LukasPrivacy Policy
Written so you understand it, not so we can hide behind it. Here is exactly what data Lukas touches, why, and what control you have over it.
Last Updated: November 8, 2026Effective Date: November 8, 2026
This Privacy Policy explains what information the Lukas app collects, what we use it for, which providers we share it with, and what rights you have over it. By using Lukas you accept the practices described here. If anything is unclear, write to us — we would rather answer a question than leave you guessing.
- Application
- Lukas — Expense Tracker
- Data controller
- JotaTech — Colombia
- Privacy contact
- support@jotatech.org
- Platforms
- iOS (App Store) and Android (Google Play)
Lukas is a personal budgeting and expense tracking application. JotaTech, based in Colombia, is the controller responsible for deciding what data is processed and for what purpose.
What «local-first» means in Lukas
Lukas is local-first: your data is written to your device first and the app works fully offline. That describes where it is stored first — not that it stays only there.
- From the first time you open the app, an anonymous session is created and your data is backed up and synced to our servers. It requires nothing from you, and it is what keeps your information safe if you lose or replace your phone.
- Only if that session cannot be created (for example, no connection on first launch) does the app run in guest mode, with everything stored solely on your device.
We say this plainly because earlier versions of this policy claimed data never left your device. That is no longer the case, and we would rather correct it than leave it ambiguous.
Grouped by what it is for. Everything below reaches us because you entered it, because you enabled a feature, or because it is technically required for the app to work.
Account and identity
When you install the app an anonymous session is created: a random identifier, with no name and no email. If you choose to sign in with Google or Apple, we additionally receive:
- Your email address
- The public name on your account
- Your profile picture, if your provider supplies one
- Which provider you used (Google or Apple)
We never receive or store your Google or Apple password. Authentication happens on their side.
Financial data you enter yourself
- Transactions: amount, date, description, notes and category
- Categories, groups, budgets and savings goals
- Scheduled transactions and saved presets
- Preferences: currency, budget period, language and theme
Lukas does NOT connect to your bank. We do not ask for banking credentials, we do not read your account activity, and we have no access to any account of yours: every financial data point exists because you typed it, dictated it, photographed it or confirmed it.
Apple Pay merchants (optional, iOS only)
If you set up the Apple Wallet automation, your iPhone sends Lukas the amount and the merchant name of a payment so you can log it with one tap. That handoff happens inside your device, through a shortcut you create, and it is only saved if you confirm the movement. If you also add the optional "Adjuntar ubicación del pago" action to the shortcut, the Shortcuts app passes Lukas the coordinates of the place where you paid and its approximate address, and Lukas stores them with that movement to show you where you paid and which other payments you made at the same place. Lukas never asks for location permission itself and never reads your location in the background: the data exists only if you include that action in your shortcut. You can turn it off at any time under Profile → iOS Shortcuts → "Guardar dónde pagaste", or by removing the action from the shortcut; a payment's location is deleted when you delete that movement or your account, and it is never shared with third parties.
Content you send to the AI features
The AI entry features turn what you provide into transactions ready for review. Depending on the mode you use, the following is sent to our server and to our AI providers:
- The text you type (for example, «lunch 25 and taxi 12»)
- The audio you dictate, so it can be transcribed
- The receipt photo you take or pick from your gallery
It is processed to give you the result back. It is not saved to your account, it never feeds an advertising profile, and it is not used to train AI models. The only thing stored is the transaction you confirm.
Technical and device data
- Platform, operating system version and app version
- Language and time zone, so reminders arrive at the right hour
- Push notification token, if you enable notifications
- Trusted device identifier, if you enable the biometric lock
- Sync timestamps and monthly AI usage counters
Advertising and attribution (free plan only)
The free plan is funded by advertising. For that we work with Google AdMob and AppsFlyer, which receive:
- Your device's advertising identifier (IDFA on iOS, Advertising ID on Android), only if you accept the tracking permission iOS shows you. If you decline, you will see non-personalized ads instead.
- Technical install and campaign events, so we can tell which of our ads brought you to the app.
Advertisers NEVER receive your transactions, amounts, categories, budgets or any financial data. That information never travels to an ad network. With Lukas Pro no ads are loaded and the advertising SDK is not initialized at all.
Purchases and subscription
If you buy Lukas Pro, we receive your subscription status from the store and from RevenueCat: plan, purchase and expiry dates, and the transaction identifier.
Payment is processed by Apple or Google. We never see or store your card number.
Errors and diagnostics
When the app crashes we send a technical report to Sentry containing the error message, the screen where it happened and, if you are signed in, your identifier and email — so we can follow up if you write to us about that problem. We do not use behavioural analytics or session recording.
What we do NOT collect
- Your location in the background or outside a payment — only the spot of an Apple Pay payment, and only if you add that action to your shortcut
- Your contacts
- Health or fitness data
- Your photo library — only the single image you pick as a receipt
- Your browsing or search history
- Banking credentials, card numbers or financial institution logins
- Sensitive data: ethnicity, religion, health, sexual orientation or political affiliation
Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy when the app's features or the providers we rely on change. We will publish the new version on this page with its update date, and if the change is significant we will notify you inside the app. We encourage you to review it from time to time.