Plain English summary: Garage IQ is a privacy-first app. Your vehicle and repair data is stored locally on your device and is never sold. We do not show ads. We do not share your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes. The only data that leaves your device is what is strictly necessary to provide AI features and process your in-app purchase.
Garage IQ ("we," "our," or "us") is the developer and operator of the Garage IQ mobile application available on the Apple App Store. Our principal place of business is in the United States.
This Privacy Policy explains how Garage IQ collects, uses, stores, and protects information when you use our iOS application. By downloading or using Garage IQ, you agree to the practices described in this policy.
For privacy inquiries, contact us at: legal@garage-iq.net
We collect the minimum information necessary to provide the app's functionality. Here is a complete breakdown of what we collect and why:
| Data Type | Examples | Purpose | Stored Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle information | Make, model, year, VIN, mileage, color, nickname | Core app functionality | On your device only |
| Repair records | Service type, date, cost, mileage, shop name, notes | Repair history tracking | On your device only |
| Maintenance reminders | Service type, interval, due date, due mileage | Reminder notifications | On your device only |
| Receipt photos | Photos of service receipts | Receipt scanning and record keeping | On your device only |
| Vehicle photos | Photos of your vehicles | Vehicle identification in app | On your device only |
When you use AI-powered features (Vehicle Intelligence analysis, AI Assistant, receipt scanning), the following information is transmitted to our servers to generate the response:
| Data Type | When Sent | Retention on Our Servers |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle details (make, model, year, mileage, VIN) | Vehicle Intelligence analysis | Not retained — processed and discarded |
| Repair history summary | Vehicle Intelligence analysis | Not retained — processed and discarded |
| Reminder status summary | Vehicle Intelligence analysis | Not retained — processed and discarded |
| Receipt image | Receipt scanning | Not retained — processed and discarded |
| Chat message text | AI Assistant conversations | Not retained — processed and discarded |
⚠️ Important: Do not include sensitive personal information such as social security numbers, financial account numbers, or passwords in any field or chat message within the app.
| Data Type | Purpose | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Crash reports and error logs | App stability and bug fixing | Collected via Apple's standard crash reporting. Does not include personal data. |
| App usage analytics | Understanding which features are used | Aggregated and anonymized only. No individual tracking. |
| Push notification token | Delivering maintenance reminders | Stored on device. Not used for marketing. |
We use the information we collect solely to provide, maintain, and improve the Garage IQ application. Specifically:
We do not use your information for advertising, profiling, or any purpose beyond what is listed above.
The vast majority of your data — vehicle records, repairs, reminders, photos, and intelligence reports — is stored exclusively on your device in a local SQLite database. This data never leaves your device except when you explicitly use an AI feature.
Your data is included in your iPhone's standard iCloud backup if you have iCloud backup enabled. This means your data can be restored when you switch to a new iPhone. We do not have access to your iCloud backups.
Data sent to our servers for AI processing is transmitted over encrypted HTTPS connections. Our servers are hosted in the United States. Data sent for AI processing is not logged, stored, or retained after the response is returned to your device.
In the event of a data breach that affects your personal information, we will notify affected users via the contact information available to us within 72 hours of becoming aware of the breach, to the extent required by applicable law.
Garage IQ uses a limited number of third-party services to provide its features. Each service is listed below along with what data is shared and why:
We use Anthropic's Claude AI to power the Vehicle Intelligence analysis and AI Assistant features. When you use these features, your vehicle details and repair history are sent to Anthropic's API for processing.
Anthropic's Privacy Policy: anthropic.com/privacy
Google's Gemini AI may be used as an alternative AI provider for the same features described above under the same conditions.
Google's Privacy Policy: policies.google.com/privacy
We use RevenueCat to manage in-app purchases and verify entitlements. RevenueCat receives a device identifier and purchase receipt from Apple to validate your upgrade purchase. RevenueCat does not receive your vehicle or repair data.
RevenueCat's Privacy Policy: revenuecat.com/privacy
Apple processes all in-app purchases and manages push notification delivery. Apple's handling of this data is governed by Apple's own Privacy Policy.
