Rock Identifier Privacy Policy

Last updated: September 16, 2026

This policy applies to Rock Identifier (also shown in the app as Field Kit). Rock Identifier helps you photograph rocks, minerals, crystals, gems, and fossils, identify them with AI, save specimens to your private collection, explore where species are found, and optionally share finds to a community map.

Summary

• Your saved rocks, photos, field notes, and exact find locations are stored locally on your device.
• Rock Identifier does not sell your data and does not use your photos for advertising.
• Identification sends a compressed photo you choose. Nothing is sent for analysis until you agree in the app.
• Before your first identification, Rock Identifier shows a consent screen that explains what is sent, who receives it, and asks for your permission. Identification cannot run without this.
• Exact GPS coordinates stay private on your device. Public community posts never include your exact location.
• Sharing to Finds is optional. You choose whether to include a photo, field note, and approximate area.

Information Stored on Your Device

Rock Identifier stores the information you create in the app on your device, including:

• Specimen photos and identification results (name, match confidence, field-guide details)
• Your private collection (My Rocks) and recent scans
• Field notes you add to saved specimens
• Exact find locations you choose to save (latitude and longitude)
• App preferences such as AI photo analysis consent, share-by-default, and weekly scan usage
• A random app-specific user identifier used only to associate your optional community posts

This local data remains on your device until you delete entries, reset app data, or uninstall the app.

Rock Photos and AI Identification

When you identify a rock, Rock Identifier uses the photo you capture or import. The photo is compressed on your device before it is sent. Identification does not include your name, account email, or exact GPS coordinates.

When you request identification, Rock Identifier sends the compressed photo to our backend, which forwards it through Cloudflare AI Gateway to OpenAI solely to return structured identification results. Results may include candidate names, confidence scores, specimen kind, and short visual notes about the photo.

We do not retain submitted identification images on our servers after the request completes. Cloudflare AI Gateway and OpenAI may process the image transiently to return the analysis response.

We do not sell, rent, or share your identification photos for advertising. We share a photo only with Field Kit servers, Cloudflare AI Gateway, and OpenAI when needed to complete an identification that you explicitly agree to in the app. Under our service configuration, these providers may process the photo only to deliver the requested analysis and operate their services, not for advertising or unrelated purposes.

AI identification is educational field guidance only. It is not a professional geological assay, appraisal, or safety certification.

In-App Permission for AI Photo Analysis

Rock Identifier asks for your permission before sending a photo for identification. The consent screen explains what data is sent, who receives it, how it is used, and links to this privacy policy. If you tap “Not now,” Rock Identifier does not send that photo and cannot identify the specimen. AI photo analysis is required for identification; there is no in-app switch to turn it off because the app cannot identify rocks without it.

Location

Rock Identifier may request location access only when you choose to save where you found a specimen. Exact coordinates are stored locally on your device and are visible only to you in your private collection and map.

Exact GPS is never posted publicly. If you choose to share a find to the community map and also enable Share approximate area, Rock Identifier sends a fuzzed location (about 1 km precision) derived from a geohash, plus a broad place label such as a district, region, or country. You can share without any location at all.

Community Finds (Optional Sharing)

Nothing is shared to the community map until you choose to share a completed identification. When you share, you can choose whether to include:

• A photo of the specimen
• A field note
• An approximate area (never your exact pin)

Shared posts may include the rock name, specimen kind, optional photo, optional note, optional fuzzed map pin, a display name (default “Field Kit”), and a timestamp. Photos you choose to share are stored on our servers so other users can view them in the Finds feed and map.

You can report community finds from within the app. Reports are handled privately for moderation.

Rock Identifier does not sell finds, photos, or exact locations.

Camera, Photo Library, and Location

• Camera: Used to photograph specimens for identification.
• Photo Library: Used to import photos you choose for identification or to save a photo for later.
• Location (When In Use): Used only when you choose to save where you found a specimen. Exact pins stay private.

Subscriptions

Rock Identifier uses RevenueCat and Apple in-app purchases to manage subscriptions, purchases, restores, and subscription status. Rock Identifier receives subscription status and an app-specific purchase identifier; payment is handled by Apple.

Other Network Requests

Rock Identifier may fetch public reference content to show species localities, example photos, and community finds. Example photos may be loaded from public sources such as Wikimedia Commons. These requests do not include your private collection or exact find locations.

Retention and Deletion

• Local collection data, photos, notes, and exact locations remain on your device until you delete them or uninstall the app.
• Identification images are not retained by us after the identification request completes.
• Community posts and shared photos you publish remain on our servers until removed through in-app actions or support requests.
• Your AI photo analysis consent preference is stored on your device after you agree on the identification consent screen.
• Subscription records are handled by Apple and RevenueCat according to their services.

Children

Sharing to Finds is off by default until enabled in Me. Your private collection stays on your device unless you choose to share.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this policy, please contact us through the Rock Identifier support page.