Privacy Policy

Last updated: June 8, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how maku handles information when you use the app. maku is an instant-camera style iOS and Android app for taking, captioning, organizing, exporting, and optionally backing up weekly photo rolls.

maku is designed to keep your photos under your control. The app does not run ads, does not use third-party advertising identifiers, does not use your data for third-party advertising tracking, and does not sell your personal information.

Most app data is stored on your device. Some features use Apple, Google, RevenueCat, and Sentry services as described below.

Who is responsible for maku

For privacy purposes, the controller of maku is:

ptgms Contact: me@ptgms.space

Summary

maku handles information mainly to provide the app’s camera, photo library, album, caption, export, purchase, backup, and reliability features.

In general:

your photos and library are stored locally on your device unless you export them or enable cloud backup;
location tagging is optional and only used if you enable it and grant location permission;
cloud backup is optional and available to maku+ subscribers — iCloud on iOS, Google Drive on Android;
purchases are handled through the App Store or Google Play and RevenueCat;
diagnostics are handled through Sentry to help find crashes and performance problems;
maku does not require a maku account, does not collect personal details for login, and does not run ads, sell personal information, or use your data for third-party advertising tracking.

Information maku handles

Photos and user content

When you take a photo, maku saves the developed image as a JPEG in the app’s private on-device storage.

maku also stores related library metadata, including captions, roll titles, album names, album order, sort order, cover choices, filter details baked into the photo, and creation dates.

Photos, captions, rolls, albums, and related metadata are used to provide the app’s core photo library, organization, search, captioning, filter, export, and backup features.

Unless you enable cloud backup, export content, save content to your device’s Photos app, or share content yourself, this content remains in maku’s on-device app storage.

If you export, save, or share a photo, collage, or PDF, the exported item is shared only through the system share sheet, the Photos save flow, or the destination you choose.

Once you send exported content to another app, service, person, or destination, that destination handles the content according to its own privacy practices.

Photos saved to your device’s Photos app are stored outside maku’s private app storage and must be managed or deleted separately in Photos.

Camera

maku asks for camera access so you can take photos.

Live camera frames are processed on your device for the viewfinder and filters. maku does not use the microphone.

Location

If location tagging is enabled and you grant location permission, maku may save the location of a new photo at the time you press the shutter.

The app requests an approximate current location fix and may store:

latitude;
longitude;
a human-readable place name, when available.

Location tagging can be turned off in maku settings. You can also manage location permission in your device settings.

Turning location tagging off affects future photos. Existing location tags remain on photos unless you delete the photos. maku does not currently include a separate feature for removing a saved location tag from a photo without deleting the photo.

If cloud backup is enabled, photos with saved location tags may be included in your cloud backup. If you delete a photo, its associated local metadata, including any saved location tag, is deleted from maku’s on-device library. If cloud backup is enabled, maku also attempts to delete the related backup record from your cloud storage.

If you tap a photo’s map chip, maku opens the maps app on your device with that photo’s coordinates. Maps are provided by Apple or Google and are subject to their own privacy practices.

Preferences and app state

maku stores preferences and app state on your device, such as:

onboarding completion;
selected filter;
custom filters;
location tagging setting;
cloud backup setting;
selected app icon;
backup status;
pending backup-delete state;
other settings needed to keep the app working as expected.

Cloud backup

maku+ subscribers can use cloud backup.

When enabled, maku uploads photo files and library metadata so your library can be restored after reinstalling the app or moving to a new device. The platform determines where backup data is stored:

iOS: the app’s private CloudKit database in your iCloud account
Android: your Google Drive account

This may include:

photos;
captions;
roll metadata;
album metadata;
creation and organization dates;
ordering and sorting information;
saved location metadata, if location tagging was used.

On iOS, the backup uses the CloudKit private database associated with your Apple Account. On Android, backup uses your Google Account and Google Drive. maku does not use cloud backup to make your library public.

Turning cloud backup off in maku asks for confirmation and then attempts to delete maku’s cloud backup records while keeping on-device photos. If deletion cannot complete because the device is offline, cloud services are unavailable, or another error occurs, maku may queue a retry.

Apple and Google provide the cloud infrastructure and may process information according to their own privacy terms and legal obligations.

Purchases and subscriptions

maku uses the App Store or Google Play and RevenueCat to offer and manage maku+ subscriptions.

