OpenManual Privacy Policy

1. Scope and who operates OpenManual

OpenManual is published by Gunnar Hostetler through Gunzino. This policy covers the OpenManual iOS app and the OpenManual pages on Gunzino.me. It does not replace the policies of Apple, a government registry, a search provider, a document host, a manufacturer, or any destination you choose when sharing a document.

2. OpenManual does not run an account or cloud library

OpenManual does not require an account, login, or an OpenManual-operated backend. The publisher does not receive the contents of your camera frames, imported PDFs, saved PDFs, or questions on an OpenManual server. That does not mean nothing can leave your device: when you choose an online lookup or document search, the app contacts the outside services needed for that request directly from your device.

3. Information processed and stored on your device

• Camera and photo input: Camera frames and selected images are processed on-device to read labels, barcodes, and device details. The app does not upload those images as part of a lookup.
• Device library: Saved devices can include manufacturer, model, catalog or REF number, normalized device identifier, verification state, timestamps, and a compact on-device visual fingerprint used to recognize a saved device again.
• Documents: A PDF you choose to keep is stored locally with its source URL, document metadata, hashes, and page data.
• Questions and evidence: OpenManual keeps local question history, answer state, citations, quoted passages, warnings, and abstention reasons so you can inspect why an answer was or was not available.
• Preferences: App settings, including the optional on-device search-refinement preference, are stored locally.

4. What may be sent when you choose an online lookup

Depending on the kind of device and the action you choose, OpenManual may send lookup-relevant details such as a manufacturer, model number, catalog or REF number, product category, normalized device identifier, UPC, VIN, or document-type search terms. These requests can go to public registries and safety sources, public search providers, public archives, and manufacturer, regulator, or other public HTTPS document hosts.

For example, the app can query AccessGUDID with a catalog-level device identifier; government sources such as openFDA, FDA clearance records, ENERGY STAR, NHTSA, or CPSC; Internet Archive; DuckDuckGo; and a manufacturer or regulator document host. The exact destination depends on the device and the source you choose to use.

OpenManual does not send camera images, imported PDFs, saved PDFs, free-form questions, or full UDI production details such as lot, serial, expiration, or donation values through those lookup/search requests. Outside services receive ordinary network-request information, such as an IP address and user agent, and apply their own privacy policies and retention practices.

5. Apple features and purchases

If you enable search refinement, OpenManual uses Apple’s on-device language-model capability to improve a device-document query. It does not send photos, PDFs, or typed device details to an OpenManual server. If OpenManual offers a one-time unlock, Apple processes the purchase through StoreKit; OpenManual does not receive your payment-card details and keeps only the local entitlement result needed to unlock the feature.

6. Storage, deletion, backups, and sharing

OpenManual keeps saved library data until you remove an individual document, delete its saved device, or delete the app. Removing a document also removes bindings and saved citation/history records that depend on it. Deleting a device removes that device’s saved documents and answers. Your device backups may retain app data according to your Apple and device-backup settings.

Sharing is user initiated. When you use the iOS Share Sheet, OpenManual makes a temporary copy available to the destination you choose. That recipient app or service has its own privacy practices, and its retention is outside OpenManual’s control.

7. Gunzino website traffic and support email

Gunzino.me uses Google Analytics and Google Ads measurement tags for website traffic and conversion measurement. Those tags concern visits to this website, not analytics SDKs embedded in OpenManual. If you email support, the email address, message, attachments, and normal email metadata are handled by your email provider and the publisher’s inbox. Do not send patient data, full UDI production details, passwords, credentials, or copyrighted manuals unless specifically requested.

8. Medical and sensitive information

Do not enter patient information, health records, or other sensitive personal data into a label, lookup, question, or support request. OpenManual locates and quotes documentation; it does not provide diagnosis, treatment recommendations, or patient-specific settings.

9. Contact and changes

For privacy questions or a request to delete support correspondence held by the publisher, email gunnarguy@me.com. This policy may change when the app or its external service use changes; the current date above identifies the latest version.