Privacy Policy
PetPals is a pet-owner community application that helps users discover, match, and communicate with other people. By using PetPals, you agree that we may collect and process information as described below.
Information We Collect
- Account information, such as your email address, login method, and authentication data.
- Owner and pet profile information, such as name, adult birth date, bio, hobbies, photos, country, pet details, matching goals, and pet preferences.
- Activity information, such as likes, matches, messages, profile views, last active time, activity points, and conversation data.
- Location information when you provide it or allow the app to use it, so we can show nearby or compatible users.
- Device, log, and technical information needed to protect the app, debug issues, and improve reliability.
Location, Photos, And Community Content
With your permission, PetPals receives device location coordinates to find nearby people, parks, and activities. Coordinates may be precise when your device permits precise location. You can change location access in device settings. Profiles, photos, community posts, meetup details, and messages are shared with their intended audiences as part of these features. Verification submissions include a photo of you with your pet and are processed for account and pet verification.
Notifications And Service Providers
PetPals uses Firebase Cloud Messaging to deliver notifications. This involves notification tokens, installation identifiers, device information, and delivery information. You can control notification permission in device settings. Google and Apple sign-in providers share the account identifiers and profile details needed to sign in. Our hosting and technical service providers process information needed to operate and protect the service.
Advertising
Free accounts may see ads provided by Google Mobile Ads. The SDK may process IP addresses, device and installation identifiers, approximate location inferred from IP, ad interactions, and diagnostics to deliver ads, measure performance, and prevent fraud. The iOS app requests non-personalized ads and uses Google's consent flow where required. When available, Ad privacy choices in the app lets you revisit your consent. Non-personalized ads can still use data for delivery, measurement, and fraud prevention.
On iOS, we ask for Apple's tracking permission before starting these ads. With your authorization, advertising partners may use device data to measure ad performance across other companies' apps and websites. If tracking is not authorized, Google Mobile Ads is not started and these interstitial ads remain disabled. Your choice does not block PetPals features. You can change tracking permission in your device's privacy settings. Apple's permission and any regional advertising consent are separate choices. See how Google uses information from partner apps. Premium accounts do not display these interstitial ads.
Purchases
Apple or Google processes store payments; PetPals does not receive your full payment-card details. To verify Premium access, we process store product and transaction identifiers, purchase and expiry dates, subscription status, and an account-bound identifier. Store servers may send renewal, cancellation, refund, and billing-status updates. Transaction records may be retained to prevent replay and fraud and meet applicable accounting or legal obligations.
How We Use Information
- Create and manage your account.
- Show your profile to other users when your profile is visible.
- Recommend pet-owner profiles, calculate pet compatibility, and rank activity.
- Enable likes, matches, conversations, and real-time notifications.
- Detect abuse, spam, fraud, and security issues.
- Maintain, improve, and troubleshoot PetPals.
Profile Visibility
PetPals may provide a profile visibility setting. When profile visibility is disabled, your profile should not appear in discovery, ranking, nearby, or public user-fetching features. Some information may still be processed internally for account security, legal obligations, or existing conversations.
Messages And Matches
Messages and match records are used to provide chat and matching features. Deleting your account in the app permanently removes your account, profile, pet information, sign-in provider identifiers, media that can be safely attributed to your account, private verification evidence, authored content, associated matches, messages, playdates, and saved places. The account closes immediately after any required Apple reauthorization. If cleanup is temporarily unavailable, it retries automatically and the app tells you that deletion was requested. The closed account is kept only until that cleanup finishes and cannot be restored. If older media needs an ownership review, deletion remains pending and a minimal private cleanup record is kept until the review is resolved. Minimal purchase ownership records are retained to prevent purchase fraud. Backups, logs, and records required by applicable law may have separate retention periods. Deleting your account does not cancel an Apple or Google store subscription.
Sharing Information
We share information with the service providers and advertising partners described above to operate PetPals and provide advertising. We may also disclose information to comply with law, protect users, enforce our terms, or complete a business transfer such as a merger or acquisition.
Data Security
We use reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect user information. No internet service can be guaranteed to be fully secure, so you should use a strong password and avoid sharing sensitive personal information in chats or profile fields.
Your Choices
- You can update many profile and preference fields in the app.
- You can hide your profile where the app provides that setting.
- You can request account deletion through the app or by contacting us.
- You can stop using location-based features or disable location permissions.
Children
PetPals is intended for adults only. You must be at least 18 years old to use the app. We do not knowingly allow children to create accounts. On supported iOS versions, Apple's age-assurance service may check eligibility before app access where that service applies. The returned age range is used on the device to allow or restrict access; PetPals does not store or transmit that returned range. PetPals also maintains Child Safety Standards that explicitly prohibit child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSAE) and child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Changes To This Policy
We may update this policy from time to time. If changes are material, we may notify users in the app or by other reasonable means.
Terms of Service
These Terms govern your access to and use of PetPals. If you do not agree to these Terms, do not use the app.
Eligibility
You must be at least 18 years old and legally able to enter into these Terms. You are responsible for the accuracy of the information you provide and for keeping your account secure.
Acceptable Use
- Do not harass, threaten, impersonate, or exploit other users.
- Do not upload illegal, hateful, violent, or sexually exploitative content.
- Do not use automated tools to scrape, spam, or abuse the service.
- Do not attempt to bypass security, rate limits, or access controls.
- Do not use PetPals for unlawful activity.
User Content
You are responsible for the content you upload or send, including photos, profile text, and messages. You grant PetPals a limited right to host, display, transmit, and process your content as needed to operate the app.
Matching And Communications
PetPals may provide recommendations, compatibility percentages, rankings, likes, matches, and chat features. We do not guarantee that recommendations will result in friendships, compatibility, safety, or successful communication.
Safety
You are responsible for your interactions with other users. Use care when sharing personal information or meeting someone in person. Report suspicious or abusive behavior where reporting tools are available.
Apple Premium Subscriptions
Optional weekly and monthly Premium subscriptions are billed through your Apple Account at the price and period displayed before purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the current period ends. You can manage or cancel them in your Apple Account subscription settings. Deleting a PetPals account does not automatically cancel an Apple subscription. Refund requests for Apple purchases are handled by Apple. Apple's Standard End User License Agreement applies to the iOS app.
Account Suspension Or Termination
We may restrict, suspend, or terminate accounts that violate these Terms, create risk for other users, or create legal or security issues for PetPals.
Disclaimers
PetPals is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. We do not guarantee uninterrupted service, error-free operation, or that every user is truthful, safe, or compatible.
Limitation Of Liability
To the maximum extent permitted by law, PetPals and its operators are not liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of the app.
Changes To The Terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. Continued use of PetPals after changes become effective means you accept the updated Terms.
Contact
For privacy, safety, account deletion, or legal questions, contact:
Email: contact@petpals.live
For CSAE, CSAM, grooming, exploitation, or child safety concerns related to PetPals, contact: contact@petpals.live