Privacy Policy

Last updated: July 18, 2026

WhereWe (“WhereWe,” “we,” “us”) is a mobile app for keeping a shared map of the places you’ve been and want to go, together with the people you choose. This policy explains what we collect, why, who we share it with, and the choices you have. WhereWe is built and operated by Alex Nissenberg as an independent developer.

The short version. We collect the account you sign in with, the places, maps, and photos you create, and (only when you use nearby search) your device location. We don’t sell your data, we don’t use third-party advertising or analytics SDKs, and you can delete your account and its data at any time from inside the app.

1. Information we collect

Account information

Email address or phone number — whichever you use to sign in. Authentication is handled by Google Firebase Authentication.
Display name — a name you choose (required) so members of a shared map can see who added a place.

Content you create

Places you save — their names, map coordinates, category, your rating, and any notes or descriptions you add.
Maps you create or join, and their membership.
Photos you attach to a place, stored in Firebase Storage and visible to members of that map.

Location

If you grant permission, WhereWe uses your device location to show places near you and to help you drop an accurate pin when adding a place. Your live location is used on-device for those features; we store only the coordinates of the places you deliberately choose to save. You can decline or revoke location access at any time in iOS Settings — the rest of the app still works.

Purchases

WhereWe offers an optional paid upgrade (“Pro”). Purchases are processed by Apple through the App Store. We receive your subscription/entitlement status so we can unlock Pro features; we never receive your payment card details.

Diagnostics

WhereWe does not include third-party advertising or analytics SDKs. Our backend provider (Firebase) records basic operational logs needed to run the service reliably and securely.

2. The AI import feature

WhereWe can turn a public Instagram or TikTok post you share into suggested places to add. When you use this feature, and only then:

The post’s URL is sent to Apify, a scraping service, to fetch the post’s public caption and thumbnail image.
That caption and thumbnail are sent to Anthropic (the Claude API) to identify the real-world places mentioned. This content is processed to generate your suggestions and is not used to train AI models.
The extracted place names are sent to the Google Places API to look up accurate coordinates.

If you never use the import feature, none of your data is sent to these services.

3. How we use your information

To provide the core app — sign-in, saving places, and syncing shared maps across the people you invite.
To power features you actively use, such as nearby search and AI import.
To operate, secure, and troubleshoot the service.
To process purchases and unlock Pro features.

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not use it for advertising.

4. How your information is shared

Who	What	Why
People you invite to a shared map	The places, photos, and your display name on that map	Shared maps are collaborative by design
Google Firebase	Account, content, photos, operational logs	Authentication, database, storage, and cloud functions that run the app
Apify, Anthropic, Google Places	Only the post URL, caption, thumbnail, and place names described above	Only when you use the AI import feature
Apple	Purchase transactions; map tiles via MapKit	To process payments and display maps

We may also disclose information if required by law, or to protect the rights, safety, and security of our users and the service.

5. Data retention and deletion

We keep your information for as long as your account is active. You can delete your account at any time from Settings inside the app; this removes your profile, the places and photos you created, and your membership in shared maps. Some content you contributed to a shared map may remain visible to other members of that map. Backups and operational logs may persist for a limited period before being overwritten.

6. Security

Data is transmitted over encrypted connections and stored with our cloud provider’s access controls and security rules. No method of transmission or storage is perfectly secure, but we work to protect your information using industry-standard safeguards.

7. Children

WhereWe is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has provided us information, contact us and we will delete it.

8. International users

WhereWe is operated from, and its data is processed in, the United States and other locations where our service providers operate. By using WhereWe you consent to the transfer and processing of your information in those locations.

9. Your choices and rights

Access & deletion — view and edit your content in the app, or delete your account and its data from Settings.
Location — grant or revoke location access in iOS Settings.
Depending on where you live (e.g. the EEA, UK, or California), you may have additional rights to access, correct, or delete your personal information. Contact us to exercise them.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the app evolves. When we do, we’ll revise the “Last updated” date above, and significant changes will be reflected in the app.

11. Contact us

Questions about this policy or your data? Email support@wherewe.net.