Privacy policy

Effective September 24, 2026

Lock Status is made by Andrew J. Thom ("the developer"). It doesn't collect personal information: there are no accounts, no ads, no tracking and no analytics code in the app, and nothing is sold or shared for advertising. This policy explains the little data the app does handle, and why.

What stays on your devices

Your favorite locks, trips, vessel details, settings and location stay on your iPhone, iPad or Mac.

If you allow location access, the app uses your location on the device to find the closest locks and to estimate how far away the next lock on your trip is and when you'll arrive. Your location is never sent to the developer.

Lock data from the Corps of Engineers

Delays, queues, stoppages and other lock information come from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' public Lock Performance Monitoring System.

The Lock Status server keeps a copy of the Corps' feeds that cover every lock (delays, stoppages and lock conditions), and the app loads those from it, so every device doesn't have to ask the Corps. These requests don't identify you, and the server doesn't record who made them.

Information about a single lock, such as its queue, recent traffic and cargo, is requested from the Corps directly, as are all feeds when the server can't be reached. Like any website, the Corps receives your device's IP address with each request, and its own privacy policies apply.

Alerts and Live Activities

If you turn on alerts, or keep a lock on your Lock Screen as a Live Activity, the app registers with the Lock Status server so it can notify you while the app isn't open. Only then does the server receive:

• a random identifier the app creates, which isn't linked to you, your Apple ID or your device's hardware
• the push notification tokens Apple provides for the app and for each Live Activity
• your alert settings and the locks you watch: your favorites and the next few locks on your trip
• your language, region format and time zone, so alerts are written in your language and show your local times
• the app's version, your device type (iPhone or Mac), and whether it's a test or App Store build
• for a Live Activity, which lock it's for, and the distance and arrival time your device estimated, so updates keep showing them

The server also records which stoppages and notices it has already told you about, so each is announced once.

This is used only to send you alerts and Live Activity updates. It's deleted when you turn off all alerts and stop tracking locks, and a Live Activity's details are deleted when it ends, or after 8 hours. If an installation isn't used for 90 days, everything about it is deleted automatically.

The server runs on Cloudflare, which handles the connection to it, including your IP address, to deliver requests. The server doesn't store IP addresses. Notifications are delivered by Apple Push Notification service.

Lock Status Premium

If you subscribe to Lock Status Premium, you pay Apple, and the developer never sees your name, Apple Account or payment details. So that the server only sends alerts and Live Activity updates to subscribers, the app sends it the subscription record Apple signed. The server checks Apple's signature and keeps only the subscription's transaction numbers and when it expires, alongside the random identifier described above. Apple tells the server when a subscription renews, lapses or is refunded, identified only by those numbers. They're deleted with the rest of your registration.

Maps

Maps in the app are provided by Apple Maps, under Apple's privacy policy.

Diagnostics from Apple

If you've chosen to share analytics with app developers in your device's settings, Apple provides the developer with anonymous usage and crash information. It's used only to fix problems and plan new features. You can turn this off in Settings › Privacy & Security › Analytics & Improvements.

Children

Lock Status isn't directed at children under 13 and doesn't knowingly collect information from them.

Your choices

You can use Lock Status without alerts, Live Activities or location access. Turning off alerts and stopping all Live Activities removes your registration from the server. Deleting the app does too, after 90 days. Because nothing on the server identifies you, the developer can't look up your data by name or email. If you have a question or request, email lockstatus@andrewthom.com.

Changes

If this policy changes, the new version will be posted here with a new effective date. Significant changes will also be shown in the app.