Last updated: July 6, 2026

🔒 Plain-language summary: Tao stores your data on your device and (optionally) in your own private iCloud account. We don't collect, sell, or share your information.

Overview

Tao ("the app," "we," "us") is a pottery project tracker that helps you record and manage your ceramic work — photos, glazes, firings, and notes. This Privacy Policy explains what information the app handles and how.

The short version

• On-device + iCloud (optional): Tao stores your data on your device and, if you are signed into iCloud, syncs it to your own private iCloud database.
• No Tao servers: We do not run a server, and your data is not transmitted to us.
• No tracking: We do not collect analytics, use tracking, or include third-party advertising/analytics SDKs.
• No account required: We do not require an account, login, email address, or any sign-up.
• No selling/sharing: We do not sell or share your personal information.

What information the app stores

All of the following is created by you and stored only on your device (and in your private iCloud account if iCloud sync is enabled):

• Photos of your pottery projects and glaze results that you capture or import.
• Project details you enter — names, notes, clay bodies, dimensions, form types, and stages.
• Glaze records — recipes, ingredients, colors, and surface treatments.
• Firing data — firing schedules, loaded pieces, temperature readings, and outcomes.
• Trays and other groupings you create to organize your work.

This information is saved in the app's private on-device storage (Apple's SwiftData), including your photos. It is included in your device's normal encrypted backups (iCloud or iTunes/Finder) if you have those enabled, and — if you are signed into iCloud — it syncs to your private iCloud database (see iCloud sync below). Both are governed by Apple's privacy policy, not ours.

Device permissions

Tao asks for the following permissions only to provide app features. You can grant or revoke them at any time in Settings → Privacy & Security (or in the app's own Settings entry):