Privacy Policy
AstroPlan is published by Project 2022 Ltd, trading as P² Apps (“we”, “us”). This policy explains what information the AstroPlan iOS app handles and how.
AstroPlan is built for planning astrophotography and stargazing. We do not require an account, we do not show advertising, and we do not sell your personal information.
Summary
| Topic | What AstroPlan does |
|---|---|
| Account | Not required |
| Core astronomy | Calculated on your iPhone or iPad |
| Saved sites, rigs, favourites | Stored on your device |
| Weather & light pollution | Fetched using your observing coordinates |
| Pro AI guides (optional) | Planning context may be sent to our server when online |
| AI Coach chat (Pro / Pro AI, optional) | Your messages and planning context may be sent when you use coach online. Pro AI uses the same data as Pro — only usage limits differ. |
| Subscriptions | Handled entirely by Apple (Pro and Pro AI) |
Information the app uses
Location
If you allow Location access, AstroPlan uses GPS to show sky times, weather, Bortle light pollution, and target rankings for your site. You can also pick or save observing sites manually without GPS.
Location is used for app functionality. We do not use it to track you across other apps or websites.
Camera and motion sensors
Camera access is used only in Sky Map AR mode to show the live sky with overlays. Video is processed on your device; we do not upload camera footage to our servers.
Motion and compass data align the sky map with the direction your device is pointing. This processing happens on device.
Information stored on your device
AstroPlan saves some preferences and content locally, including:
- Saved observing sites and horizon traces
- Equipment rigs and imaging preferences
- Favourites, reminders, and filter settings
- In-app learning progress
This data stays in the app’s on-device storage unless you delete the app or reset progress in Settings.
Purchases
AstroPlan Pro and Pro AI subscriptions are processed by Apple through your Apple ID. We receive subscription status from Apple to unlock Pro features. We do not receive your payment card details.
AI Coach (Pro and Pro AI)
AI Coach is an optional in-app chat for astronomy and astrophotography planning. It is included with Pro; Pro AI adds unlimited coach access.
- Coach is optional — you only send data when you open coach and send a message while online.
- Pro and Pro AI send the same types of data to our servers. Pro AI does not collect extra personal information.
- Data sent may include: your coach messages (current thread), planning context from the app (observing site coordinates, date, weather summary, target names/scores, equipment rig summary), and optional target context if you opened coach from a target.
- We do not send your name, email, Apple ID, photos, or camera footage.
- Coach replies may be generated on our infrastructure using third-party AI services acting as processors. We do not use coach chats to build advertising profiles or sell data.
- Coach conversation history is held in the app session while you use the sheet; we do not maintain a separate AstroPlan account or long-term chat archive tied to your identity.
If cloud coach is unavailable, the app may show an error or fall back to limited on-device help where offered.
Information sent over the internet
When you refresh conditions or use online features, AstroPlan may contact:
| Service | Purpose | Data typically sent |
|---|---|---|
| Open-Meteo | Weather, cloud, wind, humidity, forecast | Latitude, longitude, and time window for your site |
| LightPollutionMap.info | Bortle / light-pollution class | Latitude and longitude |
| NASA SVS Dial-a-Moon | Moon phase reference image | Request parameters for the selected date (no account) |
| astroplan-api.p2apps.com (P² Apps) | Optional Pro guides and AI Coach when online | JSON planning context (site, date, scores, target metadata, rig summary). For coach, your chat messages in the current thread are also sent. Processed to generate a reply; may use third-party AI infrastructure. No name, email, or Apple ID. |
Network requests may include a simple app version identifier (for example AstroPlan/1.1) where required by a provider.
If cloud AI is unavailable, Pro guides and coach may fall back to on-device text built into the app, or show a temporary error for coach.
What we do not collect
- No AstroPlan login or user profile
- No contact list, photos library, or browsing history
- No third-party advertising or analytics SDKs in the app
- No sale of personal information
Notifications and Live Activities
If you enable reminders or favourite alerts, AstroPlan schedules local notifications through iOS. Optional Live Activities show imaging-window status on your Lock Screen. These use Apple’s system services; we do not operate a separate push-notification server for AstroPlan.
Widgets
The AstroPlan widget extension reads on-device app data to show planning information. Widget data is not sent to our servers.
Children
AstroPlan is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.
Your choices
- Location, camera, notifications: Control these in iOS Settings → AstroPlan.
- Delete local data: Remove the app, or use in-app reset options where available.
- Subscriptions: Manage or cancel in Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions.
Data retention
On-device data remains until you delete it or remove the app. Server-side Pro guide and AI Coach requests are processed to generate a response; we do not build user profiles from them or link coach chats to an AstroPlan account. Logs on our infrastructure, if any, are kept only as long as needed for security and reliability.
International users
AstroPlan may be used worldwide. Weather and API providers may process requests in various regions under their own policies.
Changes to this policy
We may update this page when the app changes. The “Last updated” date at the top will change accordingly. Continued use of AstroPlan after an update means you accept the revised policy.
Contact
Questions about privacy:
Email: [email protected]