Apple or Google processes payments. maku does not receive your full payment card details.

RevenueCat may process information needed to manage subscriptions and unlock paid features, including:

subscription status;
purchase history;
store receipt information;
product offerings;
entitlement status;
an anonymous app user identifier;
related technical information needed for purchase validation and subscription management.

maku uses an anonymous RevenueCat app user identifier for subscription management. This identifier is not an advertising identifier and is not used by maku for advertising tracking.

maku uses this information to unlock maku+ features, restore purchases, display subscription management, and prevent subscription access from breaking across installs or devices.

Diagnostics and performance

maku uses Sentry in production builds to help find crashes, errors, and performance problems.

Sentry is configured with:

default personal information collection disabled;
screenshots disabled;
view hierarchy capture disabled;
HTTP breadcrumbs filtered out.

maku does not use custom Sentry tags.

maku may send diagnostic information such as:

crash reports;
stack traces;
app version;
operating system version;
device model or device details;
performance traces;
sampled profiling data;
technical error information.

These diagnostics are used to improve app reliability and performance.

maku does not intentionally send your photos, captions, precise location tags, or library contents to Sentry. Because maku does not use custom Sentry tags, screenshots, view hierarchy capture, or HTTP breadcrumbs, diagnostic reports are configured to avoid unnecessary app-content data.

Sentry processes diagnostic information according to its own privacy and security practices.

How maku uses information

maku uses information to:

provide the camera, photo library, albums, search, captions, filters, export, and backup features;
enforce weekly photo limits and maku+ feature access;
restore purchases and manage subscriptions;
back up and restore your library if you enable cloud backup;
diagnose crashes, errors, and performance issues;
maintain app security and prevent misuse;
respond to support, privacy, or legal requests;
comply with legal obligations.

maku may share or make information available to:

Apple, for iOS permissions, App Store purchases, iCloud/CloudKit backup, Photos saving, Apple Maps, and operating-system functionality;
Google, for Android permissions, Google Play purchases, Google Drive backup, and operating-system functionality;
RevenueCat, for subscription management, purchase validation, entitlement status, and purchase restoration;
Sentry, for crash, error, and performance diagnostics;
destinations you choose, such as apps, services, contacts, or storage locations selected through the system share sheet, export, save, or maps flows;
authorities or other parties, if required by law or needed to protect rights, safety, or security.

maku does not sell personal information and does not use your data for third-party advertising tracking.

The developer behind maku does not see your pictures, rolls, albums, locations or similar.

Retention and deletion

On-device photos and library metadata remain until you delete them, delete the app, or remove the data through device or app features that may be available.

Location tags are stored as part of a photo’s metadata. maku does not currently include a separate feature for removing a location tag without deleting the photo.

Photos you save to your device’s Photos app must be deleted from Photos separately.

If cloud backup is enabled, maku backup records remain in your iCloud or Google Drive storage until you delete the related content, turn off cloud backup and confirm deletion, or otherwise remove the data through Apple, Google, or cloud controls.

If a cloud deletion attempt fails because the device is offline or cloud services are unavailable, maku may queue a retry.

RevenueCat, Apple, Google, and Sentry retain information according to their own policies and legal obligations. maku does not control their independent legal retention requirements.

For more detail on removing your data, see the Account Deletion page.

Your choices

You can:

deny or revoke camera, location, and photo-library permissions in your device settings;
turn location tagging off in maku settings;
delete photos in maku, which also deletes their associated maku metadata, including saved location tags;
turn cloud backup off in maku settings and confirm deletion of cloud backup copies;
manage or cancel subscriptions through Apple, Google, or maku’s subscription management screen;
choose whether and where to export, save, or share photos and PDFs;
delete the app to remove maku’s on-device app storage from your device;
contact maku for privacy questions or help.

Security

maku relies on platform sandboxing, permission prompts, local device protections, and Apple’s CloudKit or Google Drive infrastructure for private cloud backup.

No system is perfect, but maku is built to limit unnecessary collection and to keep photo handling tied to app functionality.

Changes

We may update this Privacy Policy as maku changes.

We will notify you 2 weeks in advance.

The updated version will be posted with a new “Last updated” date. If changes are significant, maku may provide additional notice where appropriate.

Contact

For privacy questions, contact maku support through the App Store or Google Play product page, or email:

me@ptgms.space