HiveBuddy privacy policy
Last updated: 8 November 2026 · Version 1.0
HiveBuddy is a beekeeping record-keeping app made by AutoDash-Pro Ltd ("we", "us"). This policy explains what information HiveBuddy handles, why, and the choices you have. We've written it in plain English. The short version:
- Your records are yours. They're stored on your iPhone and work without an account or a connection.
- If you choose to sign in, your records are copied to our secure cloud storage in London so they sync between your devices.
- We don't sell your data, and we don't use advertising trackers. Sponsors never receive your records or your location.
Who is responsible for your data
AutoDash-Pro Ltd is the data controller for personal data processed through the HiveBuddy cloud service. Contact: info@hivebuddy.co.uk.
Information kept only on your device
Unless you sign in, everything stays on your iPhone:
- Your apiaries, hives, colonies, queens, inspections, treatments, feeds, tasks, equipment, harvests, and income and expenses.
- Photos you add to inspections. HiveBuddy removes location data from photos when you add them.
- Apiary locations, if you choose to record one. HiveBuddy asks for location access only when you tap "Use my current location", takes a single reading, and never tracks you in the background.
- Voice inspections (Pro). Speech is turned into text on your iPhone using Apple's on-device speech recognition. No audio is recorded or kept, and no audio or text is sent to us, to Apple or to anyone else. The text becomes part of your inspection notes.
- Lesson progress and quiz scores, and counts of how often sponsor cards were shown. Sponsor counts stay on your device and aren't linked to you.
- Crash and performance reports from Apple's MetricKit. These stay on your device unless you choose to share one with us from Settings. They don't include your hive records.
Backups you create in Settings are files that you control and save wherever you choose, for example iCloud Drive. iCloud is covered by Apple's privacy policy.
Information processed if you sign in and use cloud sync
| What | Why | Legal basis (UK GDPR) |
|---|---|---|
| Your sign-in identifier: your Apple ID's email or Apple's private relay email, or the email address you sign in with, plus an account ID | To create your account and keep your records separate and secure | Contract: providing the service you asked for |
| The records listed above, except photos, voice and diagnostics. This includes apiary locations if you recorded them | To back up and sync your records between your devices, and with people you choose to share a workspace with | Contract |
| Technical data our cloud provider needs to run the service, such as IP address, device and app version, and security and anti-abuse signals (Firebase App Check) | To keep the service secure and working | Legitimate interests: security and reliability |
Photos are not uploaded in this version. They stay on your device and in your backups.
Subscriptions and purchases
HiveBuddy Pro is sold through Apple's App Store. Apple handles payment, and we never see your card or bank details. To give you Pro features, the app and our service receive information about your subscription from Apple, such as the product, its status and expiry date, and a transaction ID, and link it to your account. Legal basis: contract.
Sponsors and the Marketplace
The free plan may show a small number of clearly labelled sponsor cards. They're chosen using the screen you're on and the general region, not by tracking you. We never share your records, location or identity with sponsors. Opening a Marketplace or sponsor link takes you to that company's website, where its own privacy policy applies. Pro subscribers see no sponsor cards.
Who processes your data for us
- Google (Firebase): sign-in, cloud database and security checks. Data is stored in the europe-west2 (London) region. Google may process some service data in other countries, protected by the UK's approved safeguards (the International Data Transfer Addendum and standard contractual clauses).
- Apple: Sign in with Apple, App Store purchases, and (on your device) speech recognition and diagnostics.
We don't sell or rent personal data, and we don't share it with advertisers or data brokers.
How long we keep data
We keep cloud data for as long as you have an account. If you delete your account (in the app: Settings → Account → Delete account), we delete your account and cloud records within 30 days, apart from anything we must keep by law. Records on your device stay there until you delete the app or your records. Subscription records are kept as long as needed for accounting and legal obligations.
Your rights
Under UK data protection law you can ask to access, correct, delete or receive a copy of your personal data, and to object to or restrict some processing. You can export all your records yourself at any time (Settings → Export). To make a request, email info@hivebuddy.co.uk. If you're unhappy with how we handle your data, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ico.org.uk).
Children
HiveBuddy isn't directed at children under 13, and we don't knowingly create accounts for them. Younger beekeepers should use the app with a parent or guardian.
Security
Data is encrypted in transit and at rest by our cloud provider. Access to each workspace is limited to its members by server-side security rules. On your device, your records are protected by iOS data protection.
Changes to this policy
If we make significant changes, we'll update the date above and tell you in the app before the change takes effect.