Purl Privacy Policy

Last updated: 7 July 2026

Purl is a knitting and crochet companion app. This policy explains what Purl does and does not do with your information. In short: Purl keeps your data on your device. There are no accounts, there is no server that stores your knitting data, and nothing is sold or shared.

What is collected

Nothing is sent to us. Everything you put into Purl (your projects, yarn stash, patterns, photos, counters, notes and settings) is stored only on your device, in the app's local storage. It never leaves your phone or tablet unless you choose to export or share it yourself.

There are no user accounts, and no analytics or tracking. We do not collect your name, email, location, contacts, or usage data.

Camera

Purl can use your device camera to scan a yarn ball-band barcode so it can pre-fill yarn details. The image is processed on your device to read the barcode; no photo or camera image is uploaded or stored by us. You can use the whole app without granting camera access, since scanning is optional.

Photos

When you add a photo to a project or a pattern, Purl copies it into the app's own storage on your device so it stays with that item. Photos are not uploaded anywhere. They travel only if you create a backup or share file.

Backups and sharing

Purl lets you export your data to a file (a .purl backup, or a .purlp / .purlt share) to move it to another device. These files are created only when you ask, and go wherever you send them. We never receive them.

Purchases and tips

Purl is free. If you choose to leave an optional tip on the "Support Purl" screen, the payment is handled entirely by Google Play (or, when Purl reaches iPhone and iPad, the App Store). Purl never sees or stores your card details or any payment information. The store processes everything and only tells the app whether the purchase completed. A tip unlocks nothing; every feature stays free.

Feedback

If you send feedback from the app, it opens a short external form (Google Forms) that is anonymous by design: it does not ask for your name or email. To help us fix things, the app fills in only your note and the app version. Neither identifies you, and you choose whether to submit it.

App updates

Purl checks for updates so you get fixes and improvements. When the app starts, it looks for updates to its own code on the developer's update server, and on Google Play full app updates are also delivered by Google Play. Like any download, the update check reveals your device's IP address to that server, but it carries none of your knitting or personal data, and it is not used to identify or track you.

Children

Purl does not knowingly collect personal data from anyone, including children.

Changes

If this policy changes, the date above is updated and the new version is posted at the same address.

Contact

The data controller for Purl is the app's developer. Questions about privacy? Contact: pierre.boniface90@gmail.com. If you are in the EEA, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority (in Norway, that is Datatilsynet).