Privacy Policy
Last updated: August 20, 2026 — draft, not yet reviewed by counsel
This Privacy Policy explains what information Pawlentine ("we," "us") collects when you use the Pawlentine app, how we use it, and the choices you have.
Information we collect
Account information
We use phone number verification (via Firebase Authentication) to create your account. We do not receive or store your phone carrier's authentication codes — verification is handled by Firebase/Google infrastructure.
Profile information
Your name, photos, bio, gender, pet information (species, breed), and dating preferences that you choose to add to your profile. This information is shown to other users as part of the core matching experience.
Location
We collect your approximate location to show you people nearby and to power Travel Mode (matching in another city ahead of a trip). Precise location data is stored separately from your public profile and is not shared with other users directly — only city-level matching results are.
Verification photos
If you choose to get a verified badge, you submit a photo for manual review. This photo is used only to confirm your profile photos are genuinely you and is reviewed by our admin team, not shown publicly.
Activity and content
Swipes, matches, and the messages you send in chat with your matches. Messages are visible to you and the person you're chatting with.
Support conversations
If you use in-app support chat, your messages are processed using Google's Gemini AI to generate responses, and may be stored as part of a support ticket if you choose to raise one.
Device and usage data
Push notification tokens (so we can notify you about matches and messages), crash reports, and basic usage analytics (e.g. which features you use) to help us fix bugs and improve the app.
Subscription status
Whether you have an active premium subscription. Payment itself is handled entirely by the Apple App Store or Google Play — we do not receive or store your payment card details.
How we use your information
- To operate core features: matching, chat, and profile discovery
- To verify your identity if you request a verified badge
- To send you notifications about matches, messages, and account activity
- To respond to support requests
- To detect and act on safety reports, blocking, and abuse
- To fix bugs and improve the app based on crash reports and usage patterns
Who we share information with
We don't sell your personal information. We share data with the following categories of service providers, only as needed to operate the app:
- Google / Firebase — hosting, authentication, database, storage, crash reporting, and push notifications
- Google Gemini — processes messages you send to in-app support chat
- GIF search providers (GIPHY / Tenor) — processes your search terms if you search for a GIF to send in chat
- Other Pawlentine users — your public profile, and messages within a shared chat, are visible to people you match with
Your choices
Blocking and reporting
You can block or report any user directly from their profile or your chat with them. Reporting someone also blocks them immediately.
Deleting your account
You can permanently delete your account from Settings at any time. This removes your profile, photos, matches, and messages, and deletes your account from our authentication system.
Incognito Mode
Premium users can enable Incognito Mode to browse without appearing in other users' decks, except for people who have already liked you.
Children's privacy
Pawlentine is not intended for anyone under 18. We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 18.
Data retention
We retain your information for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account, your profile, photos, matches, and messages are permanently removed.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as the app changes. We'll update the "Last updated" date above when we do.
Contact us
Questions about this policy? Reach us at support@pawlentine.com or visit our Support page.