Privacy Policy

Last updated: April 7, 2026

Your countdown data stays on your device. Countie stores all your events locally using SwiftData. Premium users can optionally sync via iCloud. There are no analytics, no advertising, and no third-party tracking.

1. Introduction

Countie is a premium countdown app for iOS designed with privacy as a core principle. The app works 100% offline, stores your data locally on your device, and only syncs data to your private iCloud account if you are a premium subscriber with iCloud enabled. This privacy policy explains what data the app stores, how it is stored, and your rights regarding that data.

2. What Data We Store

Countie stores the following data that you create and generate through normal use of the app:

  • Countdowns: Title, target date, notes, display format, theme, pin/archive status, repeat rule, creation and update dates.
  • Categories: Name, icon, color, sort order.
  • Background images: Custom images you assign to countdowns, stored as data on-device.
  • Notification preferences: Per-countdown reminder offsets and global notification frequency.
  • App preferences: Theme, accent color, display format defaults, premium status.

All of this data is created by you through your use of the app. Countie does not collect data from external sources or third parties.

3. How Data Is Stored

Your countdown data is stored in two places:

  • Locally on your device using Apple's SwiftData framework. This data is available even when you have no internet connection.
  • In your private iCloud account (premium feature) via Apple's CloudKit service, enabling sync across all your Apple devices signed into the same Apple ID.

Free users' data is stored exclusively on-device. No data leaves the device unless you are a premium subscriber with iCloud enabled.

4. CloudKit and iCloud (Premium)

Premium subscribers with iCloud enabled on their device have their data synced to Apple's CloudKit servers. Important details:

  • Private Database: All your countdowns, categories, and preferences are stored in your private CloudKit database. Only you can access it.
  • Shared Database: If you use the shared countdowns feature, only the specific countdowns you choose to share are accessible to the people you invite via CKShare. Your other countdowns, categories, and preferences are never shared.
  • Data is encrypted in transit and at rest by Apple.
  • The developers of Countie cannot read, access, or view your private countdown data.
  • Apple's infrastructure handles all data storage and encryption. Apple's own privacy policy applies: apple.com/privacy

If you disable iCloud for Countie or are on the free tier, no data leaves your device.

5. Calendar and Reminders Integration

Countie can optionally import events from your Apple Calendar and Apple Reminders to create countdowns. Important details:

  • Countie requests read-only access to your Calendar and Reminders. It never creates, modifies, or deletes your calendar events or reminders.
  • Permissions are requested only when you choose to import events or reminders.
  • Only the event title and date are imported to create a countdown. No attendees, locations, or other event metadata are stored.
  • A source identifier is stored to avoid duplicate imports, but no ongoing sync occurs — the import is a one-time operation.
  • Calendar and Reminders integration is entirely optional. The app works fully without it.

6. Notifications

Countie uses local notifications to remind you about upcoming events. Important details:

  • All notifications are scheduled locally on your device using Apple's UserNotifications framework.
  • No push notification server is used. No tokens are sent to any server.
  • Notification content (countdown title and time remaining) stays on your device.
  • You can disable notifications at any time in your device's Settings or within the app.

7. In-App Purchases

Countie offers a one-time premium purchase through Apple's StoreKit framework. Important details:

  • All purchase processing is handled by Apple. The developer does not receive or store your payment information.
  • A boolean flag indicating premium status is stored locally on your device.
  • Purchase receipts are validated through Apple's on-device verification. No receipt data is sent to developer-controlled servers.

8. Local-Only Settings

The following preferences are stored locally on your device using UserDefaults and are not synced via CloudKit:

  • Default display format
  • Default theme and accent color
  • Notification frequency
  • Premium unlock status

These settings remain on the device where they were configured.

9. What We Do Not Collect

Countie does not use or include:

  • Analytics SDKs (no Firebase, no Mixpanel, no Google Analytics)
  • Crash reporting SDKs (no Crashlytics, no Sentry)
  • Advertising frameworks or identifiers
  • Location services
  • Access to contacts or photos (beyond background images you explicitly choose)
  • Third-party data sharing of any kind
  • Cross-app or cross-site tracking
  • Apple Health or HealthKit

No data is sent to any server other than Apple's iCloud infrastructure for the sole purpose of syncing your data across your devices (premium feature only).

10. Data Deletion

You have full control over your data:

  • Delete individual countdowns directly within the app. Deletions sync across all your devices if iCloud is enabled.
  • Delete categories within the app. Countdowns in that category are preserved but uncategorized.
  • Uninstalling the app removes all local data from that device. iCloud data persists in your iCloud account until you manually delete it through iCloud settings.

11. Children's Privacy

Countie is rated 4+ and is suitable for users of all ages. The app does not require accounts or registration. Shared countdown features (premium) are by invitation only and do not expose personal information. There is no special data collection for children.

12. Your Rights by Jurisdiction

European Union / EEA (GDPR)

Your data is processed on-device and, for premium users, synced through Apple's CloudKit to your private iCloud container. The developer does not have server-side access to your data.

Data controller: Mike Pulgar Olguin, individual developer, Spain.

Legal basis: Legitimate interest (app functionality). No personal data is transmitted to or processed by the developer.

Your rights under GDPR:

Right of access to your data (exercised directly on your device)
Right to rectification (edit your data within the app)
Right to erasure (delete countdowns or uninstall the app)
Right to data portability
Right to object to processing
Right to restriction of processing

To exercise any right, contact: mpulgar.olguin@gmail.com

Supervisory authority: You have the right to lodge a complaint with the Agencia Española de Protección de Datos (AEPD), C/ Jorge Juan, 6, 28001 Madrid, Spain.

International transfers: No personal data is transferred outside your device. If iCloud sync is enabled (premium), Apple manages transfers under its own Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs).

Data retention: Data is retained on your device for as long as the app is installed. Deletion is immediate when you delete countdowns or uninstall the app.

United Kingdom (UK GDPR)

UK residents have the same rights as listed above under GDPR. The relevant supervisory authority is the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, SK9 5AF, United Kingdom.

California, USA (CCPA/CPRA)

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act:

  • We do not sell personal information.
  • We do not share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising.
  • We do not use or disclose sensitive personal information for purposes beyond those authorized by the CCPA.
  • Categories of personal information collected: None.

California residents have the right to know, delete, and opt-out of the sale of personal information. Since we collect no data, these rights are inherently fulfilled.

Brazil (LGPD)

Brazilian residents have rights to confirmation, access, correction, anonymization, deletion, and portability of personal data. Since no personal data is collected or processed by the developer, these rights are inherently fulfilled.

Canada (PIPEDA)

Canadian residents are protected under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act. Countie complies with PIPEDA's fair information principles: no personal information is collected, and the purpose of on-device data storage is solely for app functionality.

South Africa (POPIA)

South African residents may contact the Information Regulator for privacy concerns. No personal information is processed by the developer.

Japan (APPI)

No personal information is acquired, used, or provided to third parties by the developer. All data processing occurs exclusively on the user's device.

13. Changes to This Policy

If this privacy policy is updated, the revised version will be published at this URL and included in a future app update. The "Last updated" date at the top will reflect the change. Continued use of the app after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

14. Contact

If you have questions about this privacy policy or wish to exercise your data rights:

Developer: Mike Pulgar Olguin (individual developer), Spain.