Howsy Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy explains how Howsy ("we," "us," or "our") handles information when you use the Howsy mobile app and related services (the "Service"). The Service is for users 18 and older. You can contact us at feedback@howsymosy.com.
1. Who we are and how to contact us
Howsy is a social decision-making app that lets people ask everyday questions, share reasons, and continue a conversation when a reply resonates. For privacy questions, support, account deletion, data-rights requests, or complaints, contact us at feedback@howsymosy.com. We may update that contact channel from time to time and will keep the App Store listing consistent with this Policy.
2. Information we collect
We may collect the following categories of information:
- Account information. If you sign in with Apple, we may receive an account identifier and, if you choose to share it, an email address. If you use the email/password entry, we process the email address and password you submit for authentication. We also process an app-generated device identifier and authentication tokens.
- Profile information. Your display name, city, introduction, interests, avatar photo, and other profile details you choose to provide.
- User content. Questions, options, suggestions, replies, requests, chat messages, reports, and blocks. In the current build, questions, suggestions, requests, and chats are stored on your device. Your public profile and avatar may be transmitted to our service for account and profile functions.
- Photos. Images you choose from your photo library for your avatar or for a question. The current version accesses only the photos you select.
- Device and network information. IP address, app version, operating-system version, locale, and similar technical information processed by our hosting, security, and authentication providers.
- Safety and support information. Information you include in reports, blocks, and support requests.
The current version's feature set does not include location services, access to contacts, camera or microphone access, health data, push notifications, advertising identifiers, or third-party analytics SDKs. If the feature set changes, we will update this Policy and the App Store privacy disclosures before the change takes effect.
3. How we use information
We may use information to:
- create and authenticate your account;
- provide, operate, and maintain the Service;
- store and display your profile and avatar;
- enable questions, suggestions, replies, requests, and conversations;
- maintain safety, investigate reports, and enforce our Terms;
- respond to support, privacy, deletion, and data-rights requests;
- monitor reliability, prevent abuse, and improve the Service; and
- comply with legal obligations and protect our rights and the rights of others.
4. How we share information
We may share information with service providers that help us host, operate, secure, and support the Service, including authentication, infrastructure, storage, and customer-support providers. We may also share information when required by law, to protect safety or rights, to investigate fraud or abuse, or as part of a corporate transaction such as a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets.
The current version does not include advertising or data-broker integrations. If we introduce advertising, analytics, or other data-sharing features, we will update this Policy and the App Store privacy disclosures and provide any required choices before those features become available.
In the current build, questions, suggestions, requests, and chats are stored on your device and are not transmitted to other users. Your public profile and avatar may be transmitted to our service for account and profile functions. If a future version enables shared community content, we will update this Policy and the App Store privacy disclosures before that feature becomes available.
5. Cookies and similar technologies
The app does not use browser cookies. We and our service providers may use device identifiers, authentication tokens, and similar technologies to keep you signed in, secure the Service, and remember preferences. The current version does not use advertising identifiers for personalized advertising. You can control certain device-level settings through your operating system.
6. Data retention
We retain information for as long as necessary to provide the Service, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, enforce our agreements, and protect the Service and its users. Retention periods may vary based on the type of information, the reason we hold it, and legal requirements. When you delete your account, we will delete or de-identify the account information associated with it, except where we are required or permitted to retain it for legal, security, or fraud-prevention purposes. Local content stored on your device may remain until you delete the app or clear its data.
7. Your rights
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal information; to delete your account; to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information; to opt out of targeted advertising; and to not be discriminated against for exercising these rights. You can delete your account from Settings or contact us at feedback@howsymosy.com.
California residents may have the right to know, delete, correct, opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information, limit the use of sensitive personal information, and not be discriminated against for exercising these rights. We will verify requests as required by law. We may not be able to honor a request if we cannot verify your identity or if an exception applies.
8. Children's privacy
The Service is for users 18 and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided information to the Service, contact us at feedback@howsymosy.com so we can take appropriate action.
9. International transfers
We may process information in the United States and other jurisdictions where we or our service providers operate. Those jurisdictions may have different data-protection laws than your jurisdiction. When required, we use appropriate safeguards for international transfers.
10. Security
We use administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect information, including encryption in transit between the app and our service. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
11. Updates to this Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will provide notice in the app, on the App Store product page, or through another reasonable method before the changes take effect. The effective date and version will be published with the current Policy.
12. Contact
For privacy questions, support, account deletion, data-rights requests, or complaints, contact us at feedback@howsymosy.com.