Privacy Policy
Last updated: 25 June 2026
Introduction
Halfway helps you find places between you and your friends so you can meet in the middle and easily turn those spots into events you can manage and join. We value your privacy and are committed to being transparent about how we collect, use, and share your information.
Data We Collect
Account Data
Email (if provided by your sign-in provider), user ID, and authentication metadata.
Profile & Social
Display name, username, bio, profile image, follower/following counts, follow requests, and privacy settings (e.g., discoverability and location sharing).
Location Data
Your device location when you use location features, your saved "anchor location," meet points you choose to share, and map interactions needed for midpoints and routes.
Content You Provide
Favorites, meetups and participation status, photos and captions you post to meetups, comments on those posts, messages you send in-app, and lists you create and share.
Invite Codes
When you share a friend or meetup invite link, we create a short code tied to your account. We record who created it, whether it was redeemed, and by whom, so invite links stay single-use and we can mitigate abuse.
Device & App
Device model, OS version, language, time zone, and app version.
Diagnostics
Application error events from production builds (title, message, and stack trace) may be relayed to a private internal Slack channel for operational monitoring. We do not currently use third‑party crash reporting SDKs, third‑party advertising SDKs, or cross‑app ad tracking.
Notifications
A device push token to deliver notifications you opt into (meetup invites/updates, follows).
Guest Mode
You can browse Halfway as a guest without creating an account. In guest mode we collect device and app metadata and, if you grant permission, your location for map and midpoint features. We do not collect a profile, email, or content you create — guest mode is read‑only and write actions (creating meetups, posting, messaging, following) are blocked. If you later create an account, your guest session is replaced and the anonymous user record is removed.
How We Use Data
- Core Features: Authenticate you; enable profiles, follows, invites, RSVPs; calculate midpoints and routes; show nearby places.
- Location & Anchors: Calculate and display meeting points and routes; show your saved anchor location to others according to your settings.
- Personalization: Remember preferences (e.g., units, map type) and surface relevant suggestions.
- Notifications: Send push or in‑app notifications for invites, RSVPs, cancellations, and follows according to your preferences.
- Safety & Integrity: Prevent spam/abuse and enforce our Terms.
- Reliability: Diagnose crashes and improve performance and accessibility.
Data Sharing
With Other Users
What you choose to share (profile, follows, meetups, anchors) is visible based on your privacy controls. If you enable discovery by non‑friends, people who don't follow you may only see an approximate, city‑level location; your exact anchor is visible only to mutual followers when enabled. You can also hide your anchor from specific users.
Service Providers
- Maps & Places: Google Maps Platform (Maps SDK, Places API, and Directions API) for map display, place details, search, photos, and routing. These services process map, place, and route queries under Google's policies.
- Backend: Firebase (Auth, Firestore, Cloud Functions, Cloud Messaging, Storage) processes and stores app data on our behalf.
- Diagnostics: Slack receives operational error events from production builds (no user profile data or content is sent — only error metadata).
Legal
We may disclose information to comply with law or protect safety, rights, or property.
No Sale/Ads
We do not sell personal data. We do not use third‑party advertising networks or cross‑app ad tracking.
Location and Storage
- Session Use: Real‑time location is processed when features require it (e.g., map, midpoint).
- Saved Data: Anchors, favorites, profiles, follows, meetups, and notifications are stored in Firebase so you can access them across devices.
- Media: Profile images are stored in Firebase Storage.
- Local Data: Certain preferences and caches are stored on your device.
- Retention: We keep data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the service. You can delete anchors, favorites, and your account at any time; we then delete associated data subject to legal and operational requirements.
- International Transfers: Firebase and Apple services may process data in other countries with appropriate safeguards.
Your Choices and Rights
- Permissions: Control Location and Notifications in iOS Settings at any time.
- Social & Discovery: Choose whether non‑friends can find you; manage mutual‑follower visibility and "Hide From" lists; adjust notification categories.
- Access/Export/Delete: Request a copy of your data by emailing us at jimjatt1999@gmail.com (no in‑app export is currently available). You can delete your account in‑app; this removes your Auth account and stored data, subject to legal and operational requirements.
- Opt‑Out: You can disable non‑essential notifications.
- Region‑Specific Rights: Where applicable (e.g., EEA/UK), you may have rights to access, correct, delete, port, or object/restrict processing, and to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority.
Children's Privacy
Halfway is not directed to children under 13 (or the minimum age in your country). We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under that age.
Security
We use technical and organizational measures such as encryption in transit, access controls, and monitoring. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure.
Changes
We may update this policy to reflect product or legal changes. We will post updates here and revise the "Last updated" date. For material changes, we may provide an in‑app notice.
Contact
Email: jimjatt1999@gmail.com
GitHub: https://github.com/ai-studio-inc
Company: Akagawa Innovations
Website: https://akagawa-innovations-website.vercel.app/
App Store disclosure notes (for transparency)
- Data Types: Contact info (account email/ID), user content (profile, anchors, meetups), identifiers (device push token), diagnostics (crash logs), and usage basics tied to your account only as needed to provide features.
- Tracking: No cross‑app tracking or third‑party ads; ATT prompt is not requested.