Privacy Policy — HAM Signal

Effective Date: March 25, 2026  ·  Last Updated: March 25, 2026

Introduction

HAM Signal ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your information when you use our iOS application.

Contact: stephenlthorn@gmail.com

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide

• Alert settings — custom alert rules and thresholds you configure within the app
• Location (optional) — if you grant permission, your approximate location is used to show relevant space weather for your latitude (e.g., aurora visibility)

1.2 Automatically Collected Information

• Device information — device type and iOS version, used to optimize app performance
• Usage data — which screens and features you use, to improve the app experience
• Crash reports — anonymous diagnostic data when the app crashes, for debugging

1.3 Information We Do NOT Collect

• We do not collect your name, email, or contact information
• We do not access your photos, messages, or contacts
• We do not track your precise GPS location beyond the optional approximate setting
• We do not sell your data to third parties or advertisers

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

• Fetch and display real-time solar and space weather data from public NOAA sources
• Send you push notifications when your configured alert conditions are met (e.g., solar flare detected, geomagnetic storm)
• Populate home screen and lock screen widgets with current solar conditions
• Improve the app — analyze usage patterns, fix bugs, and optimize performance
• Provide customer support — respond to your inquiries

3. Data Storage and Security

3.1 Where Your Data Is Stored

• On your device — alert settings and cached solar data are stored locally using iOS UserDefaults and app sandbox storage
• Alert history — stored locally on device using SwiftData (iOS 17+)
• iCloud backup — if you have iCloud backup enabled on your device, app data may be included in your personal iCloud backup (controlled by you in iOS Settings)

3.2 Security Measures

• All data is stored securely using iOS built-in security features
• We do not transmit personal information to external servers beyond the public NOAA solar data feed
• NOAA data is fetched over HTTPS — we do not control the NOAA data content

3.3 Data Retention

• Your settings and alert history remain on your device until you delete the app or clear the data via Settings → Clear Cached Solar Data

4. Third-Party Services

HAM Signal uses these third-party services:

• NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center — we fetch public solar and geomagnetic data from hamqsl.com (solar data) and NOAA APIs. We do not control and are not responsible for the content of those feeds. See NOAA Privacy Policy.
• Apple Push Notification Service — used to deliver alert notifications if you enable them. See Apple Privacy Policy.
• NASA SDO Image Server — solar disk imagery sourced from NASA's SDO satellite. See NASA Privacy Policy.

We do not use analytics SDKs, advertising networks, or data broker services.

5. Widgets

HAM Signal includes home screen and lock screen widgets that display current solar conditions. Widget data is shared with the main app via a secure app group and does not involve any third-party data collection beyond what is described above.

6. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access your data — all data is stored locally on your device
• Delete your data — use Settings → Clear Cached Solar Data, or delete the app entirely
• Opt out of notifications — disable in iOS Settings or app Settings
• Revoke location access — manage in iOS Privacy Settings at any time

GDPR Rights (EU Users)

If you are in the European Economic Area, you have additional rights including the right to data portability, the right to erasure, and the right to restrict processing. To exercise these rights, contact us at stephenlthorn@gmail.com.

CCPA Rights (California Users)

If you are a California resident, you have the right to know what personal information we collect, the right to request deletion, and the right to opt out of sale of personal information (we do not sell your data). To exercise these rights, contact us at stephenlthorn@gmail.com.

7. Children's Privacy

HAM Signal is not intended for users under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect data from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, contact us at stephenlthorn@gmail.com.

8. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last Updated" date. Continued use of the app after changes constitutes acceptance.

9. Space Weather Disclaimer