Privacy Policy

Bluewater IQ — published by Papagayo Labs.

Effective 4 September 2026. Changed since 14 August: Model Contribution is no longer off by default. Contributing logged catches is now part of the free version and cannot be switched off; Bluewater IQ Pro subscribers can turn it off at any time. Contributed catches include the exact catch position. Your tracks, waypoints and photos are still never uploaded. The app will show you these terms again rather than relying on an answer you gave to the earlier ones.

Bluewater IQ has no user accounts, no advertising, and no third-party analytics or tracking SDKs. This policy explains exactly what the mobile app and the web app do with your data. They behave differently, so they are described separately.

The mobile app (iOS and Android)

Location

The app uses your device location to show your position on the map and to record fishing tracks. If you enable background location, recording continues while your screen is locked — only while you have a track actively recording. Your location is used on the device and is stored on the device. Your continuous location — where you travelled, your tracks, your waypoints — is never transmitted to us. The position of a catch you log is contributed to model tuning, as described under Model Contribution below.

Photos and camera

When you log a catch you may attach a photo from your library or take one with the camera. The app reads that photo's embedded EXIF data (GPS coordinates and capture time) so the catch can locate itself, and copies the photo into the app's private storage. Photos stay on your device.

Catch log and tracks

Catches, tracks and waypoints are saved as files in the app's private storage on your device. They leave your device only when you choose to export or share them (for example, the "Export JSON" action or the share sheet). Deleting the app deletes this data.

Network activity

The app downloads public forecast files (sea-surface temperature, wind, tide, currents, marine conditions) from bluewater-iq.com. These are read-only downloads. The app never uploads your tracks, waypoints or photos. Logged catches are contributed for model tuning — see Model Contribution below.

Model Contribution

The prediction model gets better when it can be checked against what people actually caught, so logged catches are contributed towards that. What you can change depends on which version you use:

• Free version: contributing your catches is part of the free app and cannot be switched off.
• Bluewater IQ Pro: contribution is on by default and you can turn it off at any time, in one tap, without losing any other feature.

A contributed catch contains:

• the species and the date
• the exact position of the catch
• the sea-surface temperature the app already sampled there
• the size, if you recorded one

These never leave your device, even with contribution turned on:

• your photos
• your recorded tracks and waypoints
• your name, email or any account identifier

Contributed catches are not linked to your name, email or any account identifier, and are used to calibrate the fishing model. If we ever change what is collected, the app will ask you again rather than relying on your earlier answer.

The web app (bluewater-iq.com)

Stored in your browser

Waypoints, recorded tracks, display preferences and a randomly generated device identifier are stored in your browser's local storage. Clearing your browser data removes them.

Catches you log on the web

Catches logged in the web app are uploaded to our catch server so they can be verified and used to tune the prediction model, under the same Model Contribution rules as the mobile app (free contributes; Pro can turn it off). The web app sends more than the mobile app does — an uploaded catch includes: species, the catch coordinates and time, optional length, any verification photos you attach, the random device identifier above, and a display name if you set one.

Catch coordinates are used for model tuning and are not shown publicly on the leaderboard. A display name, if you set one, is public on the leaderboard — do not use your real name if you would rather stay anonymous.

Access

The web app is currently behind a password wall; the credentials are shared by us and are not personal to you. The public forecast data files and these support pages are served without a login.

What we never do

• We do not sell or rent your data.
• We do not use advertising networks or third-party analytics SDKs.
• We do not track you across other apps or websites.
• We do not require an account, email address, or phone number to use the app.
• We do not collect your tracks, waypoints, photos or continuous location from the mobile app — only the catches you log, as described under Model Contribution.
• We do not make a Pro subscriber’s opt-out conditional on anything else: turning contribution off costs you no other feature.

Service providers

Our website and catch server run on Cloudflare, and app updates are distributed through Expo, Apple and Google. These providers process technical request data (such as IP address) as part of delivering the service. Forecast data is retrieved from public sources including NOAA and Open-Meteo; those requests are made by our servers, not by your device identity.

Retention and your choices

• On-device data (mobile catches, tracks, photos): delete individual items in the app, or delete the app to remove all of it.
• Uploaded web catches: email us and we will delete the catches associated with your device identifier or display name. Include your display name, or the approximate dates and species, so we can find them.
• Permissions: you can revoke location or photo access at any time in your device settings. The map and forecast still work; track recording and photo-located catches do not.

Children

Bluewater IQ is not directed at children under 13 and we do not knowingly collect data from them.

Changes

If this policy changes materially we will update the effective date above and, for significant changes, note it in the app's release notes.