Dialvane — Privacy Policy

1. The short version

• Dialvane has no account, sign-in, developer-operated backend, cloud database, advertising, analytics, tracking, external OCR, or external artificial-intelligence service.
• SoftForge Digital does not receive, collect, sell, or share meter photographs, readings, locations, notes, recognized text, correction history, rates, reminders, exports, or in-app activity through Dialvane.
• Capture, on-device text recognition, confirmation, trends, estimates, reminders, and report generation work without a Dialvane server or required internet connection.

2. Camera, Photos picker, and on-device OCR

Dialvane requests camera access only after you choose Camera while logging a reading. You can deny camera access and type a reading or choose an existing image instead.

When you choose Photo Library, Apple's system Photos picker lets you select one specific image. Dialvane does not request broad photo-library access and receives only the item you deliberately select. If that item exists only in iCloud Photos, iOS may need a connection to retrieve it under your Apple settings; SoftForge Digital does not operate or receive that transfer.

Apple's Vision framework recognizes text locally on the device and proposes a possible numeric reading. The suggestion, source text, and confidence are review aids only. You must confirm or correct the number before it is saved. No photograph, recognized text, Vision observation, suggestion, confidence, or correction is uploaded to SoftForge Digital or an external OCR, AI, analytics, or advertising provider.

3. Local storage, evidence, and retention

Dialvane stores meters, confirmed readings, notes, rates, rollover settings, capture source, OCR confirmation details, and reminder settings in a local SwiftData database with CloudKit disabled. Re-encoded JPEG meter photographs are stored as protected files with opaque names inside Dialvane's private Application Support container. This notice applies to Dialvane for iOS and iPadOS, bundle identifier digital.softforge.Dialvane.

Dialvane marks its managed database and photograph directory as excluded from device and iCloud backups. The operating system enforces that exclusion. Offloading the app may preserve local app data. Because Dialvane has no account or backend, SoftForge Digital cannot view, recover, synchronize, export, correct, or remotely delete your local records.

Deleting a reading removes its managed photograph. Deleting a meter removes its readings, managed photographs, and pending reminder. Removing Dialvane and its data through iOS removes the app's current local container according to iOS behavior.

4. Reminders

If you enable a monthly reminder, Dialvane asks for notification permission and schedules the reminder locally through iOS. It uses no push-notification server and sends no reminder data to SoftForge Digital. The meter name may appear on the lock screen according to your iOS notification-preview settings. You can cancel a reminder in Dialvane or change notification permission in iOS Settings.

5. Estimates and reports

Consumption is calculated between confirmed readings. Cost is a simple estimate using the per-unit rate you enter; it is not a utility bill and does not include taxes, fixed charges, tiered pricing, time-of-use rules, conversions, or provider corrections.

CSV and PDF reports are generated locally. They can include confirmed readings, consumption and cost estimates, notes, capture source, and OCR confirmation details, but they do not embed meter photographs. Nothing leaves Dialvane merely because a report is generated.

A report leaves Dialvane only when you deliberately choose a destination through Apple's file exporter. The selected app, person, storage location, or online service then handles that copy under its own terms and privacy practices. Deleting data in Dialvane cannot remove an exported copy you previously chose to save or send.

6. Apple services, this website, and changes

Apple may separately process App Store downloads, iCloud Photos retrieval, local-notification delivery, device services, and optional analytics or diagnostics under your Apple settings and Apple's policies. Dialvane contains no developer-operated analytics or remote crash-reporting SDK.

Opening this page or contacting support happens outside Dialvane's private local workflow and is governed by the general SoftForge Digital website privacy policy. A website visit may disclose ordinary web-request information such as an IP address and browser information. These optional website interactions are not required for Dialvane's core features.

If a future Dialvane release adds a backend, sync, account, analytics, advertising, purchases, external OCR or AI, or another form of data processing, this notice, the in-app explanation, the privacy manifest, and the App Store privacy disclosure will be updated before that behavior is released.