Privacy

Last updated 15 June 2026

The short version: I don't collect anything about you. Your collection is yours — it lives on your device and, if you turn on sync, in your own iCloud. It never passes through my hands. Here's the plain-language detail.

What I collect

Nothing. Hew has no accounts, no sign-in, no analytics, no advertising, and no third-party trackers. I don't know who you are, and I don't want to — the app simply doesn't have the machinery to gather it.

Where your collection lives

Everything you put into Hew — your pieces, photos, notes, and catalog — is stored on your device. If you turn on sync, it copies between your devices through your own iCloud account, the same way your photos and notes do. It stays inside your Apple account; I never see it and never receive a copy.

The one time Hew talks to a server

To help you place a piece, Hew keeps a reference library of mineral names and localities. The app downloads that reference data from a server I operate. That request only asks for reference data — it carries nothing personal about you or your collection, and nothing about your collection is ever sent up.

Like any request over the internet, that download does momentarily reveal your device's IP address to the server, because that's how the response finds its way back to you. I don't log it, store it, or use it to identify you. It's there for the length of the request and then it's gone.

Photos & permissions

When you add a photo, Hew uses it inside the app and stores it with your collection — on your device and your iCloud. Camera and photo-library access are used only for that, only when you ask, and the images go nowhere else.

Crash reports & diagnostics

Hew has no analytics or crash-reporting of its own. If you've turned on "Share with App Developers" in your iOS settings, Apple may send me anonymized crash and usage diagnostics through App Store Connect. That's Apple's channel, controlled entirely by your device settings — you can turn it off in Settings → Privacy & Security → Analytics & Improvements at any time. I never receive anything tied to your identity or your collection.

Taking your collection with you

Because it's yours, you can export your whole catalog at any time — pieces, fields, and photos — from the app's settings. No lock-in, no ransom.

Deleting your collection

Everything lives on your device and in your own iCloud, so you're always in control. Delete a piece in the app and it's gone. Delete the app and its local data goes with it. If you used iCloud sync, you can clear the Hew data from your iCloud storage in your Apple account settings. I hold no copy to delete, because I never had one.

Children

Hew is rated for all ages, and I don't knowingly collect data from anyone — including children under 13. Because the app collects nothing from anyone, there's nothing to gather, store, or share regardless of age.

Reference data

Locality maps and mineral names come from Mindat.org, used under a CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.

Who I am

Hew is made by Mantive Solutions, based in California, United States. This policy is governed by the laws of the State of California, United States.

Changes

If this policy ever changes, I'll update this page and the date above. The spirit won't change: your collection is yours.

Questions

Write to me at hello@gethew.com and I'll answer.

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