Idea Tiles Privacy Policy
Idea Tiles is a hexagonal mind-mapping tool from Bridge City Lab LLC. It is designed to work locally on your device. This policy explains what data the app touches, where it goes, and what we do with it — in plain language, then in the detailed sections below.
Summary
- No tracking or advertising. No account is required for local use. Idea Tiles has no advertising IDs, analytics SDKs, or third-party crash reporting.
- Your boards stay on your device. They are saved to your device's local storage by default.
- iOS uses Apple Intelligence on-device. Idea generation runs entirely on your iPhone or iPad. No prompts leave your device.
- The Mac app defaults to on-device generation. You can instead choose a direct provider using your own key, a local Ollama server, or invite-based Dreamer access. The app explains the data path before you select it.
- Optional collaboration sessions route board changes through our server. We do not retain them after the session ends.
What the iOS app does
On iOS, Idea Tiles uses Apple's on-device Foundation Models framework (iOS 26.0 or later, on Apple-Intelligence-eligible devices) to generate idea expansions. Prompts and responses never leave your device. No content is sent to our servers, to Apple, or to any third party.
The app stores your boards, settings, and accessibility preferences in your device's local storage (the same sandbox used by every iOS app). Uninstalling the app removes them.
Files you export (PNG, JPG, SVG, JSON) are saved to your app's Documents directory, visible in Files.app under "On My iPhone → Idea Tiles." We don't read or transmit them.
What the native Mac app does
The Mac app uses Apple Foundation Models on-device by default. For this setting, prompts, selected board or artifact context, and generated responses stay on your Mac.
You may choose a supported cloud provider and supply your own API key. The key is stored in your Mac's Keychain. When that provider is selected, the app sends the prompt and relevant board or artifact context directly to that provider and receives its response directly; it does not route those requests through Idea Tiles servers. The provider processes that content under its own terms and privacy policy. A configured Ollama option sends the same content only to the loopback server on your Mac.
Dreamer is optional, invite-based managed access. When selected, the app sends prompts and relevant board or artifact context, together with a managed access token, to the Dreamer gateway. The gateway verifies the access profile and quota, selects the provider and model authorized for that profile, and relays the request and response. The managed token is stored in Keychain. The current client and gateway contract does not promise a fixed retention period for this processing, so do not use Dreamer for content you are unwilling to process off-device.
What the web and Android versions do
The web and Android versions can send prompts and relevant board context to the Idea Tiles hosted generation endpoint. The service relays those requests to its configured language-model provider. Android tries its supported local runtimes first and uses the hosted path only when neither local runtime is usable. The interface identifies this fallback before the content leaves the device.
Artifact storage and optional sync
If you sign in on Mac, the sign-in provider supplies your name, email address, and a stable account identifier. These details are stored with your account and linked to cloud boards and artifacts solely to provide sign-in, storage, sync, and deletion controls. They are not used for tracking or advertising.
Mac artifacts are saved locally unless you choose cloud sync. Cloud sync requires sign-in and a board already saved as a cloud session. Text artifact content is included when you choose to save that artifact to the cloud. An image file is uploaded only if you select it individually; unselected image content remains on your Mac. Synced artifact metadata and selected content are stored with your account in our database and can be deleted through the artifact or session controls. You can keep an artifact local by remaining signed out or not choosing cloud save.
Boards are saved to your browser's local storage by default. If you sign in with OAuth on the web, boards you choose to save to the cloud are persisted to our database so you can load them on another device.
Collaboration sessions
On the web and native Mac, you can invite others to a shared board via a temporary collaboration link. While the session is open, board changes and presence cursors are relayed through our WebSocket server so all participants stay in sync. Session state is held in memory only and is discarded when the last participant disconnects. We do not record or persist session content.
Permissions on iOS
- Photos library (Save Image): requested only when you tap "Save Image" from the share sheet after exporting a PNG. Idea Tiles does not read your existing photos.
-
Universal Links: Idea Tiles responds to taps on links
to
ideatiles.app,hivemind.cx,hive-mind.pro,hexmind.app,hexmind.io,hexpand.app, andhexpander.appby opening the app instead of Safari.
Children
Idea Tiles is rated 4+. It is not directed to children and does not include third-party advertising or tracking. Cloud providers and optional account features remain subject to their respective age and account requirements.
Changes to this policy
If we materially change what data the app handles, we'll update this page and note the change in the in-app release notes. You can always view the current version at ideatiles.app/privacy (same document is served on legacy brand domains such as hexmind.app/privacy).
Contact
Questions, concerns, or data-deletion requests: luke@lukesteuber.com.