At a glance

On-device AIThe caddie's intelligence runs on your iPhone. Your shots aren't sent anywhere.
No accountThere's no Birdo login and no profile to create.
Location stays localYour position is used on the device to compute yardages.
Your iCloud, your groupShared rounds sync through your Apple account, not ours.
No ad trackingNo advertising SDKs, no cross-app tracking, nothing sold.
Open course dataCourse geometry is fetched anonymously from OpenStreetMap.
Section 1

Who this covers

This policy describes how the Birdo app for iPhone ("Birdo", "we", "us") handles information. It applies to the app and to this website. By using Birdo you agree to the practices described here.

Birdo is built privacy-first: the design goal is to keep your golf on your device. Where Birdo touches the network at all, it's described plainly below.

Section 2

Information processed on your device

Location

With your permission, Birdo uses your device location (GPS via Core Location) to place you on the hole and compute distances to the front, center, and back of the green. This processing happens on the device. Birdo does not transmit your location to us, and does not maintain a server-side history of where you've played.

Shots, scores, and rounds

Club distances you log, strokes you enter, and round history are stored locally on your device so the app can keep score and personalize recommendations. This data stays on the device unless you choose to share a round (see Section 4).

The AI caddie

Club recommendations and their explanations are generated by Apple's on-device Foundation Models. The shot context used to produce a recommendation is processed locally and is not sent to Birdo or to any third-party AI service.

Section 3

Course data requests

To show a course, Birdo fetches its geometry — greens, tees, fairways, and hazards — from OpenStreetMap through the Overpass API. These requests include the geographic area you're looking at (for example, "courses near this coordinate") so the right course can be returned. They do not include your identity, an account, or your score.

OpenStreetMap and the Overpass endpoint are operated by third parties under their own terms and privacy practices. Once a course is fetched, Birdo caches it on your device so it can be used offline and without repeating the request.

Section 4

Group rounds (iCloud)

If you choose to share a round with a group, that round and its scores sync using Apple's CloudKit through your own iCloud account. Birdo does not operate a server that stores your shared rounds; the data lives in Apple's iCloud infrastructure and is shared only with the players you invite.

Apple's handling of iCloud data is governed by Apple's privacy policy. You can stop sharing a round, and you can manage app data associated with your Apple ID in your device settings.

Section 5

What we don't do

  • No Birdo account. There's no sign-up, username, or password to create.
  • No advertising or tracking SDKs. Birdo doesn't include third-party advertising or cross-app tracking frameworks.
  • No sale of personal data. We don't sell, rent, or trade your information.
  • No server-side round history. We don't keep a copy of your scores or locations on our servers.
Section 6

Permissions Birdo may request

PermissionWhyRequired?
Location (while using)Compute yardages and advance holes by proximityCore
Network accessFetch course data from OpenStreetMap; sync shared rounds via iCloudAs needed
iCloudSync group rounds with invited playersOptional

You can change permissions at any time in the iOS Settings app. Declining location simply means Birdo can't compute live yardages; declining iCloud means group rounds are unavailable.

Section 7

Children

Birdo is not directed to children under 13 and does not knowingly collect personal information from them. Because Birdo has no account system and keeps data on the device, there is no profile for a child or anyone else to create with us.

Section 8

Your choices and rights

Because your data lives on your device and in your iCloud, you stay in control of it: delete a round in the app, revoke a permission in Settings, or remove the app to clear its local data. Depending on where you live, you may have rights under laws such as the GDPR or CCPA — and since we don't hold your personal data on a server, most of those rights are satisfied directly on your device. If you have a request, contact us below.

Section 9

Changes to this policy

As Birdo moves from development toward release, this policy may be updated to reflect the shipping app. Material changes will be noted by updating the date below. Continued use after an update constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

Section 10

Contact

Questions about privacy? Email privacy@birdo.golf.

Last updated: June 22, 2026