Privacy Policy
Updated 4 November 2026 (the live window)
The short version: no account, no analytics, no advertising, no tracking. Only two things ever leave your phone: what you send to the city board, which isn't tied to you, and, if you switch a book to Live, a request for that city's weather, which carries the city's coordinates, never yours.
This policy covers the iOS app Unfold Your City (“the app”), made by Pietro Messineo (“we”, “us”).
What we collect
The app has no account, no sign-in, no analytics, no advertising, no tracking and no third-party SDKs. It sends something to us only when you use the city board, behind the blank book at the end of the shelf:
- the cities you suggest or vote for;
- the note about the places you'd want in a book, if you write one;
- a random ID made on your phone, so that each vote counts once. It isn't linked to your name, email, Apple Account or device, and we don't use it to track you.
These are stored on our server (api.pietromessineo.com). City names and vote counts are shown to everyone who opens the board; your note is read only by us. Once you've voted, the app asks the board now and then whether one of your cities has become a book, so the shelf can tell you. If you never use the board, the app sends nothing.
Like any website, our server's ordinary logs record the IP address of each request. We use them only to keep the board running and to stop abuse, such as too many votes in a short time.
Searching for a city
When you type in the board's search field, the text goes to Apple Maps to suggest cities, as it would in any app that uses Apple's maps. See Apple's Privacy Policy. Only the city you pick is sent to us.
The live window
Books open in Classic, and then nothing is sent. If you switch a book to Live, the app asks Apple's weather service (WeatherKit) for the weather at that city's fixed coordinates, the ones printed in its book, so the page can show the city's real sky. It never asks where you are, and never sends your location. We receive nothing. The latest reading for each city is kept on your phone for a few hours. See Apple's Privacy Policy.
What stays on your phone
Your settings (such as sound on or off, Classic or Live, and the Christmas snow), which cities you've unlocked, the hidden details you've found and the Advent doors you've opened are saved locally by iOS on your device. They aren't synced through iCloud or sent anywhere. They're removed when you delete the app, and may be included in your own device backups.
The hinge
To open the books, the app reads the angle of your iPhone Duo's hinge in real time. These readings are used only while the app is open, only on your device, and are never stored or sent anywhere.
The camera
Only if you choose to read a book in your room (AR), the app uses the camera to put the book on a real table. The camera picture stays on your iPhone and is never stored or sent anywhere. The app does not use the microphone, your location, contacts or photos.
Purchases
Purchases are handled entirely by Apple through the App Store. We never receive your name, payment details or Apple Account information. The app checks your purchases on the device using Apple's StoreKit. See Apple's Privacy Policy.
Children
The app is suitable for all ages and collects no personal information from anyone, including children. The city board asks for no name or contact details.
Your rights
We hold no personal data about you. You can take back a vote on the board at any time by tapping it again; to remove a suggestion or a note, write to us at the address below. Deleting the app removes everything it stored on your phone.
Changes
If this policy changes, we'll update this page and the date above, and the App Store's privacy details with it.