Privacy Policy
Last updated July 24, 2026
Scanline keeps the cards in your wallet on your phone. There are no accounts, no ads, and no tracking. This page explains, in plain language, exactly what stays on your device, the few things that leave it and only when you ask, and the anonymous counts we use to improve the app - which you can switch off at any time.
Your cards stay on your device
Every card you add - its name, note, colour, and the barcode or QR code itself - is stored in a database on your iPhone. It never leaves your device except in the two situations described below, and we never have a copy of it. There is no Scanline account, so there is nothing for us to store about you and no server that holds your cards.
Because your cards live on your device, they are included in your own iPhone backups if you have them turned on (an iCloud Backup or an encrypted backup to your computer). That backup is your Apple backup, protected by your Apple account - not a Scanline account and not a Scanline server. Automatic sync between your devices is not part of Scanline today; if that changes, this policy will be updated first.
Camera
Scanline uses the camera only to scan a barcode or QR code when you choose to add a card. The camera image is read on your device to find the code and is never uploaded, saved to your photo library, or sent anywhere. iOS asks for your permission the first time, and you can revoke it any time in the iOS Settings app.
Photos
You can also add a card from a picture you already have. Scanline uses Apple's system photo picker, which runs outside the app: you pick one image, and only that single image is handed to Scanline to look for a code. The app has no access to your photo library and cannot see any of your other photos - which is why Scanline never asks for photo library permission. The picked image is read on your device and is not uploaded or stored by us.
Adding a card to Apple Wallet
When - and only when - you tap to add a card to Apple Wallet, that one card's details (its name, note, colour, and code) are sent over an encrypted connection to our pass signing service. Apple requires passes to be cryptographically signed, which cannot be done on the device, so the service builds and signs the Wallet pass and sends it straight back to your phone.
Your card's contents - its name, note, colour, and code - are used only to generate that pass and are never stored or kept afterwards; they exist on our service only for the seconds it takes to answer your request, and only the card you chose to export is ever involved. We do not build a profile, and the service has no idea who you are.
Anonymous usage counts and error reports
To understand which features people use and where the app can be better, Scanline can send two kinds of anonymous, aggregate signal. The first is product-usage counts - for example that the app was opened, or that a card was added, edited, or deleted, and how it was added (scanned, from a photo, or typed). The second is anonymous error reports: if something goes wrong, we may record what kind of problem occurred and roughly where in the app, so we can find and fix it. Each of these carries only a coarse label - such as the code type (e.g. “QR” or “EAN-13”), the app version, or which part of the app hit a problem - never free text.
These never include the contents of your cards - no names, notes, or code values - and never anything that identifies you. There is no account, no email, no phone number, no advertising identifier, and no location. Events are tied only to a random ID stored on your device that identifies an install, not a person, and is gone when the app is removed. We never use this data to track you across other apps or websites, and we never sell or share it.
This is entirely optional. You can turn it off any time in Settings → Share anonymous usage stats; when it is off, nothing leaves your phone.
The scanline.me website you're reading now collects its own, separate anonymous signal for the same reason: which pages are visited, and, if something breaks, a similar anonymous error report to help us understand and fix the site. There's no account and no tracking cookie behind it - just a random ID stored in your browser that identifies this browser, not you. The website doesn't have a settings toggle the way the app does; it's simply anonymous by design, with no name, email, or other identifying information ever attached to it.
What we don't do
- No accounts, no sign-in, no email or phone number collected.
- No advertising, no ad identifiers, no third-party ad or marketing SDKs.
- No tracking across other apps or websites, and no selling or sharing of data.
- No location collection.
Your control over your data
Your cards are yours. You can delete any card in the app at any time, which removes it from your device. Removing Scanline deletes its on-device database entirely. Because we hold no account and no copy of your cards, there is nothing further for us to delete on your behalf; if you have a question, email us any time.
Children
Scanline is a general-audience utility, does not require an account, and does not knowingly collect personal information from anyone, including children.
Changes to this policy
If we change how Scanline handles data, we will update this page and its “last updated” date before the change ships in the app.
Questions about your privacy? Email info@scanline.me.