Privacy Policy
Last updated October 5, 2026
The short version: we collect what the app needs to match you with people and help you meet. We don't sell your data, we don't show ads, and when you delete your account, your data is gone.
Who we are
ATX Friends is a friendship app for people in and around Austin, Texas, run by George, an independent developer. Questions about this policy go to gap512@protonmail.com or (512) 655-3940.
What we collect
- Account details. Your email address and name. If you sign in with Apple or Google, we get the basic account info they share with us.
- Your profile. Your photos, the activities you pick, the times you're free, and your answers to the optional compatibility questions (including any notes you add to them).
- Location at signup. When you sign up, we check your location once to confirm you're within 50 miles of Austin, and we save that approximate spot to your account. We use it to suggest nearby places when you make a plan.
- Shared location, only if you turn it on. If you turn on Share My Location, we update your location when you choose to. People you've matched with see a rough distance, never your exact location.
- Plans and messages. The plans you propose or join and the messages you send, so the people you're talking with can see them.
- Communities, if you pick any. The communities you join (up to 3, like a church or school). Only other members of a community can see that you're in it.
- Give taps. If you tap an amount on a cause in Give, we record that you tapped that cause this month, so the app can show how many neighbors chipped in. We never record the amount, and nobody else can see who tapped. The gift itself happens on the cause's own website, not in the app.
- Feedback you send. If you use Send Feedback, the message you write and, if you attach one, a screenshot.
- Notification token. If you allow notifications, a device token so we can tell you about new matches and upcoming plans.
- Waitlist email. If you're outside the Austin area, you can leave your email so we can tell you when that changes. That's all we keep.
What we don't collect
- We don't track your location in the background.
- When you add a plan to Google or Outlook Calendar, you sign in on your phone and the app adds that one event. We don't store your calendar login on our servers, and we don't read your calendar.
- We don't use advertising trackers.
How we use it
To run the app: match you with people, show your profile to your matches, deliver your messages and plans, send the notifications you've allowed, and keep the app safe (for example, handling reports and blocks). That's it. We don't sell your data or share it for advertising.
Who else handles it
The app runs on Google Firebase, which stores our data and sends notifications for us. Apple and Google handle sign-in if you use them. If you use a calendar or maps app from inside ATX Friends, that company handles what happens on their side under their own privacy policy.
We may share information if the law requires it, or to protect someone's safety.
Who can see what
People you match with can see your profile, and people in a conversation or plan with you can see what's shared there. Open plans posted on the Plans tab can be seen by anyone on ATX Friends.
Deleting your account
You can delete your account anytime in the app (You → Privacy & Safety → Delete Account). It happens right away and it's permanent. We delete your profile, photos, and messages, so your conversations also disappear for the people you were talking with. Backups kept by our hosting provider can take up to 98 days to cycle out, and we never restore a deleted account from them.
Can't open the app? See how to delete your account, including what's deleted and what's kept.
Age
ATX Friends is for adults 18 and older. We don't knowingly collect information from anyone younger. If you think a minor has made an account, email us and we'll remove it.
Open source
The app's code is public, so anyone can check how it handles data. Other people may build their own apps from that code. Those apps are run by them, not us, and this policy doesn't cover them.
Changes
If we change this policy in a way that matters, we'll update the date above and let you know in the app.