Privacy policy

Last updated: October 13, 2026

Istanpurr is a cat collection app developed by Vahit İlker Sarıca, based in Türkiye. This policy explains how information is handled in the Istanpurr iPhone app and on this website. For privacy questions or requests, contact ilker897@gmail.com.

Your photos

The app processes cat photos on your device using Apple's Vision framework to recognize cats, create cutout stickers, and compare encounters. Original photos, stickers, and detailed Vision data, such as image labels and similarity feature prints, are stored on your device. Istanpurr does not upload these images or detailed Vision data to Firebase, Amplitude, or our website. Basic success or failure events are included in app analytics, as explained below. Illustrations representing other people's sightings are included with the app.

Device or photo-library backups that you enable through Apple may include your photos or app data under your Apple settings.

Your account and collection

Firebase Authentication creates an anonymous account with a unique user ID. You do not need to provide an email address, phone number, or password. An anonymous identifier can still be personal information because it links activity to the same account.

The app stores your collection locally and sends collection records to Google's Cloud Firestore. These records include cat and encounter identifiers, sequence numbers, optional cat nicknames and age estimates, your pet/stray selection, and creation, update, and encounter dates. If you allow location access, records can include latitude, longitude, neighborhood, and district. App access to these private cloud records is restricted to the associated account.

Firebase may also process IP addresses, user-agent information, and service-related information to authenticate requests and prevent abuse. See Firebase Privacy and Security.

Location and the community map

Location access is optional. When you allow it, the app requests a location for a capture; it does not continuously track your movements in the background. Apple location and mapping services process coordinates or place names to determine the neighborhood and display the map. See Apple Maps and Privacy.

When an encounter has a resolved neighborhood, the app automatically shares a community sighting. Other signed-in app users can access its neighborhood, district, city, country, your pet/stray selection, encounter date and time, and anonymous account, cat, and encounter identifiers. Community records do not include exact GPS coordinates, street addresses, your photos, cat nicknames, or local file paths. The map places these sightings at an approximate neighborhood location.

You can keep a collection without granting location access. Turning off location permission stops new location requests; it does not remove sightings already shared. Delete the relevant cat or use Delete All Data to remove those records.

App analytics

We use Amplitude to understand app use and improve reliability. It receives events such as app opens, session activity, onboarding steps, screen views, photo-analysis success or failure, and adding, viewing, or deleting cats and encounters. Event details may include the screen or onboarding step, your pet/stray selection, and whether an action is your first capture.

Events are linked to the anonymous Firebase user ID and an Amplitude device ID. Technical information can include event timestamps, device model, operating system, app version, language, and carrier information when available. The current app disables Amplitude's IP-address tracking and IDFV collection and does not send photos, cat nicknames, or location coordinates in analytics events. It does not collect the advertising identifier or use advertising SDKs. See Amplitude's privacy information.

This website and contacting us

This marketing website does not use advertising cookies, analytics scripts, account registration, or contact forms. Fonts and artwork are served with the website. Firebase Hosting processes visitors' IP addresses and technical request information to serve and protect the site. Google states that Hosting retains IP data for a few months; see Firebase Privacy and Security.

If you email us, we receive your email address and the information you choose to include, and use it to respond to your message or privacy request. Links to Apple or other providers take you to services governed by their own policies.

Why information is processed and shared

Information is collected electronically through the app, its service providers, website requests, or your communications. We use it to provide the collection and map features you request, maintain and improve the app, secure our services, respond to you, and meet legal obligations. Depending on the processing and applicable law, the legal basis is providing the requested service, legitimate interests in operating and securing the service, compliance with law, or consent where required. You can withdraw device permissions in iOS Settings.

Google provides authentication, cloud storage, and website hosting; Amplitude provides app analytics; and Apple provides platform, location, and map services. Community information is shared as described above. We do not sell your personal information or share it for targeted advertising. Information may also be disclosed where necessary to comply with a legal obligation.

These providers may process information outside your country, including in the United States. Their privacy information explains their processing and international-transfer practices.

Retention and deletion

Your collection remains on your device and in the app's cloud records until you delete it. The app does not set an automatic expiry for collection records. Analytics retention depends on the Amplitude project's retention settings. Provider security logs and backups follow the providers' retention rules.

In the app, open Settings → Delete All Data to delete your local collection and photos, the current account's Firestore records and community sightings, and its anonymous Firebase account. An internet connection is required to delete cloud data. If the operation reports an error, reconnect and try again. Deleting one cat also queues deletion of its cloud records and shared sightings when a connection is available.

Delete All Data resets the analytics identity but does not automatically delete events already sent to Amplitude. Contact us to request deletion of analytics associated with you. Because accounts are anonymous, we may need additional information to locate and verify the relevant records. Uninstalling the app alone does not request deletion of cloud records or historical analytics. Copies you exported, shared, or backed up outside the app are controlled separately.

Your choices and rights

Camera access is used to take a photo. The system photo picker gives the app access to the image you select. Location is optional. You can change camera and location permissions in iOS Settings at any time.

Depending on applicable law, you may request information about processing and recipients, access to your information, correction, deletion, restriction, portability, or objection to certain processing, and may complain to the relevant data protection authority. Türkiye's Law No. 6698 (KVKK) also provides rights to request notification of corrections or deletions to recipients, object to an adverse result produced solely by automated analysis, and seek compensation for unlawful processing. Send requests to ilker897@gmail.com. We may request only the information needed to verify and handle your request.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe a child has provided personal information without required permission, contact us so we can investigate and address the request.

Changes and contact

We will update this page when our practices change and revise the date above. Material changes may also be announced in the app.

Data controller: Vahit İlker Sarıca, Türkiye. Contact: ilker897@gmail.com.