Sheaf (“the app”, “we”, “us”) is a PDF scanner and editor for iPhone and iPad. We built Sheaf to be private by design: your documents are processed entirely on your device and are never uploaded to us. This policy explains exactly what is and isn’t collected.
The short version: Your PDFs, scans, signatures, and the text we recognize from them never leave your device and are never sent to us or anyone else. The only data leaving the app is what Apple and our subscription provider need to process and validate your purchase.
1. Your documents stay on your device
All features — scanning, image-to-PDF, organize, merge, split, compress, text recognition (OCR), signing, password lock/unlock, and annotation — run locally on your device.
The contents of your files, the text extracted by OCR, your signatures, and your passwords are never transmitted to us and are not stored on any server we control.
Files you create are saved in the app’s own storage on your device (and anywhere you choose to export or share them).
2. Information collected to process purchases
Sheaf offers an optional paid subscription and a one-time lifetime purchase. To sell, validate, and restore these purchases we rely on two service providers:
Apple — payments are handled by the App Store. We never see or receive your card or payment details. See Apple’s privacy policy.
Adapty — we use Adapty to manage subscriptions, validate App Store receipts, restore purchases, and view anonymous purchase analytics. To do this, Adapty processes purchase and subscription events together with an app-generated identifier and basic device/diagnostic information. Adapty does not receive your name or the contents of your documents. See Adapty’s privacy policy.
3. What we do NOT do
We do not require an account, sign-in, name, or email to use the app.
We do not show ads and do not use advertising identifiers (no IDFA) or ad networks.
We do not track you across other companies’ apps or websites.
We do not sell your personal information.
4. Notifications
If you enable notifications, they are scheduled locally on your device. Enabling them does not send any personal data to us.
5. Children
Sheaf is rated 4+ and is not directed to children. It does not knowingly collect personal information from children.
6. Your rights
Because we don’t hold your documents or a personal profile, there is normally nothing for us to delete. For purchase data held by our providers, or any question about your rights under the GDPR, CCPA, or similar laws, contact us and we’ll help. You can also delete the app at any time to remove all locally stored data.
7. Changes to this policy
If this policy changes, we’ll update the date above and post the new version at this address.