Last updated: March 29, 2026
WoofMates ("we", "us", "our") is the data controller responsible for your personal data. For privacy inquiries, contact us at support@woofmates.app.
WoofMates collects the minimum data needed to provide our service:
• Your display name (chosen by you, not your real name)
• Dog names, breeds, ages, and photos
• Poop log ratings, dates, times, and optional comments
• Favorite place names (user-entered text only — we do NOT collect GPS coordinates or location data)
• Pack connections (friend list of display names and dog names)
• QR codes and friend codes generated for adding friends
• Co-owner account link (if you choose to link with another user)
• Push notification token (if notifications are enabled)
• Anonymous user identifier (Firebase Auth UID)
• Subscription status (via RevenueCat)
• Ad interaction data (free tier only, via Google AdMob)
• Anonymous crash and error logs (error message, device platform, and a truncated user identifier) for app stability
We do NOT collect: your real name, email address (unless you voluntarily link Apple/Google Sign-In), phone number, contacts, GPS location, browsing history, or any biometric data.
By default, WoofMates uses anonymous authentication via Firebase Authentication. We do not require your email, phone number, or real name. An anonymous identifier (UID) is generated automatically on your device.
You may link your account with Apple Sign-In or Google Sign-In to preserve your data across devices. Account linking is required for purchasing a Premium subscription and for joining as a co-owner. When you link an account, we store only the account identifier provided by the sign-in service. We do not access your email, contacts, photo library, or other account data beyond what is strictly required for authentication.
Your data is processed for the following purposes:
• Providing the core service: displaying your dog profiles and display name to your pack members, delivering walk notifications ("woofs"), storing poop logs, maintaining your favorite places
• Co-owner features: sharing dog profiles and poop logs between linked co-owner accounts
• Pack connections: enabling you to add friends via QR codes or friend codes and exchange walk invitations
• Push notifications: delivering walk invitations and responses to your device (your dog name and chosen place name are included in notification text sent to pack members)
• Subscription management: processing and verifying premium subscriptions via RevenueCat
• Advertising: showing non-personalized ads to free tier users via Google AdMob
• Diagnostics: collecting anonymous error logs to identify and fix crashes. These logs do not personally identify you and are not shared with third parties
We process your personal data under the following legal bases:
• Contract performance (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR): processing necessary to provide the WoofMates service you signed up for, including data storage, notifications, and pack connections
• Legitimate interest (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR): service stability and fraud prevention
• Consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR): push notifications, optional account linking, co-owner account linking, and advertising (if applicable)
You may withdraw consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing.
WoofMates uses the following third-party services that may process your data:
• Firebase Authentication (Google LLC) — anonymous and linked sign-in
• Cloud Firestore (Google LLC) — data storage
• Firebase Cloud Storage (Google LLC) — photo storage (dog and profile photos)
• Firebase Cloud Messaging (Google LLC) — push notifications
• Expo Push Service (Expo Inc.) — push notification delivery
• Google AdMob (Google LLC) — non-personalized advertising (free tier)
• RevenueCat Inc. — subscription and purchase management
These services have their own privacy policies. We recommend reviewing them:
• Google Privacy Policy: policies.google.com/privacy
• RevenueCat Privacy Policy: revenuecat.com/privacy
• Expo Privacy Policy: expo.dev/privacy
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data. Data is shared or visible as follows:
• Pack members: can see your display name, your dogs' names, and your dogs' photos. When you send a walk invitation ("woof"), your dog name and the place name you selected are included in push notifications sent to pack members.
• Co-owners: if you link your account with a co-owner, they can see all shared dog profiles (names, breeds, ages, photos) and all poop log entries for shared dogs, including entries logged by you.
• Poop logs: visible only to the dog's owner and linked co-owner (if any). Never shared with pack members or other users.
• Photos: dog and profile photos are stored in Firebase Cloud Storage and are accessible to authenticated users who view your profile or pack card.
• Third-party processors: Firebase, AdMob, Expo, and RevenueCat process data on our behalf as described in Section 6.
