Privacy Policy
1. What we collect
We collect as little as possible:
- On your device: which cafés you save as favourites or mark as visited (stored only in the app's local database on your phone).
- Anonymous analytics: aggregate usage events (app opened, café opened, filters used) via Google Analytics for Firebase.
- Crash diagnostics: anonymous crash and error reports via Firebase Crashlytics.
- Location (optional): if you tap "near me", we ask for your device location so we can sort cafés by distance. It is never stored or sent to our servers.
- Suggestions you send: if you tap "Suggest an edit", the note (and which café it is about) is sent anonymously. We ask you not to include personal data in notes.
- Account data (only if you sign in): your email address, a display name derived from it, the cafés you follow, your visit diary, and any café claims, posts or reports you make. Stored in Supabase and private to you unless you choose to post publicly.
2. Advertising
CatNav is free and supported by advertising. We use AdMob (Google) to show a banner and an optional rewarded ad. AdMob may use the Android advertising ID and may personalise ads; you can opt out of ad personalisation in your Android device settings (Settings → Privacy → Ads), and we ask for consent before ads or analytics run where legally required (the EU's General Data Protection Regulation / UK GDPR). Ads are shown in a fixed, non-intrusive space and never block content.
3. Analytics & Firebase
The app uses Google Analytics for Firebase for anonymous, aggregate usage statistics (app opens, screens, features used) so we can improve CatNav. It also uses Firebase Crashlytics (crash/error diagnostics) and Firebase Remote Config (remote settings and feature flags). These services are provided by Google under the Google Privacy Policy. Where legally required, analytics only runs with your consent.
4. The café directory (Supabase)
The list of cat cafés is public directory data (names, addresses, opening hours, prices, resident cats). It is served from a Supabase database hosted in the UK/EU. This is not personal data. The app downloads the directory to your device so it works offline.
If you sign in, your account data (email, display name, follows, visit diary, and any owner claims, posts or reports) is stored in the same Supabase project. Row-level security keeps it private to you (and moderators); only approved café posts are visible to other users. You can delete it any time — see section 6 and our data deletion page.
5. Permissions
- Internet: to fetch the café directory, photos and ads.
- Location (optional, foreground only): only when you tap "near me", to sort cafés by distance. Never stored.
6. Your rights
Browsing CatNav needs no account, so most of your data never leaves your device. If you signed in, your account data lives in Supabase and you can delete it at any time. Under UK GDPR you have the right to access, correct, delete or object to the processing of any personal data we hold. To exercise any of these rights, email support@cloudyni.com and we will respond within 30 days. See also our data deletion page.
7. Data retention & security
Analytics are retained per Google's retention settings. Suggestions are kept only as long as needed to review and improve the directory. We use standard industry security practices, and the directory data is read-only to the public (writes happen only through our moderated import tool). Account data is retained until you ask us to delete it (we respond within 30 days); approved posts you wrote may be kept only as long as needed for moderation or legal reasons, then removed or anonymised.
8. Children
CatNav is a general-interest directory app. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children.
9. Changes to this policy
If we change how we handle data, we will update this page and note the new effective date. Significant changes will also be announced in the app.
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