HerderApp Store

Herder privacy policy

Last updated: 27 October 2026

Herder does not collect any data. Your settings and presets are stored only on your iPhone, and the app has no account, no cloud service, no advertising and no tracking. This page explains what the app stores, which permissions it can ask for, and why.

What Herder collects#

Herder collects no data. The app has no account and no cloud service. It shows no ads and it does not track you.

What is stored on your iPhone#

Herder stores your settings and presets on your iPhone only, in the app's Application Support folder. They stay on the phone unless you export them yourself.

The Monitor log is kept in memory only. It is deleted when the app quits.

File sharing is turned on for Herder, so the Files app can show files in Herder's Documents folder. Your settings and presets are not kept there.

Permissions Herder asks for, and why#

Herder can ask for two permissions. Each one is needed for one kind of MIDI connection. The reason in quotes is the text iOS shows when Herder asks.

  • Bluetooth: "Herder uses Bluetooth to connect to Bluetooth MIDI instruments and controllers."
  • Local network: "Herder uses the local network for Network MIDI (RTP-MIDI) sessions with computers and other devices." When Network MIDI is on, computers on the same Wi‑Fi network can send MIDI to Herder and receive MIDI from it.

Herder also uses the background audio mode of iOS. It plays a silent audio session so that MIDI keeps routing when the screen is locked. This is the Keep routing in background setting. It is on by default, and you can turn it off in Herder's Settings.

Herder cannot ask for access to your microphone, camera, photos, location, contacts, calendars, motion data or health data. The app does not contain the usage descriptions that iOS requires for these, so iOS does not let it ask.

What Herder does not do#

  • Herder does not ask you to create an account.
  • It does not use a cloud service, so your settings and presets are not stored on any server.
  • It does not show ads, and it does not track you.
  • It has no in-app purchases. Herder is free.
  • It contains no code from other companies for crash reports or analytics.

Files you export#

You can export presets as .herder files. A .herder file is plain JSON text. You decide where the file goes: the Files app, AirDrop or iCloud Drive. Herder exports a file only when you choose to export it. After that, the file is yours.

When you import a .herder file, Herder adds its presets to your library. It never replaces your library.

Apple and the App Store#

Herder itself sends nothing to the developer. If you test Herder through TestFlight, TestFlight sends your crash reports, and any feedback you choose to send, to the developer. If you install Herder from the App Store, Apple shares crash reports with the developer only if you have turned on Share With App Developers in the iOS Settings app.

Deleting your data#

Your settings and presets are stored only on your iPhone. The developer has no copy, so there is nothing to delete on a server.

When you delete the Herder app, iOS removes the app's data from the phone. Files that you exported to the Files app or iCloud Drive are separate, and you can delete them there. When you back up your iPhone to iCloud or to a computer, the backup includes Herder's settings and presets. You and Apple manage those backups, not the developer of Herder.

Changes to this policy#

If this policy changes, the new version will be published on this page, and the date at the top will change.

Contact#

Herder is made by Janos Debreczi (Torin Drax). If you have a question about this policy, write to torin.drax@gmail.com.