So that you can focus on the mountains with peace of mind, the details are explained below.
This Privacy Policy explains how the iOS app “Mountain Log Japan” (the “App”) handles user information. The App respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information.
The App collects the following information:
This information is used on your device (except hiking record data and photos synced when iCloud Sync is turned on), and the App never collects information that identifies you (such as your name, email address or account information).
All data is stored on your device. The App does not send data to external servers. However, only if you turn on iCloud Sync in the Pro version, your hiking record data and photos are also stored in your own iCloud account (see “3. iCloud Sync” for details). Because app data is included in device backups (iCloud or Mac/PC), you can restore it from a backup when you change devices. Downloaded offline maps can be downloaded again, so they are excluded from device backups. If you restore from a backup, please download your offline maps again. The database and image files are protected by your device’s encryption. Exported files (GPX, CSV and backup archives) are also protected by your device’s encryption. Automatic backup data recorded during a hike (GPS track points, session information and voice memos transcribed during the hike) is stored in the App’s private area on your device and is deleted automatically when the hike is completed or canceled.
As a Pro feature, the App provides iCloud Sync, which syncs your hiking records and photos with your other devices signed in with the same Apple ID. iCloud Sync is off by default and works only if you turn it on in Settings > Data > iCloud Sync. Sync uses Apple’s iCloud (the CloudKit private database). Synced data is stored in your own iCloud account and uses your iCloud storage. The developer cannot view or access its contents. Data in iCloud is handled in accordance with Apple’s Privacy Policy. Synced data consists of hiking record data (mountain name, date and time, elevation, distance, notes, related URLs, GPS track points, summit and descent records, etc.) and the photos attached to your hiking records (images saved with location data removed). Course time plan and actual time data, downloaded offline maps, cache data and app settings are not synced and are stored only on your device. On devices with iCloud Sync turned on, a copy of each photo is also kept in the App’s database on the device for syncing, so photos use additional storage on your device. Turning off iCloud Sync does not delete data on your device. Data stored in iCloud can be deleted by selecting “Delete iCloud Data” while iCloud Sync is on (data on your device is kept). If iCloud Sync fails to start, the App automatically turns iCloud Sync off and continues to store data on your device.
The App provides a feature that generates timelapse videos from the GPS tracks of your hiking records. Video generation is performed entirely on your device, and neither GPS track data nor generated videos are sent to external servers. Permission to access your photo library is required when you save a generated video to it. Videos are shared only when you explicitly perform a share action.
The App provides a feature to share your current location during a hike (latitude, longitude, elevation and a map link). Your location is shared only when you explicitly perform a share action. The App never automatically sends your location to third parties. Sharing a course time plan as an image is likewise performed only when you explicitly perform a share action. Information handled by the service you share to is subject to that service’s privacy policy.
The App automatically calculates your walking pace (a multiplier relative to course times) from your past hikes. The estimated finish time during a hike is calculated from your walking pace excluding time spent stopped, such as during breaks. Whether you are stopped is determined on your device based on GPS location data. This calculation is performed entirely on your device, and no data is sent to external servers.
To speed up map display, the App stores cache data for map tiles and network communication on your device. Cache data does not contain personal information. You can check cache usage and delete it at any time from Settings > Data > Cache Management. Deleting the cache does not affect your hiking records or downloaded offline maps.
The App supports Japanese and English. The language switches automatically based on your device’s system settings, and no information about your language settings is sent externally. All localized display data, such as mountain and prefecture names, is included in the App, and the App does not communicate with external translation services.
The App calculates statistics from your hiking records (monthly and yearly hike counts, total ascent, distance walked, summits by prefecture, completion rates for all mountain lists, the number of mountains climbed including those not on the lists, personal bests, etc.). Progress information shown on highlight cards, such as your 100 Famous Mountains completion rate, is also calculated from the hiking record data on your device. All statistics are calculated and displayed on your device from your hiking record data and are never sent to external servers.
The App records and manages course time plans (time required and rest time for each checkpoint, departure date and time) and actual times (the times you actually passed each checkpoint). All course time calculations (estimating time required from trail distance and elevation change, shortest-route search, and estimating arrival times at each checkpoint and your finish time based on the departure date and time) are performed on your device. Recalculating course times where there is no signal (without a network connection) is also performed using only data stored on your device. Real-time updates of actual times are also performed entirely on your device. The course constant, an indicator of how physically demanding a course is, is also calculated on your device from the route’s course time, distance and total ascent and descent. The departure date and time you set is stored only as hiking plan data on your device and is never sent to other apps such as Calendar or to external servers. Course time information is stored only on your device and is never sent to external servers.
