Privacy Policy

Who We Are

RailMaker is published by an independent iOS and iPadOS developer (referred to in this policy as "we", "our", or "us"). You can reach us by email at [email protected].

This Privacy Policy describes how the RailMaker application for iPhone and iPad (the "App") handles information.

Short version: we do not collect personal data about you. The App makes no network requests of its own. Your track inventory, drawings, and saved layouts stay on your device.

Information We Collect

We do not collect, store on our servers, sell, or share personal information from the App. In particular, we do not collect:

• your name, email address, phone number, or contact details;
• your track inventory, drawings, generated or hand-built layouts, or saved plans;
• your location;
• analytics or usage statistics;
• crash reports;
• cookies, advertising identifiers, or tracking data;
• account or registration data, because the App has no accounts.

Because we do not collect personal data through the App, we do not maintain a user database.

What Stays on Your Device

The App stores everything you create locally so it can provide its planning, editing, and premium features. This data is not sent to us.

• Your boxes. The sets and loose pieces you own, the box you have selected, the floor size, and layout preferences such as shape, toddler-friendly mode, required pieces, and open ends are stored in UserDefaults.
• Drawings. The line you draw on the canvas, any branch strokes, and the canvas scale are stored locally so the App can restore them when you return.
• Editor drafts. The track you are building by hand and the editor's piece filter are stored locally so an unfinished layout survives closing the App.
• Saved layouts. Layouts you save to the Gallery, with their name, creation date, piece count, and layout data, are stored in a local SwiftData database on your device.
• Premium state. Whether Premium is unlocked and which plan is active is remembered locally so the App opens unlocked offline. The App Store entitlement is the source of truth and is refreshed on launch.
• Temporary export files. When you export a layout as a file, the App writes a temporary .railmaker.json file in the system temporary directory so the share sheet can hand it to the destination you choose.
• iCloud backup. Depending on your device settings, locally stored preferences, drawings, and saved layouts may be included in your personal device backup. This is controlled by Apple and your device settings, not by us.

You can delete local App data by removing boxes and saved layouts inside the App, or by uninstalling the App.

How Drawings Are Processed

When you draw a line, the App reads the stroke on your device, decides where the road crosses or touches itself, and searches for a track layout that fits your pieces. All geometry and layout generation runs locally on your iPhone or iPad. No drawing, layout, or piece count is transmitted anywhere.

Sharing and Importing

You can share the assembly steps as text, export a layout as a file, and open a layout file someone sent you using standard Apple system tools. The destination is chosen by you through the system share sheet. Importing reads the selected file on your device through Apple's document picker. The App does not log or track what you share or import.

Third Parties

Apple (App Store, StoreKit and system services)

Premium subscriptions and the lifetime purchase are sold and managed by Apple through the App Store. Apple is the merchant of record. We do not see your payment details, Apple Account, billing address, or full name. The App receives from Apple only a confirmation that a purchase is active. Apple's own privacy policy applies to App Store purchases, subscription management, purchase restoration, Family Sharing, iCloud backup, the document picker, the share sheet, and other system services.

No analytics or advertising SDKs

The App does not include analytics, crash reporting, advertising, attribution, or tracking SDKs. It does not make network requests of its own. The only outgoing links are to Apple's subscription management page and Apple's standard end user license agreement, which open at your request.

Purchases and Premium

• Drawing, generating layouts, the hand editor, and the assembly steps are free without a counter.
• The free plan keeps 3 saved layouts and opens 6 ready-made gallery layouts.
• Premium opens the whole gallery, removes the saved layout limit, and adds layout file export and import.
• Premium is offered as a monthly subscription, a yearly subscription with a free trial period, or a one-time lifetime purchase. All three support Family Sharing.
• Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period.
• Purchases are billed and managed by Apple through the App Store.
• You can restore purchases in the App and manage or cancel subscriptions through your Apple Account settings.
• We do not store, see, or process your payment information.

Children

The App is a planning tool made for parents and other grown-ups who build wooden railways with children. It is not directed at children under 13 (or the equivalent minimum age in your jurisdiction), and it is not enrolled in the App Store Kids category. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided personal information through the App, please contact us; because we do not collect personal data, there is normally nothing for us to delete from our systems.

Your Rights

Depending on where you live, you may have privacy rights under laws such as the EU/UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA/CPRA), and similar laws. These rights can include access, correction, deletion, portability, and objection to processing.

Because we do not collect or hold personal data from the App, we have no personal data to provide, correct, delete, or transfer in response to such a request. You still control the App's local data:

• delete boxes and saved layouts inside the App;
• delete all local App data by uninstalling the App;
• manage backups in your device settings;
• cancel subscriptions through Settings > Apple Account > Subscriptions;
• contact us with privacy questions at [email protected].

California residents: we do not "sell" or "share" personal information as those terms are defined under the CCPA/CPRA, and we have no categories of personal information to disclose because we do not collect any through the App.

Security

The App relies on security features built into iOS and iPadOS, including app sandboxing, document picker permissions, security-scoped file access, and Apple's StoreKit transaction verification. No method of local electronic storage can be guaranteed to be perfectly secure. However, the App does not transmit your data to our servers, because it has none.

International Use

The App may be available through the Apple App Store in multiple countries and is localized in English, German, French, Spanish, and Polish. Because all processing happens on your device and we do not collect personal data through the App, we do not transfer your App data across borders on our side.

Trademarks

RailMaker is an independent app. It is not made by, or affiliated with, IKEA, BRIO, Hape, Bigjigs or Lidl. Their names are used only to identify which wooden track the App works with. No data is exchanged with any of these companies.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time, for example to reflect new App functionality or legal requirements. When we do, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top. The basic commitment that the App does not collect your personal data or upload your layouts to us will not change without clear notice.

Contact

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or the way the App handles data, please write to [email protected].

Summary

• We do not collect personal data through the App.
• The App makes no network requests of its own.
• Your boxes, drawings, editor drafts, and saved layouts are stored locally on your device.
• Sharing and importing go through the system share sheet and document picker, to destinations you choose.
• Purchases are handled by Apple.
• No analytics, advertising, tracking, or account system.