• Legal requirements: we may disclose data if required by law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request, or to protect our rights, safety, or property.
Your data is stored on Google Cloud servers (Firebase) located in the United States. If you are located outside the United States, your data will be transferred to and processed in the United States.
For users in the European Economic Area (EEA) and the United Kingdom, these transfers are protected by Google's Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) and other appropriate safeguards in accordance with GDPR requirements.
Data is encrypted in transit (TLS 1.2+) and at rest. Photos are stored in Firebase Cloud Storage with access controlled by security rules.
We retain your data for the following periods:
• Account data (profile, dogs, places): retained while your account is active
• Dog photos: retained while the associated dog profile exists
• Poop logs: retained while your account is active
• Pack connections: retained while your account is active
• Walk invitations (woofs): automatically deleted after expiration
• Invite tokens (QR codes): automatically deleted after 1 hour
• Push notification tokens: retained while notifications are enabled; invalid tokens are automatically cleaned up
• Anonymous auth identifiers: retained while your account is active
When you delete your account, all data is permanently removed from our servers within 30 days. Some data may persist in encrypted backups for up to 90 days before automatic deletion.
Depending on your location, you have the following rights:
All users:
• Access all your stored data within the App
• Export your poop logs for veterinary use (Premium feature)
• Delete your account and all associated data at any time
• Opt out of push notifications at any time via device settings
• Unlink co-owner account at any time
• Remove any pack member at any time
EEA/UK residents (GDPR):
• Right of access (Art. 15) — request a copy of your data
• Right to rectification (Art. 16) — correct inaccurate data
• Right to erasure (Art. 17) — request deletion of your data
• Right to restrict processing (Art. 18)
• Right to data portability (Art. 20) — receive your data in a machine-readable format
• Right to object (Art. 21) — object to processing based on legitimate interest
• Right to withdraw consent at any time
• Right to lodge a complaint with your local Data Protection Authority
California residents (CCPA/CPRA):
• Right to know what personal information is collected, used, and shared
• Right to delete personal information
• Right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information (we do not sell or share your data for cross-context behavioral advertising)
• Right to non-discrimination for exercising your rights
• Right to correct inaccurate personal information
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at support@woofmates.app. We will respond within 30 days (or as required by applicable law).
You can delete your account at any time from Settings → Delete Account. This permanently removes all your data from our servers, including: dog profiles, dog photos, poop logs, pack connections, favorite places, woof history, co-owner links, and your user profile.
Deletion is processed immediately. Data is fully purged from backups within 30 days.
IMPORTANT: If you have an active subscription, cancel it separately in your device's Account Settings (App Store or Google Play) BEFORE deleting your account. Account deletion does not cancel active subscriptions.
WoofMates is not directed at children under 13 (or under 16 in the EEA/UK). We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under these ages. We do not require or encourage users to provide any personal information that could identify a child.
If we learn that we have inadvertently collected data from a child under the applicable age, we will delete it promptly. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us immediately at support@woofmates.app.
Free tier users see non-personalized ads served by Google AdMob. We do not use your personal data for ad targeting or profiling. We do not use cookies, web beacons, or tracking pixels.
On iOS, we comply with Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework and will request your permission before any tracking for advertising purposes. You can change this permission at any time in your device Settings → Privacy → Tracking.
Premium subscribers see no ads and are not subject to any advertising-related data collection.
We do not participate in data broker networks and do not sell or share your data for targeted advertising purposes.
We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data, including:
• Encryption in transit (TLS) and at rest
• Firebase Security Rules restricting data access to authorized users only
• Server-side validation of all data writes
• Automatic cleanup of expired tokens and invite codes
• No storage of passwords (anonymous auth or third-party sign-in only)
While we strive to protect your data, no method of electronic storage or transmission is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting a notice in the App. The "Last updated" date at the top will be revised. Continued use of the App after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
For material changes that affect your rights, we will provide at least 30 days' notice before the changes take effect.
For privacy questions or to exercise your data rights, contact us:
Email: support@woofmates.app
We aim to respond to all requests within 30 days.
For EEA/UK residents, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local Data Protection Authority.