PaceBuzz Privacy Policy

Last updated: October 22, 2026

PaceBuzz is a training stopwatch for iPhone and Apple Watch, developed by Andy Kent. Your recordings are stored on your devices. Sharing a run is optional: you can export it yourself or connect Strava and choose manual or automatic uploads. Those choices can send health, fitness, and location data to the service you select, as explained below. You do not need a PaceBuzz account.

PaceBuzz does not use advertising or cross-app tracking or sell your data. We use Apple’s aggregate reports to understand downloads and app usage. PaceBuzz’s own active-installation counter has been retired. Strava sharing remains optional and separate from these reports.

What the app records, and where it goes

• Run sessions and splits. PaceBuzz stores session dates, times, splits, distances, workout names, notes, and any lactate or R.P.E. values you enter with the Digital Crown. Crown logging does not record audio or use speech recognition.
• Health data. With your permission, the Watch app reads heart rate and walking/running distance during a workout and saves workouts and recorded routes to Apple Health. PaceBuzz uses this information to display and record your training. Recorded health and fitness data can be included in exports or Strava uploads you authorize. PaceBuzz does not use it for advertising or sell it to data brokers.
• Location. With location permission and GPS enabled in Setup, the Watch app records your route during a session. A recorded route can be included when you export or upload that session. PaceBuzz does not track your location outside GPS-enabled sessions.
• Motion. With your permission, the Watch app reads pedometer data during sessions to record your running cadence. If you enable Slap Split, it also processes accelerometer motion on your Watch to recognize a firm wrist slap. These live readings and diagnostics stay in memory and are not saved or sent anywhere during normal workouts. Slap Split does not record audio. Development builds may include separate motion research tools. Only when you choose to start a research recording do those tools save raw acceleration readings, timing, device and test details, and any notes you add. Saved research recordings, including recordings made with an earlier build, sync to your paired iPhone through Apple's WatchConnectivity and stay on your devices until you delete them. You can export them using the iPhone share sheet. They are not sent to PaceBuzz servers or Strava, and the research tools do not record audio. Delete recordings on each device separately; deleting a local recording does not recall copies you have shared.
• Watch ↔ iPhone sync. Workouts and completed sessions transfer between your Apple Watch and iPhone using Apple's WatchConnectivity, without passing through a PaceBuzz server.

You can change Health, Location, and Motion permissions in your Apple device settings. Turning a permission off stops future access; it does not delete recordings or copies you already shared.

Apple analytics and retired usage reporting

We use aggregate App Store Connect reports supplied by Apple. Apple’s app-usage reports include only users who have agreed to share diagnostics and usage information with developers, and are subject to privacy thresholds. They do not provide us with personal names, email addresses, or individual run records. Apple’s current Analytics reports do not include watchOS usage.

On October 22, 2026, we retired PaceBuzz’s own active-installation counter. The updated app no longer sends its random installation identifier or last-use timestamp. Older app versions may still send reports, but the retired service discards them without saving new usage records.

The former service’s live database kept only a random installation identifier and the most recent use timestamp. It did not keep a separate event history or feature-use records. These reports contained no workout, Health, GPS, lactate, R.P.E., or Strava information. We did not attach names, email addresses, or Strava accounts to the identifier. Earlier records remain only during retirement cleanup.

Daily cleanup normally removes earlier usage records within 31 days of their last recorded use and existing deletion markers within 32 days of the deletion request. Deletion requests from older versions are still honored; no new deletion markers are created after retirement. A delay or failure in scheduled cleanup can extend these periods. Cloudflare’s database recovery copies may retain deleted records or markers for up to 30 additional days. Updating or deleting the app does not immediately erase earlier server records or recovery copies.

Strava (optional)

Open More → Strava to connect or manage your choices. Both manual and automatic Strava uploads are free PaceBuzz features. Connecting alone does not enable automatic uploads: you can upload individual runs or explicitly turn on automatic uploads for new runs. Uploads run from your iPhone when PaceBuzz is open and connected to the internet; a queued run may wait until you reopen the app.

