Privacy
Privacy Policy
PlaneLens (“PlaneLens,” “we,” “us”) is an iPhone app and set of widgets that shows the aircraft flying near you on a simulated flight wall. This policy explains what information the app uses and how it's handled. It isn't legal advice.
Location
Location access is optional. If you allow it (only while you're using the app, or for the widget), PlaneLens uses your location to find nearby aircraft and to work out how far away each one is and which direction to look. If you don't allow it, turn off Use my location in Settings and search for a city, address or airport instead.
Either way, the only location that leaves your device is the search point, rounded to two decimal places of latitude and longitude (0.01°, about 1 km) and sent with the search radius to find the aircraft in that area. Distances and directions are worked out on your iPhone from your actual position.
Information requested over the network
PlaneLens has no servers of its own and no account. It asks these public services for flight information:
- Aircraft positions: adsb.lol. The rounded search point and radius described above. The request contains no name, account or device identifier.
- Aircraft positions, as a backup: OpenSky Network. Only when adsb.lol is busy or has reached its daily limit: a small map rectangle around the same rounded point, with its edges rounded to 0.01°. No name, account or device identifier.
- Routes and airlines: adsbdb.com. The callsigns of the flights near you, such as SWA1234, to look up the airline and route, and aircraft transponder addresses to look up an aircraft's type when the position data doesn't include it.
- Airline and aircraft names: the FlightWall open-source lookup service (
cdn.theflightwall.com). Airline and aircraft type codes, such as SWA or B738, to look up friendly names. - Tracked flights. If you track a flight, its flight number or tail number (such as DAL1042 or N172SP) is sent to adsb.lol, or OpenSky Network for tail numbers, to find where it is. These lookups contain no location of yours beyond what's described above.
- Aircraft photos: planespotters.net. When you open a flight's details, the aircraft's transponder address (such as A1F8B6) to find a photo of it. Photos are shown, not saved.
- Place search: Apple Maps. When you search for a place, Apple handles the search under Apple's privacy policy.
The flight lookups describe aircraft, not you: they carry no location, name, account or device identifier. Like any website, these services receive your device's IP address when the app connects to them, and they handle it under their own terms. We don't receive any of these requests.
Information stored on your device
Your settings (wall size, style, colors, brightness, units, search radius and altitude filter), your last 10 places with any labels you give them, your last known location and a cache of flight lookups are stored on your iPhone. They're kept in an App Group shared only between the PlaneLens app and its widget, so the widget can show the same sky. They aren't sent to us or to anyone else.
If you tap Export Settings, PlaneLens creates a settings file with your settings, places and labels (not your current or last known location) and hands it to the iOS share sheet. Where it goes, such as Files, AirDrop or Mail, is up to you. Import Settings reads a file you pick and asks before replacing anything.
If you use Siri or Shortcuts with PlaneLens, Apple handles your request under its privacy policy; PlaneLens only answers it on your device. If you turn on Sync with iCloud, the same settings, places and labels (still without your location) are kept in your own iCloud account with Apple's iCloud key-value storage, so your other devices signed in to the same Apple Account get them. We can't see this data; Apple stores it under its privacy policy. Turn it off any time in Settings → Backup.
Analytics, advertising and tracking
PlaneLens contains no advertising, no analytics, no crash-reporting service and no tracking, and doesn't sell or share personal information. If you've chosen to share analytics with developers in iOS Settings, Apple may give us aggregate, anonymous crash and usage statistics; Apple's privacy policy covers that data, and it isn't tied to your identity. If you test PlaneLens through TestFlight, Apple shares the crash reports and any feedback or screenshots you choose to send with us, under Apple's TestFlight terms.
Children
PlaneLens doesn't collect personal information from anyone, including children.
Keeping and deleting your data
Because your data lives on your device, you control it. Delete a saved place by swiping left on it in Settings, turn off location access in iOS Settings → PlaneLens → Location, or delete the app (and its widgets) to remove everything it stored.
Changes to this policy
If the app changes how it handles information, we'll update this page and the “Effective” date above.
Contact
Questions about privacy? Email support@planelens.app.
For fun, not for navigation. PlaneLens shows community-sourced flight data that may be incomplete, delayed or wrong. Don't rely on it for navigation or safety.