Privacy Policy
Last updated: 23 September 2026
Strays is a game about photographing cats. It is built so that almost nothing leaves your phone, and everything that can leave is something you switch on or tap yourself.
The short version
There is no account, no login, and no email address. Nothing is tracked. There is no advertising and no analytics. We do not run a server that stores your data, and we cannot see your cats, your photos or your village unless you choose to share it.
What stays on your device
- Every photograph you take. Photos are processed on your phone and are never uploaded, except in the one case below.
- Your cats, their names, your notes, your village and your coins.
- The map of where you caught each cat.
What can leave, and only if you ask
Real weather (off by default)
If you turn on real weather, your approximate location is rounded to about one kilometer and sent to Apple's WeatherKit to get the forecast. The rounded position is not stored and is not sent anywhere else.
The catch map (off by default)
If you turn it on, the spot where you caught a cat is saved on your phone. Once per catch, that coordinate is sent to Apple to look up the name of the town, so a cat's page can say where you found it. The answer is stored on your device. The map is never shared with anyone, and you can empty it at any time from Settings.
Sharing your village (only when you share)
When you share your village or list it in the harbor, a small file is uploaded to Apple's iCloud public database so that people with your code can visit. It contains your player name, your chosen color, your village layout, a small picture of your village, your profile picture and any photo cutouts you placed on your banner. It does not contain your other photographs, your notes, or where you caught anything. Your village code is permanent. You can stop sharing at any time.
Apple's iCloud attaches an anonymous account identifier to anything you upload, which is how a reported village can be traced and removed. It is not your name or email address, and we cannot use it to contact you.
Reporting a village
If you report a village from the harbor, we upload that village's code and the date to Apple's iCloud so we can look at it and remove it if needed. Nothing about you is included beyond what iCloud attaches automatically.
iCloud backup (off by default, requires Strays Plus)
If you turn on backup, your save and your photographs are copied to your own private iCloud account. We have no access to it. Apple's privacy policy governs it.
Purchases
Purchases are handled by Apple and by RevenueCat, which manages subscriptions for us. RevenueCat receives an anonymous identifier and your App Store receipt. It does not receive your name, your email address or your village code. See RevenueCat's privacy policy.
Permissions
- Camera — to photograph cats. Required to play.
- Location — only for the two features above, both off by default.
- Photo library — only when you save a sticker to your own photos.
Children
Strays does not knowingly collect personal information from anyone, including children. There is no chat, no user-to-user messaging and no profile visible to strangers except a village you choose to share.
Deleting your data
- "Start over" in Settings erases everything on the device.
- "Empty the map" clears your catch locations.
- Deleting the app removes everything stored on your phone.
- To take a shared village down, stop sharing it from within the app.
Changes to this policy
If this policy changes, we will update this page and the date at the top.
Who we are
Strays is made by Saul Plascencia, an independent developer in the United States. We are the data controller for the information described above, and you can reach us at the address below.