• What an upload contains. Your iPhone sends Strava a workout file containing the session's date and time, lap times, distances, notes, and available heart-rate, cadence, and GPS-route samples. It also sends a workout title, a description, and a run identifier used to recognize duplicate uploads. Run files go directly from your iPhone to Strava; they do not pass through the PaceBuzz relay.
• Your description choices. By default, the description lists Specific Work splits and includes any crown-entered lactate and R.P.E. readings. You can include all splits or turn off Include lactate and R.P.E. in More → Strava before uploading. Turning off effort readings excludes them from that upload. The split-description setting does not remove laps, heart rate, cadence, or GPS data from the workout file. Changing a setting does not change an activity already uploaded.
• Signing in. Strava handles sign-in and asks you to authorize uploads. PaceBuzz does not receive your Strava password. It receives authorization tokens, your athlete ID and name, and upload results such as an activity ID. Tokens are kept in this iPhone's Keychain; connection details and upload status are kept in local app storage. PaceBuzz uses these details to show your connection, upload your runs, avoid duplicate uploads, and link to your activities.
• The relay. A small PaceBuzz service hosted by Cloudflare completes sign-in, renews tokens, and requests disconnection using the app's Strava secret. Authorization codes, tokens, and Strava's account response pass through the relay while it handles these requests. The relay does not save these values or log request or response bodies, and it does not store run files, account profiles, or upload counters. It also acknowledges Strava event notifications without retaining their contents.
• Visibility on Strava. Uploaded activities are stored by Strava and use your Strava privacy settings. Your activity description, including any effort readings you included, may be visible to people who can see the activity. Manage visibility, access, exports, and deletion in your Strava account under the Strava Privacy Policy.

Strava may monitor and collect information about use of its API and use that information for its own business purposes, including improving its platform, providing support, and checking compliance with its API terms. Strava's processing is governed by its policies.

Strava is a trademark of Strava, Inc.; PaceBuzz is not affiliated with Strava.

Exports you choose to make

You can export a session as text or as a TCX workout file. Depending on the format, exports can include dates, splits, workout names, notes, lactate and R.P.E. readings, heart rate, cadence, distance, and route. They go where you choose to send or save them. Strava's description preferences apply to the in-app Strava upload, not to these separate exports. The recipient's policies apply after you share a copy.

Purchases

PaceBuzz Premium is a one-time purchase processed by Apple through your App Store account. PaceBuzz uses Apple's StoreKit purchase information on your device to unlock features. We do not receive your payment-card details. Strava uploads and exports do not require Premium.

Support email

If you email us, we receive your email address and whatever you send. The app's prefilled support message includes app version, build, device model, and system version; you can edit it before sending. We use the conversation to answer your request and keep it in our support mailbox for follow-up. You can ask us to delete it.

Service providers

Cloudflare hosts the Strava sign-in relay and the retired usage service and database while earlier records expire. The usage database is separate from the Strava relay. Amazon Web Services hosts this website. These providers process network information, such as an IP address, to deliver and protect requests, and may process it in countries other than your own. See Cloudflare’s Privacy Policy and the AWS Privacy Notice. This website does not include advertising or analytics scripts.

Data retention and deletion

• Local recordings. Delete sessions and workouts in PaceBuzz and remove Apple Health records separately in the Health app. Deleting the app does not automatically delete Apple Health records, exported copies, backups, or Strava activities.
• Earlier usage data. The app-specific counter is retired. Earlier records and recovery copies follow the periods in the retired usage reporting section.
• Strava details on your phone. Cached athlete names and IDs expire after seven days; cached upload responses and activity links expire after 24 hours. PaceBuzz removes expired details while it is open or when you next open it. A local record of runs you have already submitted remains to prevent repeated automatic uploads. Tokens are kept while connected. If you revoke access in Strava, PaceBuzz clears its Strava details when it next detects that authorization has been withdrawn.
• Strava access. Turn off automatic uploads in More → Strava to stop new runs from being queued automatically; uploads already requested may still complete. Tap Disconnect to clear the local Strava connection, tokens, queued uploads, and upload links and request revocation at Strava. Your locally recorded PaceBuzz runs remain available. If the network request fails, revoke access in Strava's My Apps settings. You can also revoke there at any time, including after deleting PaceBuzz.
• Uploaded copies. Disconnecting does not remove activities already on Strava. Delete those in Strava. PaceBuzz does not edit or delete your Strava activities.
• Requests. For access, correction, or deletion of information you have sent us, contact andy@pacebuzzapp.com. We will respond and confirm completed deletion requests. We cannot retrieve your device-only recordings through the relay.

Children

PaceBuzz is not directed at children under 13. If you believe a child has sent us personal information, contact us so we can address it.

Changes

If this policy changes, the updated version will be posted at this address with a new date above.

Contact

Questions? Email andy@pacebuzzapp.com.