Privacy Policy

TreasureHunt (iPhone app) by Daniel Kernan. Last updated October 28, 2026.

This policy explains what TreasureHunt collects, why, and who else receives it. The short version: your scans and your inventory live on your iPhone, photos go to an AI service only when you ask the app to identify something, and we don't sell your data.

Account

When you first open TreasureHunt it signs you in with an anonymous account, so you can use it without giving a name or email. If you create an account, we store your name and email, and optionally a profile photo and ZIP code. If you use Sign in with Apple, we receive an Apple identifier and the email you choose to share. Accounts are handled by Firebase Authentication (Google LLC).

Scans, photos and the camera

The camera reads barcodes and label text on your iPhone using Apple's VisionKit. This happens on the device.
Every scan, with its photos, is saved on your iPhone. Your scan history, notes, the prices you type in and your inventory (Finds) stay on your iPhone and are not uploaded to our servers.
Identifying an item. When you ask TreasureHunt to identify a scan, we send a reduced copy of up to four photos, plus any barcode number or label text the camera read and any notes you added, to our server (Firebase Cloud Functions). Our server sends that to Anthropic, which runs the Claude AI model that identifies the item. Our server does not keep the photos. We keep a count of your identifications each month to apply your plan's allowance.
Listing drafts. On iPhones with Apple Intelligence, listing drafts are written on your iPhone. On other iPhones, the item details you confirm on the Create listing screen (never your photos, and never where you bought the item) are sent through our server to Anthropic to write the draft. We keep a count of drafts per month to apply your plan's allowance, not the drafts themselves.
Ask the guide. When you ask the guide a question, we send your question, the last few messages of that conversation, and the facts shown on the screen you asked from (for a scan: the item name, what to check, and the numbers you entered, never your photos or where you bought the item) through our server to Anthropic to write the answer. Our server does not keep your questions or the answers; the conversation is cleared when you close the guide. We keep a count of questions to apply your plan's allowance.
eBay listings. To show what's for sale on eBay now, the item's name or barcode number is sent through our server to eBay's Browse API. Nothing about you is sent to eBay, and we don't store the listings.
Barcode lookups. When a scan has a barcode, the barcode number is sent to UPCitemdb to look up a product name.

Anthropic processes these requests under its commercial terms. Under those terms Anthropic does not use them to train its models and keeps them only for a limited time, as described in Anthropic's privacy policy. The app asks for your permission before it sends any photo for identification for the first time.

Location and the map

With your permission, and only while you use the app, we use your precise location to show nearby stores and sales, sort them by distance and plan routes. Store search and drive times come from Apple Maps (MapKit), which receives the map area and route you're looking at. Your location is not stored on our servers and is not shared with other users. Where you bought an item, if you type it in, stays on your iPhone.

If you report a store or suggest a missing one, we store the store's name and location, your report or suggestion, and your account ID so we can review it.

Garage and estate sales

Estate and garage sales on the map come from public listings. You can view them, but the app no longer lets you post a sale or message other users. If you posted a sale or sent messages in an earlier version, that information is still stored on our servers. Delete your account, or email us, to have it removed.

Marketplace links

Search buttons for eBay, Mercari, Poshmark and other sites open those sites with the item's name. We don't receive anything back from them. Those sites' own privacy policies apply once you're there.

Subscriptions and scan packs

Payments are handled by Apple. We receive your subscription status and scan-pack purchases, never your payment details. We keep your scan-pack balance on our server so it follows your account.

Diagnostics

We collect basic device and crash information through Firebase to find and fix problems.

Who receives data

Google LLC (Firebase): accounts, database, server functions, diagnostics
Anthropic: photos and text you send for identification, and item details for listing drafts, and questions you ask the guide
eBay: the item name or barcode number, to show current eBay listings
UPCitemdb: barcode numbers
Apple: Sign in with Apple, subscriptions, Apple Maps search and directions, and on-device Apple Intelligence for listing drafts (which stays on your iPhone)

We don't sell personal data and don't use it for advertising.

Keeping and deleting data

You can delete your account in the app or by emailing us. We delete account data from active databases within 30 days; backups may keep it for up to 90 days. Deleting the app removes the scans and Finds stored on your iPhone.

Children

TreasureHunt isn't directed to children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect their data.

Changes and contact

If this policy changes, we'll update the date above and, for significant changes, tell you in the app. Questions: kernan6580@gmail.com