any third-party SDKs that could phone home.

Local notifications

Northstar can send you reminders about your goals. These notifications are scheduled locally on your device by iOS and processed entirely on-device. No notification data passes through our servers.

You control notification permissions in iOS Settings → Northstar. You can also manage or disable reminders for each goal individually inside the app.

Required Reason APIs

Apple requires apps to declare why they use certain device APIs. Northstar uses:

• File timestamps (NSFileTimestamp) — to read and write the app’s local database files.
• UserDefaults — to store your app preferences: language choice, appearance, and whether you have seen the onboarding screen.

These declarations are published in Northstar’s Privacy Manifest (PrivacyInfo.xcprivacy), which Apple reviews as part of App Store approval.

Your rights (GDPR / DSGVO)

Even though your data never leaves your device, you have full control:

Export your data. Go to Settings → Export all data. You will receive a JSON file with all your goals and progress. You can save it, share it, or import it into another tool.

Delete your data. Go to Settings → Delete all data. This permanently removes everything: all goals, all progress, all preferences. The app returns to its initial state. This action cannot be undone.

Because there is no server and no account, there is nothing for us to delete on our end. Your device is the only place the data exists.

iCloud backups

If you have enabled iCloud backup on your device, Apple may include the Northstar database in your iCloud backup. This is governed by Apple’s Privacy Policy. We have no access to your iCloud backups.

Changes to this policy

If we make material changes to this policy, we will update the “Last updated” date at the top. We will not send push notifications about policy changes — if you want to stay informed, check this page occasionally.

Contact

Frederik Dengler frederik.dengler@brickfox.com

Northstar is a free app. There are no subscriptions, no in-app purchases, and no advertising.