Privacy Policy

Last Updated: 11 August 2026

1. Introduction

We (the developer of Heartocast, "we", "us", "our") operate Heartocast, a free, unofficial, fan-made web app that displays weather forecasts and cooking and crop timers for the game Heartopia. We are located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices available to you.

Heartocast is not an official Heartopia product. "Heartopia" and all related names and assets belong to their respective owners. It is provided as a personal, non-commercial fan tool; the weather forecasts it displays are calculated on your device, and no account or login is required to use it.

This policy should be read together with our Cookie Policy and Terms of Service.

2. The Data We Collect

(a) Analytics data

We use a privacy-friendly, cookieless analytics service to understand how Heartocast is used. With our default configuration, our analytics:

• uses no cookies;
• performs no browser fingerprinting;
• does not track you across other websites;
• collects no personally identifiable information (PII); and
• reports only aggregated, anonymized data.

By default, our analytics automatically records only:

From this, our analytics derives standard aggregate metrics such as visitor counts, sessions, bounce rate, average visit duration, top pages, top referrers, top countries, and device/browser/OS breakdowns. We use only this default automatic page-view tracking. Custom event tracking is not enabled.

(b) What we do not collect

Heartocast does not require an account, login, or payment, and we do not collect:

• user accounts or credentials;
• names, email addresses, or other contact details; or
• any content you submit to us.

The only information that could conceivably relate to you is the anonymized analytics footprint described above.

3. How We Use Information

We use the analytics information we collect for the primary purpose of operating and improving Heartocast, including to:

• understand how the service is used and which features are most valuable;
• monitor reliability, performance, and security; and
• detect and prevent abuse of the service.

We do not use this information for any secondary purpose unrelated to the primary purpose for which it was collected (APP 6), and we do not use it to build individual profiles of identifiable people.

4. Client-Side Storage

Heartocast stores certain preferences directly in your browser. This storage is functional only, is set by the site itself (first-party), and is never used for advertising or third-party tracking.

• First-party functional cookies remember your preferences, such as your interface theme (light, dark, or system), your interface language, and your selected forecast region.
• Browser local storage stores data such as your saved cooking and crop timer presets, your timer alarm volume, and your weather notification subscriptions. This data is held only in your browser and is never sent to any server.

For the full list of cookies and local storage — including their purpose and lifespan — please see our Cookie Policy.

5. Legal Basis and APP Considerations

• APP 3 (Collection of solicited information): We only collect information that is reasonably necessary for the operation and improvement of Heartocast, and we minimise what we collect. Consistent with guidance from the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), we err on the side of caution by treating technical data transparently and keeping collection to a minimum.
• APP 5 (Notification of collection): This Privacy Policy, together with our Cookie Policy, serves as our collection notice, explaining what we collect and why.

6. Third Parties and Overseas Disclosure (APP 8)

We use a privacy-friendly, cookieless analytics service to understand how Heartocast is used. If any analytics data is processed by a third-party service, we ensure it is handled appropriately and is not used to identify you.

Where personal information is disclosed to a third party, we take reasonable steps to ensure the recipient handles it in a manner consistent with the APPs.

We do not sell, rent, or trade personal information.

7. Data Retention

We retain analytics data only for as long as is reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this policy. Because Heartocast collects no PII, no accounts, and no contact details, we maintain no long-term personal data store.

8. Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect the information we handle. However, no method of transmission over the internet, or of electronic storage, is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Your Privacy Rights (APP 12 & APP 13)

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to request access to, correction of, or deletion of personal data we hold about you. Because we hold no accounts, contact details, or other PII, any such request can relate only to the anonymized analytics footprint we collect.

To make a request or raise a privacy concern:

1. Contact us first. We aim to respond to and resolve privacy concerns within 30 days.
2. If you are not satisfied, you may complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), which can investigate complaints about Australian privacy practices.

10. Children's Privacy

Heartocast is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us so we can take steps to delete it.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. Your continued use of Heartocast after any changes indicates your acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or your privacy, please contact us:

• Discord: shanefully_done
• Service: Heartocast at https://hearto.ixtj.dev
• Location: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

You may also wish to read our Terms of Service and Cookie Policy.

This Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of New South Wales, Australia, and the courts of New South Wales have jurisdiction over any dispute arising in connection with it.