Privacy by Design
Privacy you can trust.
Your collection stays yours. We collect only what Needl needs to work, never track you for advertising, and put you in control.
What We Collect
Your collection, wishlist, listening history, and value snapshots are stored on your device and synced across your Apple devices through iCloud and your Needl account. To run your account and keep your data in sync, we collect your name and email. We collect product-usage analytics to improve the app, and your precise location only when you ask Needl to find record stores nearby. We never sell your data.
Your Account
Needl uses Sign in with Apple to create your account. Your account stores your name and email, and is secured through Supabase, our backend provider, so your collection stays in sync and safe across your devices. We use this information only to operate your account and provide the app’s features — never for advertising.
Analytics & Your Control
We use PostHog to understand how features are used so we can improve Needl. This includes screens you visit and actions you take, and may include session recordings — but text inputs, images, and sensitive screens like sign-in, pricing, and your profile are masked before anything is captured. We do not track you across other apps and use no advertising trackers. You can turn analytics off anytime in your Profile under Settings.
Streaming Integration
When you connect Apple Music or Spotify, Needl uses secure system and provider sign-in so it can sync your listening history and, with Spotify, save liked tracks to your Liked Songs. We don’t store your streaming passwords. To match albums and look up details, Needl may send album and artist information to these services and other music sources.
Discogs Integration
When you connect Discogs, the import happens directly between your device and Discogs. We don’t store your Discogs password. Imported records — artwork, pressings, and details — become part of your collection, stored on your device and synced to your Needl account.
Ask AI & On-Device Privacy
Ask AI runs privately on your device using Apple’s on-device intelligence. Your questions are processed on your iPhone and are not stored. If a question needs more power, Needl uses Apple’s Private Cloud Compute to answer it and the result returns to your device — nothing is retained. To give grounded answers, Needl looks up album and artist details from its own and trusted music sources. Privacy guides what we build: we collect only what the app needs, and you stay in control.
Your Collection Data
When you add a record, details about it sync to your Needl account: album, artist, year, genre, cover art, format, and pressing details like vinyl color, edition, label, catalog number, barcode, country, and pressing year, plus condition and whether it’s signed. This keeps your collection backed up and in sync across your devices.
Community Catalog & Contributions
Needl is powered by a shared music catalog that all collectors benefit from. Album, artist, and pressing facts from the records you add help build this catalog. When you contribute information through Suggest an Edit — like album descriptions, themes, fun facts, credits, standout tracks, or artist bios — it’s added to the shared catalog so other collectors can see it, and it may be credited to your handle. Factual details may publish automatically; longer write-ups are reviewed first. This shared information also helps power Ask AI’s answers.
Social & Visibility
Needl has social features. Your collection and wishlist — the album and artist details, year, genre, format, vinyl color, signed status, and cover art — along with your profile (name, handle, photo, bio, collection size, and estimated value) can be seen by other Needl users, and people you follow see your additions in their activity feed. If you allow it, others who have your phone number or email in their contacts may be able to find you.
What Stays Private
Some things are always kept private to your account and are never shown to other users: your personal notes, what you paid (purchase price, taxes, shipping, and dates), the condition of your own copies, and the personal photos you take of your records. These stay tied to your account and aren’t part of the shared catalog or visible to anyone else.