Shell ID Privacy Policy
Effective date: September 18, 2026
App: Shell ID (Sea Shell Identifier - ShellID)
Developer: Bohdan Hordiienko
Contact: horbohapps@gmail.com
The short version
There is no account and no sign-in. Your photos, identifications, collection, folders and the places you record stay on your device. A photo leaves your device only when you ask for an identification, after you have allowed it, and goes to Google's Firebase AI service. The app uses Google Firebase for crash reports and anonymous usage statistics. It shows no advertising and does not track you across other companies' apps or websites.
Information stored on your device
The app stores the photos you take or import, your crops, identification results, your collection and folders, the places you record for your finds, and your settings. This data is not uploaded to servers operated by us. It is removed when you delete the item in the app or uninstall the app.
Photos sent for identification
Before the first upload the app asks for your permission. When you request an identification or a second look, a resized copy of the photo and a request describing the task are sent to Google's Firebase AI Logic service, which runs Gemini models. Google processes this data as a service provider under the Google Cloud and Firebase terms. We do not attach your name, email address or any account identifier to the request.
Reference information
For a confident result the app looks up the shell's scientific name on Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons (Wikimedia Foundation) and in the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). Only the species name and your app language are sent, never a photo, a place or an identifier. Like any website, these services receive your IP address and handle it under their own privacy policies.
Places where you found a shell
Recording a place is optional. You can search for a place, drop a pin on a map, use the location stored in a photo you import, or, for a photo you have just taken, use your current location. The app asks for location permission only when you tap "Use my current location", uses approximate location and reads it once. Place search, maps and naming a pin use Apple Maps services. The place is saved only on your device and is never sent to us, to the identification service or to analytics.
Crash reports and usage statistics
The app uses Firebase Crashlytics and Google Analytics for Firebase, both provided by Google.
Crashlytics sends a report when the app crashes: the stack trace, device model, iOS version, app version and a crash identifier. We use it to find and fix bugs. Google keeps these reports for 90 days.
Google Analytics records how the app is used: onboarding pages viewed, answers to the optional onboarding questions, whether a paywall was shown and a plan chosen, whether an identification succeeded and its confidence range, and similar events. It uses an app instance identifier generated by Firebase. We use it to understand which features work and to improve the app, including comparing alternative versions of onboarding and the paywall. Analytics data is kept for at most 14 months.
These reports never contain your photos, species names, place names, coordinates or anything you typed. They are not linked to your identity, not used for advertising and not sold or shared with data brokers. The app does not use Apple's advertising identifier.
App integrity and remote settings
The app uses Firebase App Check with Apple's App Attest to confirm that requests come from a genuine copy of the app, and Firebase Remote Config to download settings such as the minimum supported version and which version of onboarding or the paywall to show. Remote Config receives your device's country and language code, time zone and iOS version. Firebase creates an installation identifier for these services. None of these identifiers identify you personally.
Purchases and subscriptions
Subscriptions, free trials and one-time purchases are handled entirely by Apple through the App Store and StoreKit. We never see your payment card, billing address or Apple ID password. The app learns only whether you have an active purchase.
Camera, photo library and location permissions
The camera is used to take the photo you want identified, the photo library to pick one, and location only as described above. You can revoke any of these permissions at any time in the iOS Settings app.
Support email
If you email us, we receive your email address and your message and use them only to answer you. The email composer in the app adds the app version, device model, iOS version and language to help us. We keep the conversation for as long as needed to resolve your request.
Children
Shell ID is not directed to children under 13 and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them.
Security and your choices
Data on your device is protected by iOS security features, and every network request is encrypted in transit. You decide whether photos are uploaded, whether to record places and whether to grant each permission. You can delete any item in the app, or all of it by uninstalling the app. Because crash reports and statistics are not linked to your identity, we cannot look them up by person, but you can write to horbohapps@gmail.com with any privacy question or request.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy. The current version is published on this page with a new effective date. Continued use of the app after a change means you accept the updated policy.