Privacy Policy

Last updated: 22 June 2026

In short: Snailbox reads your mail on your device. We don't track you, show ads, or sell your data, and you don't need an account. Your letters sync through your own iCloud, which we can't access. An optional Pro feature can send a letter's text to our analysis service for tougher documents — only with your consent, and never tied to your identity.

1. Who we are

Snailbox (“the app”, “we”, “us”) is developed and operated by Oleg Ruban. If you have any questions about this policy or your data, contact us at roleg92@icloud.com.

2. Our approach to privacy

Snailbox is built to work on your device. Scanning, text recognition (OCR), and the everyday reading of your mail happen locally on your iPhone or iPad. You do not create an account, and we do not operate a server that stores your mail. The limited cases where information leaves your device are described below, and each is either controlled by you or handled within your own Apple iCloud account.

3. Information processed on your device

When you scan or import a letter, the app creates and stores — on your device — the scanned image, the recognized text, and the details it extracts (such as title, sender, amount due, due date, account or reference numbers, category, and a short summary). This information stays on your device unless you enable iCloud sync (Section 4) or use the optional cloud analysis feature (Section 5).

4. iCloud sync

If your device is signed in to iCloud, your letters and their scanned images sync across your own Apple devices using Apple’s CloudKit in your private iCloud database. This data is stored in your iCloud account under your control. We, the developer, cannot access, read, or retrieve the contents of your private iCloud data. Apple’s handling of iCloud data is governed by Apple’s Privacy Policy. You can turn iCloud sync off in your device’s iCloud settings.

5. Optional cloud analysis (Pro)

Snailbox Pro includes an opt-in “cloud assist” for letters that on-device intelligence cannot confidently read. When this applies to a letter you scan:

Only the recognized text of that letter is sent to our analysis service. Scanned images are never sent.
The text is processed to extract the same fields the app shows you (summary, organization, amount, due date, account/reference numbers).
Our analysis service runs on Cloudflare and uses OpenAI as a processing provider to interpret the text.
The text is used only to return that result to your device. It is not used for advertising or tracking, is not linked to your name, account, or identity, and is not used to train models.
The request is processed transiently and is not retained by us as part of a profile about you.

If you do not subscribe to Pro, or do not trigger cloud assist, no letter text is ever sent off your device for analysis.

6. Camera and photos

The app uses your camera to scan mail and can import images you choose from your photo library. These are used solely to create your scans and are processed as described above. The app does not browse, upload, or collect your wider photo library.

7. Reminders and calendar

If you choose, the app can schedule local notifications to remind you of a due date, and can pre-fill a calendar event for you to save. Notifications are scheduled on your device. Calendar events are added only when you confirm them, into the calendar you select. We do not read your existing reminders or calendar.

8. Purchases

Snailbox Pro is sold as an auto-renewing subscription through Apple’s App Store. Payments and billing are handled entirely by Apple; we never receive your payment card or financial details. Your subscription status is verified through Apple’s StoreKit.

9. What we do not do

We do not track you across apps or websites.
We do not show ads or share data with advertisers.
We do not sell or rent your personal information.
We do not use third-party analytics or advertising SDKs.
We do not require you to create an account.

10. Data retention and deletion

Your mail lives on your device (and, if enabled, in your iCloud account). You can delete any letter in the app at any time; deleting it removes its data from your device and, through iCloud sync, from your other devices. Cloud analysis requests are processed transiently and are not kept by us as a record about you.

11. Children

Snailbox is intended for general audiences and is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

12. Third-party services

We rely on the following providers only for the functions described above: Apple (iCloud storage and App Store purchases), and — only when you use opt-in cloud assist — Cloudflare (hosting our analysis endpoint) and OpenAI (interpreting the letter text). Each processes data under its own terms and privacy commitments.

13. International processing

If you use cloud assist, the letter text may be processed on servers located outside your country, including the United States. By using that optional feature, you consent to this processing.

14. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the app evolves. When we make material changes, we will update the “Last updated” date above and, where appropriate, note it in the app or on this site.

15. Contact

Questions, requests, or concerns about your privacy? Email us at roleg92@icloud.com.