The App provides a feature to search for a mountain by name on the Climb screen, the offline map screen and the Famous Mountains screen. All searchable data for famous mountains and for mountains not on the famous mountain lists (other mountains) (name, reading, location, elevation and coordinates) is bundled with the App, and searches are completed on your device. The keywords you enter are never sent to external servers, and your search history is never sent or shared outside the App. Retrieving map tiles for the location of the mountain you select involves the communication described in “26. Communication with External Services” of this Policy.
The App shows trailheads of famous mountains, together with nearby parking lots and bus stops, on the Climb screen map and on the mountain detail screen. Trailhead, parking and bus stop data (names, coordinates, restrictions and cautions, sources, etc.) is bundled with the App, and displaying it on the map, matching it to mountains, and creating routes that start or finish at a trailhead, parking lot or bus stop are all performed on your device. Your current location and the route you are creating are not sent to external servers for this purpose. To keep trailhead data up to date, the App checks about once a day after launch whether the trailhead data file published by the developer on GitHub Pages (frontax.github.io) has been updated, and downloads it to replace the data on your device only when newer data is available. This communication only retrieves the file; no information about you, such as your location, search keywords or hiking records, is sent. As with browsing any website, the distribution service (GitHub) may record information such as the IP address of the connection, which is handled in accordance with GitHub’s privacy policy. If the check fails, the App keeps using the bundled or previously downloaded data. You can turn the display of trailheads, parking and bus stops on or off, check the data’s update date, and update the data manually in Settings > Trailhead. Showing directions in a maps app (Apple Maps, or Google Maps if installed) from the detail screen of a trailhead, parking lot or bus stop happens only when you explicitly perform that action. In that case, the coordinates and name of the destination (the trailhead, parking lot or bus stop) are passed to the maps app. The App never passes your current location or hiking records to the maps app. Information in the maps app is handled in accordance with that app’s privacy policy.
The App provides a feature that loads the route of a past hiking record into the Climb screen as “Previous route” in the course list opened from the hiking record detail screen, so that you can start a hike on the same route again. The route data loaded (coordinates, checkpoints and course time information) is taken from existing hiking records stored on your device, and all processing is completed on your device. This feature never sends your past hiking records to external servers or shares them with third parties. New hiking records created from a reused route are handled in the same way as other hiking records (stored on your device, and synced if iCloud Sync is turned on).
The App provides a feature that shows a course list for the mountain you choose, from “Search by name” on the Climb screen or from “Climb this mountain” on the detail screen of a famous mountain, another mountain or a hiking record. Creating courses (round-trip courses from each trailhead, and your previous route when opened from a hiking record), calculating course time, distance, elevation gain and the course constant, sorting, and determining the place names shown at the start and finish of course times (such as nearby trailheads, parking lots and summits) are performed on your device using data bundled with the App and data stored on your device. If trail data for the area around the mountain (about 10 km square centered on the summit) has not been saved, the App retrieves trail data for that area from the Overpass API (OpenStreetMap) to create courses. To calculate elevation gain, the App also retrieves elevation data for the route from GSI when a connection is available (otherwise it uses elevation data from saved offline maps). These requests include only locations (latitude and longitude, or ranges of them); the name of the mountain you chose, your current location and your hiking records are never sent (see “26. Communication with External Services” of this Policy). Only when you tap “Plan with this course” does the App set the route and save an offline map of about 10 km square around the summit (or an area that contains the whole course if it extends beyond that) on your device. The mountain, course name and course type you planned are stored only on your device as hiking plan data.
When the App detects that you have deviated from your planned route during a hike, it searches for trails near your current location and suggests filling in the section up to that point on your route. Route deviation is determined on your device after you reach the start of your route, based on the distance between your current location and the route line. Searching for nearby trails and calculating the section to fill in are performed on your device using trail and route data stored on your device, and your current location is not sent to external servers for this purpose. A section is filled in only if you accept the suggestion, and the filled-in section is stored on your device as route data of the hiking record. Heading information shown at your current location on the map is used only for display and is never sent to external servers.
To protect your privacy, photos saved in the App are stored with their embedded location information (EXIF GPS data) removed automatically. Other metadata, such as the date and time taken, is retained. Reordering photos (drag and drop) on the hiking record detail screen is processed only on your device. Photo Scan analyzes the location and date taken of photos in your photo library on your device to detect hikes to famous mountains and other mountains automatically. This analysis is performed entirely on your device, and neither photo data nor location information is sent to external servers. Photos registered as hiking records from scan results are saved with location information removed. If you turn on iCloud Sync, photos attached to your hiking records are synced as described in “3. iCloud Sync”.
