LockIn Privacy Policy

Last updated: September 11, 2026

Overview

LockIn is a local-first study app that helps users organize their own documents and create notes, highlights, flashcards, multiple-choice questions, study guides, and practice tests. It also lets users study with friends and groups they invite, and share study packs in an optional public library.

LockIn does not include official source documents, department materials, copyrighted manuals, or paid exam-prep content. Users choose what they upload and are responsible for using documents they have permission to use.

What The Developer Can See

Most of what LockIn stores never reaches the developer. It stays on your device, or in your own iCloud account, or in the iCloud accounts of the people you share with. LockIn does not run its own servers or accounts.

The developer can see only what is stored in LockIn's public iCloud database:

Public library packs. If you publish a study pack, its contents, the name you put on it, any department or source details you add, and the date are stored publicly and can be seen by everyone using LockIn, including the developer. Apple's iCloud records which iCloud account published it.
Reports. If you report a message, a person, or a pack, the report includes the reason you chose, anything you write, an excerpt of what you reported (for example the message, or the last 20 messages from that person), and the reported person's name and LockIn member ID. The report does not include your name, but Apple's iCloud records which account submitted it.
Sharing restrictions. If an account breaks the sharing rules, the developer may record that account's member ID so LockIn turns off sharing for it.

This information is used only to run the public library, review reports, and enforce the sharing rules. It is not used for advertising or tracking, and it is not sold.

Information Stored On Your Device

Uploaded PDFs and converted local PDFs (including scanned documents)
PDF highlights and markup
Notes and study guide notes
Flashcards, questions, highlights, and other saved study items
Categories, projects, source links, and study settings
Practice test results, progress, badges, timer settings, and study history
Your display name, and optional profile details you choose to enter
Friends, groups, messages, and items shared with you
Optional backups and exported study packs you create

Account And iCloud Sync

If you turn on iCloud sync, LockIn keeps your private study data in your own iCloud account so it matches across your Apple devices. That includes projects, categories, test dates, badges, study packs, flashcards, questions, highlights, study history, uploaded PDFs, PDF markup, notes, reports, weak areas, confidence tracking, topic presets, reading position, and settings. This data is stored in your private iCloud database. The developer cannot read it.

Friends And Groups

Friends and groups are optional. You agree to LockIn's sharing rules before using them.

How you connect. You connect by sending someone an invite link yourself. LockIn does not look people up by email address or phone number.
What's shared. Messages, study packs, notes, PDFs, group tests, and test results that you send go to the friend or group you send them to. So does your LockIn display name.
Where it's stored. Everything in a friendship or group is kept in the iCloud account of the person who created the invite or group. It is shared through Apple's iCloud sharing with everyone who has joined, and each member's device keeps its own copy. The developer cannot read these threads.
Your name. Members of a friendship or group see the display name you set in LockIn. Apple's iCloud sharing may also show the name on your Apple ID to people who share with you.
Invite links. A group invite link works for anyone who has it, so only send it to people you want in the group. A friend invite link is meant for one person, and LockIn removes anyone else who opens it.
Removing and leaving. Removing a friend, leaving a group, or being removed from a group stops anything new being shared. Anything the other people already received stays on their devices.
Notifications. LockIn uses Apple's push notifications to let your device know when something new arrives in a friend or group thread.

Reporting And Blocking

Reporting. You can report any message, person, or public pack from inside the app. Reports go to the developer for review as described above. The person you report is not told who reported them.
Blocking. You can block anyone. Blocking is stored on your device: it hides everything they have sent you, stops new messages and invites from them, and disconnects you from a blocked friend. They are not told.

Public Library

Publishing a pack to the public library is optional: nothing is published unless you choose the public library as where to share it. Anyone using LockIn can see a published pack and the name on it. You can unpublish your packs at any time, which removes them from the public library. Copies other people already saved stay in their own libraries.

AI Features

AI features are optional.

LockIn does not ship with a developer-owned AI API key. To use AI, you add your own API key and manage your own usage, billing, and limits with your API provider.

When you use an AI feature, the text you select or the study material you provide is sent to the AI provider you chose, to generate draft flashcards, questions, or other study material. The developer does not receive it. Review AI-generated material before saving or studying it.

Camera And Document Scanning

Camera access is used only when you choose to scan a document or notes into the app. Scanned pages are processed on your device, including text recognition, to produce a searchable PDF. The camera is not used in the background.

Sharing And Exports

You can export backups, study packs, tests, or PDFs through Apple share tools such as Messages, Mail, AirDrop, or Files. LockIn does not attach or share your PDFs unless you choose to share one with a group. Do not share source documents unless you own the rights or have permission to share them.

Tracking And Advertising

LockIn does not use third-party advertising, does not track you across apps or websites, and does not include analytics or crash-reporting services.

Data Deletion

In the app. You can delete documents, categories, study material, notes, and other content wherever deletion tools are available.
Delete Local App Data. Delete Local App Data in Profile removes LockIn's data from this device and turns off iCloud sync on it. Your iCloud copy and your other devices are not affected.
Deleting the app. Deleting the app also removes its data from the device. To remove LockIn's private data from iCloud, manage storage for LockIn under your Apple ID's iCloud settings.
Public library. Unpublish a pack from the My Shared tab to remove it from the public library.
Friends and groups. Remove a friend, leave a group, or (as a group's creator) delete the group. What others already received stays on their devices.
Reports and sharing restrictions are kept for as long as they are needed to review reports and enforce the sharing rules. To ask about data connected to your account, contact the developer below.

Children's Privacy

LockIn is intended for study and exam preparation. It is not directed toward children under 13.

Changes To This Policy

This policy may be updated as LockIn adds or changes account, sync, sharing, AI, or subscription features. The date at the top shows when it last changed.

Contact

For privacy or support questions, contact: jp6780@gmail.com