Wainkum Privacy Policy

Last updated: 19 July 2026 (v1.0)

1. The short version

Wainkum is a social map: its whole point is letting you choose to share where you are with people you choose. You decide when to check in, who can see you, and you can hide from specific friends, go friends-only, block anyone, or delete your account — all inside the app. We do not sell your data and we do not show ads.

2. What we collect

Account: your mobile phone number (used to sign in via SMS code), display name, username, WainTag, avatar (emoji or photo), and optionally your date of birth, gender, languages, favourite activities, and a favourite song.

Location: your precise device location while you use the app (to show the map, find nearby places, and detect check-ins). While you are checked in, we also collect location in the background and periodically update your live position — this powers "people here", lets friends see where you are, and automatically checks you out when you leave. When you are not checked in, we do not report your live position.

Activity and content: your check-ins (place, time, optional vibe and rating), stamps, messages and reactions in chats, events you create or RSVP to, friendships, and reports you file.

Technical: device model, app version, push notification tokens, and basic logs needed to run and secure the service (including limited device signals used to prevent abuse).

3. How we use it

To run Wainkum: show your pin and check-ins to the people you allow, deliver messages and notifications, surface nearby places and events, award stamps, and keep your session secure. To keep the community safe: enforce our Terms, review reports, and prevent spam and abuse. We do not use your data for advertising, and we do not sell it.

4. Who can see you

Visibility is under your control. "Everyone" shows your pin and profile to Wainkum users while you're checked in; "Friends only" shows your real identity only to accepted friends — everyone else sees an anonymous "Wainkum User" card. You can additionally hide your location from specific friends (they see only an anonymous presence and none of your activity), and blocking someone removes you from each other entirely. Check-in notifications go to your accepted friends only, and never to friends you've hidden from. Your phone number is never shown to other users.

5. Who we share data with

We use trusted service providers to run Wainkum, and they only process data on our behalf: Supabase (database and authentication hosting), Apple (push notifications, the app platform), Twilio (SMS verification codes), and Foursquare (place details like photos and opening hours — we send them place queries, not your identity). We may disclose data if required by law, or to protect the safety of users. There is no third-party advertising or analytics resale.

6. How long we keep things

Check-ins automatically close (within 24 hours at the latest) and your activity feed shows only recent days. Place chats expire after the visit ends. Your profile, friendships, stamps and message history are kept while your account exists. When you delete your account, your profile, check-ins, messages, friendships and related records are permanently deleted from the service; residual copies in secure backups are purged on a rolling basis.

7. Your rights and controls

Inside the app you can: change visibility (Everyone / Friends only), hide your location from specific friends, block and report users, control every notification type, edit or remove profile details, and permanently delete your account (Profile → Account → Delete account). You can also contact us at support@wainkum.app to ask about, correct, or delete your data.

8. Security

Data is encrypted in transit, access is protected by row-level security rules on our database, sensitive visibility decisions are enforced on the server (not just in the app), and sign-in is limited to one active device at a time. No service can promise perfect security, but we design for privacy by default.

9. Children

Wainkum is not for children under 16, and we do not knowingly collect data from them. If you believe a child under 16 has an account, contact us and we will remove it.

10. Where data is processed

Our infrastructure is hosted by our providers and may store data outside the country where you live. Wherever your data is processed, it is protected under this policy.

11. Changes to this policy

If we materially change this policy, we'll tell you in the app before the change takes effect. The latest version always lives in the app and at wainkum.app/privacy.

12. Contact

Privacy questions or requests: support@wainkum.app