The App records voice memos during hikes and transcribes them on your device. Recordings and transcriptions are stored on your device. Because transcriptions are added to the notes of your hiking record, they are synced as notes if iCloud Sync is turned on. Speech recognition prioritizes on-device processing and uses Apple’s speech recognition servers only if your device does not support it. In that case, audio data is processed in accordance with Apple’s Privacy Policy. Recordings are deleted from your device automatically after transcription is complete. Voice memos transcribed during a hike are also saved on your device in the automatic backup data for the hike, in case the App quits unexpectedly, and are deleted when the hike is completed or canceled.
The App uses Apple Intelligence to generate social media posts from your hiking records automatically. All AI processing runs on your device (on-device), and your hiking record data is never sent to external servers. Requests (instruction text) you enter when regenerating are also processed only on your device and are never sent externally. Generated text is shared only after you review and edit it. On devices that do not support Apple Intelligence, template-based text generation is used.
Files created with the App’s backup feature contain hiking record data (including course time plans and actual times) and attached images. Backup files are stored on your device and are never sent externally unless you explicitly perform a share action. Backup files include hash values (SHA-256) for data integrity verification, which detect tampering or corruption when restoring. You are responsible for storing and sharing backup files.
During a hike, the App shows hiking information such as distance, elevation and elapsed time on the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island (Live Activity). The information displayed is processed on your device and is never sent to external servers. When you record a summit or descent using the buttons on the Lock Screen or Dynamic Island, the record is only passed to the App on your device and is never sent to external servers. The display is removed automatically when the hike ends or is canceled.
The App provides links from the detail screens of famous mountains and other mountains to the corresponding Wikipedia page (a URL containing the mountain name), from the trailhead detail screen to the official source pages of local governments and other organizations, and from the Settings screen to the page where the trailhead data is published. Information on linked websites is handled in accordance with each site’s privacy policy. The App never sends your personal information to linked websites.
The App may offer limited-time in-app events (e.g., seasonal challenges). Determining event periods and changing free-version record limits are performed entirely on your device, with no communication with external servers. Badges and other information granted in connection with events are also stored only on your device.
When certain conditions are met, the App may display an App Store review request dialog using a standard iOS feature (StoreKit). Whether to show a review request (version and display interval) is determined entirely on your device, with no communication with external servers. Reviews are posted through Apple’s App Store, and the App never obtains or stores review content.
Highlight cards, posts, timelapse videos and course time plan images are shared to social media only when you explicitly perform a share action. Information on the social media service you share to is handled in accordance with that service’s privacy policy.
We never provide, sell or share your personal information with third parties. The App contains no advertising SDKs, analytics SDKs or tracking SDKs.
The App communicates with the following external services. None of them receive your personal information.
Requests for map tiles, elevation, weather and trails include a range of location (latitude and longitude), but no information that identifies your device or account is sent. Checking for trailhead data updates does not include any location. All communication uses HTTPS (encrypted communication). A timeout (10 to 65 seconds) is set, so unresponsive connections are not kept open for long. If you download offline maps in advance, you can use maps during your hike without these communications. In addition, if you turn on iCloud Sync, the App communicates with Apple’s iCloud (CloudKit) to sync your hiking records and photos (see “3. iCloud Sync”).
The App gives spoken warnings when you leave your route and when sunset is approaching (sunset alert). All audio is generated on your device, with no communication with external servers.
In-app purchases (buying the Pro version) are processed through Apple’s payment system. The App never obtains or stores payment information (such as credit card numbers). Your purchase status is stored securely in your device’s Keychain (secure storage).
When you delete the App from your device, all stored data (including hiking records, course times, source data for statistics, voice memo transcriptions, temporary timelapse video data and cache data) is deleted. You can also delete individual hiking records within the App. When you delete a hiking record, statistics based on that record are recalculated automatically. Cache data can also be deleted separately from Settings > Data > Cache Management. Data stored in iCloud through iCloud Sync is not deleted when you delete the App from your device. To delete data in iCloud, select Settings > Data > iCloud Sync > “Delete iCloud Data” while iCloud Sync is on. If you delete a hiking record or photo while iCloud Sync is on, it is also deleted from your other synced devices. Automatic backup data recorded during a hike is deleted when the hike is completed or canceled, or when you discard it in the recovery dialog. Data exported as backup files must be deleted manually, for example in the Files app. Timelapse videos saved to your photo library must be deleted manually in the Photos app.
This Privacy Policy may be changed without notice. Changes take effect when they are posted on this page.
Last updated: October 13, 2026