FirstGear — Privacy Policy
Effective date: June 24, 2026
FirstGear (“the app,” “we,” “us”) helps learner and permit drivers log their supervised driving hours. We built FirstGear to be private by design: your information stays on your device and in your own iCloud account. We do not operate a server that collects your data, and we do not sell or share your data for advertising.
This policy explains what information the app handles, where it is stored, and the limited cases where information leaves your device.
Who this app is for
FirstGear is intended for learner drivers, many of whom are under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information for advertising or tracking from anyone, including minors. If you are a parent or guardian and have questions about your child’s use of the app, contact us at the email below.
Information the app handles
You can enter and the app records the following, all stored locally on your device (and optionally synced to your own iCloud — see below):
- Profile: your name, optional email address, U.S. state, permit issue date, and your hour goals.
- Driving logs: date and time, duration, whether the drive was at night, distance, the GPS route of the drive, road types, a short weather description, and any notes you add.
- Supervisors: the name, relationship, and optional license number of the licensed adults who supervise your drives.
- Vehicles: make, model, and an optional nickname.
You choose what to enter. You are responsible for any personal information you enter about other people (for example, a supervising driver); please only enter information you have permission to record.
Location
With your permission, FirstGear uses your device’s location while you are recording a drive to measure your route and distance and to classify the type of road (city, country, freeway). Location is used in the background only during an active drive so you can keep your eyes on the road. Your route is saved as part of that drive’s log on your device. We do not receive your location, and your location is not used for advertising or tracking.
Where your data is stored
- On your device. All of your logs and profile information are stored locally on your device.
- In your own iCloud (optional). If you are signed in to iCloud, the app can sync your data through Apple’s iCloud (CloudKit) so it is available on your other devices and backed up. This data lives in your private iCloud account. We, the developer, cannot see or access it. iCloud is governed by Apple’s Privacy Policy.
We do not run our own servers, and your logs are never sent to us.
The one time information leaves your device: weather
To show the weather for a drive, the app sends only the approximate GPS coordinates of that drive to Open-Meteo (a third-party weather service, open-meteo.com) and receives the current conditions in return. We do not send your name, email, device identifiers, or any other personal information with this request. See Open-Meteo’s terms and privacy information. If you prefer not to use this feature, you can deny location access; the rest of the app will continue to work.
What we do NOT do
- We do not use any analytics, advertising, or tracking SDKs.
- We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information.
- We do not track you across other apps or websites.
- We do not create developer-side accounts or profiles about you.
Sharing and exporting your data
When you export your log as a PDF or back it up as a JSON file, you choose where it goes using the standard iOS share sheet (for example, email, Files, or AirDrop). That export happens at your direction; we are not involved and do not receive a copy.
Your choices and how to delete your data
- Edit or delete entries at any time within the app.
- Stop iCloud sync by signing out of iCloud or disabling iCloud for the app in your device’s Settings.
- Delete everything by removing the app, which deletes its local data. To remove data already synced to iCloud, you can also manage or delete it in your device’s iCloud settings.
Security
Your information is protected by your device’s built-in protections (such as your passcode and device encryption) and, when synced, by Apple’s iCloud security. Because we never receive your data, it is not exposed on any server operated by us.
Children’s privacy
We do not knowingly collect personal information for advertising or tracking purposes from children. Because all data stays on the user’s device or in their own iCloud account and is never transmitted to us, FirstGear does not build profiles of any user. Parents and guardians with questions may contact us at the email below.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the “Effective date” above and post the updated policy at this URL. Continued use of the app after an update means you accept the revised policy.
Contact
Questions about this policy or your data? Contact:
Mike Pesh
Email: mike.pesh@gmail.com