Privacy Policy

Effective Date: February 15, 2026

The short version: PickyEatrs collects almost nothing. We don't ask for your name, email, or any personal information to use the app. We use anonymous device identifiers to make the app work, and we delete session data automatically after 24 hours.

1. Who We Are

PickyEatrs ("we," "our," or "us") is a mobile application that helps couples decide where to eat by swiping on nearby restaurants and revealing mutual matches. This policy describes how we handle data when you use the PickyEatrs app.

2. Information We Collect

Anonymous device identifier: When you open the app, Firebase Authentication generates a random anonymous user ID tied to your device. This ID is not linked to your name, email, phone number, or any personal information. If you uninstall and reinstall the app, a new anonymous ID is generated.

Location data: When you create a swiping session, the app requests your device's GPS location to find nearby restaurants. This location data is stored with your session and automatically deleted after 24 hours. We do not track your location in the background or when the app is closed.

Session and swipe data: Your swipe choices (right or left on each restaurant) are stored temporarily to compute matches with your partner. This data is tied to your anonymous ID and automatically deleted after 24 hours.

Push notification tokens: If you grant notification permissions, we store a device token to send you session updates (e.g., "your partner finished swiping"). This token is not linked to any personal identity.

3. Information We Do NOT Collect

Your name, email address, or phone number
Contacts or address book data
Photos, files, or media from your device
Browsing history or data from other apps
Payment or financial information
Advertising identifiers or cross-app tracking data

4. How We Use Your Data

The data we collect is used solely to operate the core features of the app:

Finding nearby restaurants based on your location
Matching your swipe choices with your partner's
Sending session-related push notifications

We do not use your data for advertising, profiling, analytics, or any purpose beyond making the app work.

5. Third-Party Services

Google Firebase: We use Firebase for authentication, data storage, and cloud functions. Firebase processes data under Google's privacy terms. No personal data is shared because we do not collect any.

Google Places API: Restaurant data (names, photos, ratings, locations) is fetched from Google's Places API. Your searches are routed through our server — Google does not receive your device information or identity.

Expo Push Notifications: Push notifications are routed through Expo's notification service, which delivers them to Apple (APNs) or Google (FCM). Only anonymous device tokens are shared.

6. Data Retention and Deletion

Session data, including swipe choices, match results, and location, is automatically and permanently deleted 24 hours after the session is created. Anonymous user IDs persist on the device but contain no personal information and are not recoverable if the app is uninstalled.

7. Data Sharing

We do not sell, rent, or share your data with third parties for advertising or marketing purposes. Data is only shared with the third-party services listed above, solely to operate the app.

8. Children's Privacy

PickyEatrs is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect any data from children. Since we collect no personal information from any user, there is no children's data to manage.

9. Your Choices

Location: You can deny or revoke location permissions at any time in your device settings. Without location access, you can still join sessions created by others.
Notifications: You can disable push notifications at any time in your device settings.
Uninstall: Uninstalling the app removes all local data and your anonymous ID. Session data on our servers is automatically deleted within 24 hours.

10. Security

We use Firebase security rules to ensure users can only access their own data. Swipe choices are private until both partners finish swiping, at which point only mutual matches are revealed. All data is transmitted over encrypted connections (HTTPS/TLS).

11. Changes to This Policy

If we make material changes to this policy, we will update the effective date at the top and notify users through the app. Your continued use of the app after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact Us

Questions or concerns about this privacy policy? Contact us at privacy@pickyeatrs.com