We take your privacy seriously. This guide explains what data Sidetrip stores, how it's protected, and what happens when you use iCloud sync, sharing, and AI features.
How Your Data is Stored
On Your Device
All your trip data — itineraries, stops, notes, visit statuses, and cover photos — is stored locally on your device. Nothing is sent to our servers.
In iCloud
Sidetrip uses iCloud CloudKit to sync your trips across your Apple devices and to power the sharing feature. Your trip data is stored in your own private iCloud container. Apple's iCloud infrastructure encrypts data in transit and at rest. The list of trips you've archived is kept in your iCloud account too, so it follows you across your own devices. We do not have access to your iCloud data.
What Data Sidetrip Collects
Trip Data
Your trips, itineraries, stops, notes, and visit statuses are entirely yours. We never see, access, or store them on our servers. Trips are stored on your device and in your personal iCloud account. When you generate a trip on iOS 27 / macOS 27 or later, your prompt and required context are sent to Apple's Private Cloud Compute servers for AI processing, as described below.
Analytics
Sidetrip doesn't include any analytics or tracking tools. If you've chosen to share analytics with app developers in your device's privacy settings, Apple may provide us with crash reports and aggregated usage statistics. These never include your trip content.
Purchase Information
For Sidetrip Pro purchases, Apple handles all payment processing. We receive only:
- Whether you have Sidetrip Pro
- An anonymous app user ID used to look up your purchase, which is also attached when you contact support from the app so we can check your Pro status
We never see your payment details, credit card information, or Apple ID.
AI Features and Privacy
Where AI Processing Happens
On iOS 26 / macOS 26, trip generation uses on-device Apple Intelligence. On iOS 27 / macOS 27 or later, generation uses Apple Private Cloud Compute (PCC) exclusively: your generation prompt and required context are sent to Apple's PCC servers for processing. Sidetrip does not silently fall back to another model or processing location if PCC is unavailable.
PCC requires internet access and is subject to Apple's daily usage quota, independent of Sidetrip Pro. Pro does not increase or remove this quota. Generation remains available to Free and Pro users within their trip limits. Connectivity, availability, and quota failures are shown to the user.
The Pro-only AI assistant has two modes. On Device, the only mode on iOS 26 / macOS 26, processes everything on your device and does not send data to servers for AI processing. Private Cloud, which you can choose on iOS 27 / macOS 27 or later, sends your messages and the trip details it needs — such as days, stops, notes, transportation, and accommodations, including confirmation numbers — to Apple's Private Cloud Compute servers. It requires internet access and uses the same daily quota as generation. The assistant never switches modes on its own.
AI-generated covers (Sidetrip Pro, iOS 27 / macOS 27 or later) are created in Apple's Image Playground, which Sidetrip opens with a few ideas based on the trip or day title. Image Playground is provided and processed by Apple. The image you save is stored with your trip like any other cover.
Trips and edits still sync through iCloud separately from AI processing.
No Training on Your Data
Apple Intelligence does not use your trip content to train its models. Generation processing is local on OS 26 and uses PCC on OS 27+; assistant processing is local in On Device mode and uses PCC in Private Cloud mode. Your saved itinerary remains on your device and in iCloud independently of the AI session.
iCloud Sharing and Privacy
What Recipients Can See
When you share a trip, the recipient can see the full itinerary: all parts, days, stops, accommodations, transportation, and cover photos. Notes on stops, accommodations, and transportation are part of the trip, so recipients can see them, along with each stop's visit status.
Revoking Access
You can remove a participant from a shared trip at any time. Once removed, they can no longer access the trip or receive further updates.
Third-Party Services
RevenueCat
Sidetrip uses RevenueCat to manage Sidetrip Pro purchases. RevenueCat:
- Processes purchase status only
- Does not have access to your trip data or iCloud data
- Is SOC 2 Type II certified
For more information, see RevenueCat's privacy policy at revenuecat.com/privacy.
Apple iCloud
Trip syncing and sharing is powered by Apple's iCloud CloudKit. Please refer to Apple's privacy policy for information on how iCloud handles your data: apple.com/legal/privacy.
Data Removal
Deleting a Trip
Deleting a trip removes it from your device and from iCloud. If the trip was shared, all participants lose access.
Deleting All Your Data
To delete everything at once, open Settings, scroll to Danger Zone, and tap Reset All Data. This permanently deletes all trips, stops, and shared data from your device and iCloud, and then restarts the app. It cannot be undone.
Deleting the App
Deleting Sidetrip from your device removes all locally stored data. Trip data stored in iCloud is retained by Apple until you also delete it from iCloud. To remove it from iCloud, go to Settings → [Your Name] → iCloud → Manage Account Storage → Sidetrip and delete the data.
Your Rights
You have full control over your data:
- Access: All your trip data is viewable directly within the app
- Delete: You can delete any or all trips from within the app, or delete the app entirely
- Portability: Your trip data lives in your personal iCloud account — it is not locked in any proprietary server