Privacy Policy

This policy explains what information BarWave LLC (“BarWave”, “we”) collects when you use the BarWave iOS app and the barwave.app website, why we collect it, who we share it with, and the choices you have. Questions: support@barwave.app.

The short version: we use your information to run BarWave: to show you bars, friends and nightlife near you. We do not sell your personal information, and we do not use it to track you across other companies’ apps and websites. You can delete your account and its data from inside the app at any time.

1. Information we collect

Account and profile

Phone number, when you sign in with your phone. We send you a one-time code by SMS to confirm it.
Sign in with Apple or Google. If you choose one of these, we receive the name and email address that Apple or Google shares with us (with Apple you can choose to hide your email). We never receive your Apple or Google password.
Profile details you add: name, username, profile photo, bio, birthday (optional, used for birthday reminders to your friends), and any social links you choose to show.
Settings and preferences, such as notification choices and whether you want to receive deals.

Location

We do not store your precise location. While you use the app, your device’s location is used on your phone to show bars near you on the map. For local deals and events we save only an approximate area (a grid cell about 5 km across), not your exact position.
Check-ins. When you check in at a venue, we record that check-in, which shows that you were at that venue at that time. Your friends can see it, and it counts toward the venue’s activity.
Location access is optional and controlled in iOS Settings. Without it the map and nearby features work less well.

Contacts (finding friends)

If you allow access to your contacts, the app turns each phone number in your address book into a one-way hash on your device and sends only those hashes to our server to find which of your contacts already use BarWave. We do not store your contacts or their hashes, and we do not upload names or other contact details. If you turn on being discoverable, we store a hash of your own phone number so your friends can find you the same way.

Content you create

Posts (“Waves”), replies and reactions, including the photos and videos you attach and the venue you post about.
Chats: messages, photos, videos and voice messages you send to friends and groups, and the bars, posts and events you share into a chat.
Check-ins, events and RSVPs, friend requests and your friends list, favorite venues, and users you block.
Reports you file about content or users.

Camera, photos, microphone and speech

With your permission, the app uses the camera to take photos and videos, your photo library to attach media or save it, and the microphone to record videos and voice messages. Voice messages are transcribed on your device using Apple’s speech recognition so friends can read them; the audio is not sent to a transcription service. Only the media you choose to send or post is uploaded.

Notifications

If you allow notifications, we store your device’s push token so we can send you messages, friend activity and (if you opt in) deals. We keep a record of which notifications were sent and opened, to avoid duplicates and to measure whether they are useful.

Usage, diagnostics and device information

Analytics. We use Google Analytics for Firebase to understand how the app is used: which screens and features are used, and events such as a check-in or a post, with an app-instance identifier and approximate location (city or postal code). We do not use the advertising identifier (IDFA).
Crash reports. Firebase Crashlytics collects crash logs and device details (model, iOS version, app version) so we can fix bugs.
Activity records such as the days you were active, used to measure how BarWave is doing in aggregate.

Website

Feedback form: the name, email address and message you submit, which we receive by email.
Bar registration: if you register a bar, the venue details, photos and contact information you submit, and the phone number you sign in with.
Our hosting provider records standard server logs (such as IP address and browser type) for security and reliability. Sign-in pages use Google reCAPTCHA to stop abuse, which is governed by Google’s privacy policy. The website does not use advertising or analytics cookies.

2. How we use information

To provide BarWave: your account, the map, check-ins, posts, chats, events and friends.
To show you bars, events and deals near you, and to send notifications you asked for.
To help you find friends who already use BarWave.
To keep BarWave safe: to review reports, remove objectionable content, block abusive users, and prevent spam and fraud.
To fix bugs and improve the app, using analytics and crash reports.
To respond to your feedback and support requests.
To comply with the law and enforce our Terms of Use.

3. What other users can see

Your profile (name, username, photo, bio and social links) is visible to other BarWave users. Your posts, check-ins and event activity are visible to the people they are shared with in the app, and messages are visible to the people in that chat. If you share a link to a profile, bar, post or event, anyone with the link can see a preview of it on barwave.app.

We do not sell or rent your personal information. We share it only with:

Google Firebase and Google Cloud, which host our database, file storage, sign-in, server functions, analytics, crash reporting and push notifications.
Apple, for Sign in with Apple and to deliver push notifications.
Google Maps Platform. Bar names, addresses, hours, photos and other place details come from the Google Places API, and the app and website send Google the searches and map areas needed to show them. Google’s use of that information is governed by the Google Privacy Policy.
Our website host (Vercel) and Google Workspace, which delivers feedback-form email to us.
Venues and businesses only in aggregate (for example, how many people checked in), never your identity, unless you choose to share it.
Law enforcement or others when the law requires it, or to protect the safety of our users or the public.
A buyer or successor if BarWave is involved in a merger, acquisition or sale of assets, under this policy.

5. How long we keep information

We keep your account information for as long as your account exists. When you delete your account, we delete your profile, profile photos, check-ins, posts and their media, your replies and likes, events you created and your RSVPs, your one-to-one chats (for both people) and the messages you sent in group chats, your friends and friend requests, your notifications, contact-matching data, push token and private settings, and your sign-in account. Some information stays: reports you filed or that were filed about you, kept as moderation records; your account ID inside reactions and @mentions on other people’s group messages, which no longer links to you; and analytics and crash data, kept by Google for the retention period set in Firebase (up to 14 months). Database backups are kept for up to 14 days and then deleted. See Delete your account for the full list.

6. Your choices and rights

Permissions: location, contacts, camera, photos, microphone, speech recognition and notifications can each be turned off in iOS Settings.
Deals: you can opt out of deal notifications in the app’s settings.
Edit or delete: you can edit your profile at any time, delete your posts, and delete your whole account in the app under Profile → Settings → Delete Account.
Access and other requests: depending on where you live (for example California, under the CCPA/CPRA, or the EU and UK, under the GDPR), you may have the right to access, correct, delete or receive a copy of your information, and to object to or limit certain uses. Email support@barwave.app and we will respond within the time the law requires. We will not treat you differently for using these rights.

7. Children

BarWave is for adults of legal drinking age (21 in the United States). We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 21. If you believe a minor has given us information, contact us and we will delete it.

8. Security

Information is encrypted in transit and stored with Google Cloud, which encrypts it at rest. Access to our data is restricted by security rules and limited to the people who need it to run BarWave. No system is perfectly secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Where information is processed

BarWave is operated from the United States, and our providers process information in the United States and other countries. By using BarWave you understand that your information will be processed there.

10. Changes to this policy

We will post any change on this page and update the date at the top. If a change is significant, we will also tell you in the app before it takes effect.

11. Contact

BarWave LLC
Email: support@barwave.app