Privacy Policy

1. Scope and contact

This policy covers Tick: Simple To-Do for macOS and iPhone, its available widgets and system integrations, and privacy-related support correspondence. Features differ between platforms and versions. The developer is Yafei Wang. Contact yfeiib@gmail.com with privacy questions or requests about information you have sent directly to us.

2. Local data and preferences

Tick stores tasks, notes, links, subtasks, lists, tags, priorities, due dates, repeat rules, completion history and application preferences on your device. On Mac, this also includes daily focus notes and snapshots shared with the widget through a local App Group container. Local preferences include appearance, language, reminder settings and review-prompt state. Tick does not automatically send this local database to the developer, weather provider or quote providers.

Local storage is used for task management and offline operation. Local copies, migration backups and sync metadata may remain on your device. Not every feature is available on every platform; the iPhone app does not make the Mac app’s automatic weather or online quote requests.

3. Optional iCloud synchronization

Where supported by the installed build, you can enable iCloud sync in Mac Settings → Data or iPhone Settings → iCloud Sync. It is off by default. Sync requires signing in to the same Apple Account in the system settings of your devices. Tick does not receive your Apple Account password and does not create a separate developer-operated account or task server.

When enabled, tasks, notes, links, subtasks, lists, tags, priorities, dates, repeat rules and completion state are synchronized through Apple’s CloudKit private database for your account. The implementation uses encrypted record fields. Sync also uses record identifiers, generated installation identifiers, change versions, deletion markers and account-association metadata to reconcile changes and prevent mixing accounts. Relevant metadata is kept locally and in your private cloud records. These identifiers are not used for advertising or cross-app tracking.

Appearance, language and reminder preferences are device-specific. Changing iCloud accounts pauses synchronization to protect the original local data. Turning sync off stops further synchronization; it does not delete local tasks or data already stored in iCloud. With sync enabled, task deletion is propagated when synchronization succeeds, using minimal deletion markers. Separate backups and exports are not automatically erased. Uninstalling Tick does not by itself erase all iCloud data.

Apple provides iCloud storage, security and account services under its own terms and privacy policy. Storage location, availability and recovery depend on Apple and your account settings. We do not operate a dashboard or server for browsing your private task database.

4. Reminders and notifications

If you authorize notifications, Tick schedules task reminders locally through the operating system. Reminder preferences—including advance notice, sound and the time for all-day tasks—are stored separately on each device. Task changes update pending reminders.

The system notification service receives reminder content, such as a task title. This content may appear in Notification Center, banners or on a locked screen according to your system notification settings. You can change notification permission, preview visibility and Focus settings in macOS or iOS Settings. Reminder delivery is subject to system scheduling and device conditions.

When iCloud sync is enabled, Apple push notifications can notify Tick of cloud changes so it can fetch updated records. Tick does not use a developer-operated notification server.

5. Mac weather and online daily quotes

• Weather: The Mac menu-bar panel requests weather from wttr.in. That service receives your public IP address and estimates an approximate area, such as a city or region. Tick does not request GPS or Location Services permission or send device-derived GPS coordinates. Weather requests can occur automatically when the panel loads; successful requests are normally limited to one per hour while the app is running.
• Chinese quotes: The Mac app can request literature and philosophy quotes from Hitokoto at v1.hitokoto.cn.
• English quotes: The Mac app can request inspirational and motivational quotes from Quotable at api.quotable.io, with quote-category and length parameters.
• Other languages and fallback: The Mac app can choose a translated quote bundled with the app. An offline fallback may be shown after a failed online request; a fallback does not mean that no request was attempted.

Online quotes may be requested when needed, after a language change or when you refresh a quote. These services receive the public IP address, request time, endpoint, query parameters and ordinary HTTPS request headers. Requests do not include your task content, focus notes, email address, advertising identifier or a Tick account identifier. Tick does not send task text to an AI service.

Provider logs: Providers may process request information to deliver, operate and secure their services, and may retain logs or caches. The wttr.in documentation describes IP-geolocation caching and access logs used for service statistics. We do not control these providers, have a verified retention period for their public services, or promise immediate deletion or anonymous processing of request information. Their applicable terms and notices govern their processing.

Core task features work offline. The Mac app currently has no single in-app switch that disables every weather and online quote request. Using it without network access avoids those requests. Selecting a language with bundled quotes does not disable weather requests.

6. Support, App Store services and sharing

If you contact us by email, we receive your address and the content you choose to send, including any screenshots or diagnostic attachments. We use it to respond and troubleshoot. On Mac, the feedback action can prefill the app version, build number and macOS version in an email draft; you can review or edit it before sending. Task data is not automatically attached. Remove private task details before sending screenshots.

Tick includes no advertising, analytics, tracking or crash-reporting SDKs. We do not sell personal information, build advertising profiles, or share information for cross-context behavioral advertising. These statements describe our practices and do not promise that external content providers keep no logs. Apple’s App Store, billing, reviews and system diagnostics operate under Apple’s terms and your settings. We may disclose information we actually hold if required by applicable law.

7. Retention, deletion and security

Local data remains until you remove it. You can edit or delete tasks in the app; Mac Settings → Data also exports pending tasks as text. Uninstalling may leave local sandbox data or backups. Keep your own backup if you need one. When sync is enabled, connected devices can receive deletions after successful synchronization; disabling sync or removing the app is not a request to erase all existing cloud records.

We keep support correspondence as needed to handle the request and applicable legal obligations. Contact us to request deletion of information we hold. Weather, quote and email providers have their own retention practices. Deleting Tick data does not automatically remove their logs or exported files and backups you control. We cannot promise another provider’s deletion deadline.

Tick uses platform sandboxing, HTTPS for its external requests and Apple’s CloudKit services for optional sync. Tick does not separately encrypt its local data files; local protection depends on your device, operating-system access controls, encryption and backup settings. No storage or transmission method is guaranteed completely secure.

8. Your choices and privacy rights

You can use local task management without a Tick account, leave iCloud sync off, manage notification permission and previews, edit or delete content, and choose what to share in support requests. We cannot remotely access, export or erase a database that exists only on your device.

Where applicable law provides these rights, you may ask us for access to, correction, deletion or a portable copy of personal information we hold, and may object to or request restriction of processing. EEA and UK users may also complain to their data-protection authority. California users may exercise applicable rights without discrimination; we do not sell or share information for cross-context behavioral advertising. For support correspondence, we process information to answer your request, secure communications and meet legal obligations where necessary. Email and external service providers may process information in other countries. Contact yfeiib@gmail.com about information we actually hold.

9. Children

Tick is a general-purpose productivity app, not a service directed specifically at children. We do not knowingly solicit children’s personal information through support. If you believe a child has sent personal information to us, contact us so we can address it as required by applicable law.

10. Changes and stable links

This policy applies to both Mac and iPhone editions and is published at the same privacy-policy URL. We may update it when features or data practices change and will change the date shown above. Where required, material changes will be communicated before they take effect. A copy bundled with an older build may not include later revisions. The Terms of Use are published separately.