Privacy Policy — TapStash

Last updated: 2026-10-08 Effective date: 2026-04-14

TapStash is developed and operated by ArdinGate Studios LLC ("we", "our", "us"). This policy explains what data TapStash collects, how it is used, and your rights as a user.

The short version

TapStash stores everything on your device. Cloud sync is optional: on iPhone it uses your own iCloud account, and on Android it uses your Google account with our Firebase backend, where your inventory is stored end-to-end encrypted. We collect anonymous crash reports. We do not run ads, track you, or sell your data. Your inventory is yours.

What data TapStash accesses

NFC hardware

TapStash reads NFC tag IDs to link physical storage containers to your inventory records. Tag IDs are stored locally in the app's database. We never transmit tag data off your device.

Camera

TapStash uses your camera to photograph the contents of your storage containers. Photos are stored in the app's private local storage directory. We never upload photos to any server.

Photo library

TapStash can import photos from your photo library to attach to inventory records. Imported photos are copied to the app's private local storage. We never read your photo library for any other purpose.

Local storage

TapStash uses an on-device SQLite database to store your totes, items, tags, photos, and NFC tag associations. No portion of this database is transmitted to any external service by the app.

Automatic backups

TapStash creates automatic backup files (JSON snapshots) each time the app moves to the background. These files are stored in your device's local documents directory. They are not uploaded anywhere unless you explicitly share them using the in-app export feature.

App preferences

TapStash stores UI preferences (selected theme, selected font, sort order) using your device's local AsyncStorage. These are never transmitted off your device.

Optional cloud sync and household sharing

Sync is off until you sign in from Settings.

• iPhone (Sign in with Apple + iCloud): your inventory and photos sync through your own private iCloud (CloudKit and iCloud Drive). Apple holds that data under your Apple account; it never reaches our servers.
• Android (Google Sign-In): signing in creates an account in our Firebase project (Google) holding your Google account ID, email address and name, and your synced data is stored in Firestore under that account. Your totes are encrypted on your device before upload; we cannot read them. We also store a device record (a random device ID, the device's name, platform and last sync time) so your devices can sync. Photos are encrypted and stored in a hidden app folder in your own Google Drive.
• Household sharing: invite codes and the members you invite are stored alongside your synced data so the people you invite can read it.

Crash reporting (Sentry)

TapStash uses Sentry (sentry.io) for crash reporting. If the app crashes or encounters an unexpected error, Sentry may collect:

• The type and message of the error
• A stack trace indicating where in the app code the error occurred
• Basic device information (device model, OS version, app version)
• No personally identifiable information, no inventory data, no photos

Sentry's privacy policy is available at https://sentry.io/privacy/

What we do NOT collect

• No account information unless you turn on Android cloud sync (above)
• No location data
• No contacts
• No advertising identifiers
• No analytics or behavioral tracking
• No readable inventory content: item names, descriptions and photos leave your device only through optional sync, and only encrypted (Android) or into your own iCloud (iPhone)

Data sharing

We do not sell, rent, or share your data with third parties, except:

• Sentry — receives crash reports as described above, solely to help us fix bugs
• Google (Firebase and Google Drive) — hosts Android cloud sync on our behalf, as described above

We do not share data with advertisers, data brokers, or any other party.

Data retention and deletion

Data on your device is removed when you delete the app (the local database, photos, backup files and preferences).

Android cloud sync: Settings → Delete cloud account deletes your synced data and your Drive photo folder contents and deletes your TapStash cloud account and disconnects TapStash from your Google account. iPhone sync data lives in your own iCloud; remove it in iOS Settings → [your name] → iCloud.

Crash reports are kept by Sentry for its standard retention period and contain no personal information.

Children's privacy

TapStash does not knowingly collect any information from children under 13. The app does not require an account, and optional sync is not directed at children.

Changes to this policy

If we make material changes to this privacy policy, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this document. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

Contact

If you have questions about this privacy policy, contact us at:

ArdinGate Studios LLC Contact: https://studios.ardingate.com/contact/

This privacy policy applies to TapStash on iOS and Android.