Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy explains how Chewz ("we," "us," or "the App") collects, uses, and shares information when you use the Chewz mobile application. By using the App, you agree to the practices described here.

2. Information We Collect

• Account information: your name, username, email address, and phone number used to create and secure your account.
• Content you create: saved restaurants, journal entries, visit ratings, photos, dishes, and notes.
• Social information: friends, friend requests, groups, and session activity.
• Location: your approximate or precise location, used to find nearby restaurants and power group dining sessions. Location is only accessed while you use the App.
• Device & usage data: app interactions, diagnostics, and crash logs used to keep the App stable and improve features.
• Purchase information: subscription and credit purchase status. Payments are processed by Apple; we do not receive your full payment details.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to operate core features (group sessions, restaurant matching, your journal, and the friends feed), to authenticate you, to personalize restaurant suggestions, to deliver notifications you opt into, to process subscriptions and credits, to show and measure ads, and to maintain the safety and reliability of the App.

4. Sharing With Other Users

Your profile (name, username, photo) is visible to other users for friend search, invitations, and group sessions. Journal entries you mark as public may appear in your friends' activity feeds.

Entries you mark as private are not shared with other users. You control the privacy of each entry.

5. Third-Party Services

We rely on trusted third parties to provide the App, including Google Firebase (authentication, database, storage, messaging, and crash reporting), Google Maps & Places (maps and location features), and Google AdMob (advertising). Restaurant information, photos, and ratings are sourced from third-party providers and remain subject to those providers' terms.

These providers process data on our behalf in accordance with their own privacy policies.

6. Advertising

The free tier of Chewz is supported by ads delivered through Google AdMob. With your permission (via Apple's App Tracking Transparency prompt), advertising partners may use limited identifiers to measure and personalize ads. You can change tracking permission at any time in iOS Settings. Paid tiers reduce or remove ads.

7. Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the App. You can delete your account at any time from within the App, which removes your profile and associated content from our active systems. Some records may be retained where required by law or for legitimate business purposes.

8. Your Choices & Rights

• Access and update your profile information in the App.
• Control location and notification permissions in iOS Settings.
• Control ad tracking via App Tracking Transparency.
• Delete your account and content from the App's settings.

Depending on where you live, you may have additional rights under laws such as the GDPR or CCPA, including the right to access, correct, or delete your personal information.

9. Children's Privacy

Chewz is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us information, please contact us so we can remove it.

10. Security

We use industry-standard safeguards, including authenticated access and server-side security rules, to protect your information. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes through the App. Your continued use of the App after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or your data, please contact us at chewz.support@gmail.com.