Privacy policy
Last updated 28 October 2026
Short version: your sightings stay on your phone and in your own iCloud or Google backup. We don't collect, sell or share anything about you. There are no ads, trackers or accounts.
What the app keeps, and where
| Information | Where it is stored | Who can see it |
|---|---|---|
| Your sightings (species, date, place, notes) | On your phone, in the app's database. Also in your own iCloud (iPhone, with sync on) or your Google account's Android backup. | Only you |
| Your location | Read only while the map is open and you've switched on "Show me". Never stored unless you save a sighting. | Only you |
| Your aviary and milestones | Same as your sightings | Only you |
| Settings (such as language) | On your phone | Only you |
We, the developers, receive none of this. The app contains no analytics, advertising or tracking code.
When the app uses the internet
- Photos are loaded from Wikimedia Commons (and later from our own server) and cached on your phone. Like any website, those servers see your IP address, but not what you do in the app.
- Data updates (species information and maps) are downloaded from our server. The request contains only the app version.
- Links you tap open in your browser.
- Sync sends your list to your own cloud account so your other devices get it. On iPhone, iCloud sync is on when you're signed in to iCloud; turn it off under More → iCloud sync. On Android, the app uses Android's automatic backup to your Google account, which includes only your list. We never receive these files.
Sharing and exporting
Nothing leaves your phone unless you choose to export or share it. When you share sightings, the exact locations of sensitive species are blurred to about 25 km or removed, to protect the birds.
This website
flipthebird.co.za uses no cookies, analytics or trackers and loads nothing from other companies. Cloudflare, which hosts it, processes your IP address to deliver the pages and to protect the site from attacks.
Your rights under POPIA
You can see, export, correct and delete all your data in the app at any time. Uninstalling the app deletes it, apart from copies in your own backups. Because we hold none of your personal information, we have nothing to disclose or delete on our side. You may contact our Information Officer with any question, and you may complain to the Information Regulator.
Children
The app is suitable for all ages and collects no information from anyone.
Changes
If we ever add accounts or sharing with other people, they will be off by default and need your consent, and we will update this policy before they ship. Any data we store outside South Africa will be handled under section 72 of POPIA.
Contact
Responsible party: Ornithology Enterprises (Pty) Ltd, South Africa.
Information Officer: Rudolph Nel, director,
privacy@flipthebird.co.za