Apple's Privacy Policy: apple.com/privacy
When you check for safety recalls, your vehicle's VIN is submitted to the NHTSA public API. This is a United States government service. The NHTSA may log API requests as part of their standard server operations.
NHTSA Privacy Policy: nhtsa.gov/privacy-policy
No advertising networks: Garage IQ does not integrate any advertising SDKs, analytics platforms that track individuals across apps, or data brokers. We do not participate in cross-app tracking.
Garage IQ offers a one-time optional upgrade purchase of $4.99 USD through Apple's in-app purchase system. This purchase unlocks additional features including support for up to 5 vehicles and daily intelligence reports.
All payment processing is handled entirely by Apple. Garage IQ does not collect, store, or process your payment card details, Apple ID credentials, or billing information. We receive only a confirmation from Apple and RevenueCat that a valid purchase has been made.
Refund requests for in-app purchases must be submitted to Apple directly through Apple's standard refund process at reportaproblem.apple.com.
Garage IQ is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. The app is rated 4+ on the App Store and contains no content inappropriate for any age, but its features are designed for vehicle owners who are typically adults.
If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child under 13 has provided personal information through the app, please contact us at legal@garage-iq.net and we will take steps to delete such information.
If you are a California resident, you have specific rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA):
You have the right to request information about the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, the categories of sources, the business purpose for collecting it, and the categories of third parties with whom we share it.
You have the right to request deletion of personal information we have collected about you, subject to certain exceptions. Because most of your data is stored locally on your device, you can delete it at any time by deleting the app. For any server-side data, contact us at legal@garage-iq.net.
Garage IQ does not sell personal information. We do not share personal information with third parties for their direct marketing purposes. No opt-out is required because we do not engage in these practices.
We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your CCPA rights. Exercising these rights will not result in denial of services, different prices, or different quality of services.
Under CCPA, we collect the following categories of personal information:
We do not collect biometric data, geolocation data, internet browsing history, or inferences drawn about you from other data.
To exercise your California privacy rights, contact us at: legal@garage-iq.net
Data stored on your device (vehicle records, repairs, reminders, photos) is retained indefinitely until you delete it within the app or uninstall the application. You have full control over this data at all times.
Data transmitted to our servers for AI processing (vehicle details, repair history, chat messages) is not retained. It is processed in real time and discarded immediately after the response is generated. We maintain no logs of individual AI requests.
Purchase verification records are maintained by Apple and RevenueCat in accordance with their respective data retention policies and applicable financial regulations. We retain only a record of your entitlement status (free vs. upgraded) on your device.
Anonymized crash reports are retained for up to 90 days for debugging purposes and then automatically deleted.
All of your vehicle and repair data is accessible directly within the app at any time. Because data is stored locally on your device, you have full access to it without needing to request it from us.
You can edit or correct any data you have entered into the app directly within the app interface.
You can delete individual records, vehicles, or all data within the app at any time. Uninstalling the app removes all locally stored data from your device. To request deletion of any data held on our servers, email legal@garage-iq.net with the subject line "Data Deletion Request."
You can disable push notifications at any time through your iPhone's Settings app under Notifications → Garage IQ. Disabling notifications will not affect any other app functionality.
AI features (Vehicle Intelligence, AI Assistant, receipt scanning) require transmitting data to our servers. If you prefer not to share data with our AI providers, you may choose not to use these features. All other core features (repair logging, reminders, recall checks) are fully available without using AI features.
Garage IQ does not use Apple's Advertising Identifier (IDFA) and does not request App Tracking Transparency permission. We do not track you across other apps or websites.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make changes, we will:
Your continued use of Garage IQ after any changes to this policy constitutes your acceptance of the updated terms. If you do not agree with the updated policy, you should discontinue use of the app and may request deletion of your data as described in Section 10.3.
We encourage you to review this policy periodically. The most current version will always be available at garage-iq.net/privacy.
If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:
Garage IQ
Privacy & Legal Inquiries
Email: legal@garage-iq.net
Website: www.garage-iq.net
We aim to respond to all privacy-related inquiries within 30 days. For urgent matters related to data security, please include "URGENT" in the subject line of your email.
If you are a California resident and wish to submit a verified consumer request under the CCPA, please email us at legal@garage-iq.net with the subject line "CCPA Request."