Privacy Policy

Last updated: February 2026

Information We Collect

We collect information that helps Kin work as a nearby, presence-aware chat app while giving you control over what you share.

Account and profile information

When you sign up, we collect information such as your email address, username, and basic profile details.
You can optionally add a profile photo, a short bio, and other preferences in your profile and onboarding screens.

Location and presence data

When you grant foreground location permission, we collect your device's current location to:
- Center the map around you.
- Show nearby people and posts.
- Let friends see your live location when you choose to share it.
We also maintain online/offline presence so friends can see when you are active if you enable this.

Posts, events, and other content

When you create posts or meetups/events, we collect the content you submit (text, timestamps, optional place names, and any attached media URLs).

Messages and conversations

When you use one-to-one chat, we collect and store text messages, image attachments, and voice messages (including duration and a media URL).
These messages are stored so you and your conversation partner can view them over time.

Media (photos, images, audio)

When you upload media (such as profile photos, post images, event cover images, chat images, or voice messages), those files are stored in cloud storage and referenced from your profile, posts, events, or chats.

Contacts permissions and preferences

Kin can optionally ask for access to your device's contacts for a future "Find Friends" feature.
Today, the app records only a boolean preference (a flag indicating whether you allowed contact sync). It does not upload your contact names, phone numbers, or email addresses.

Push notification tokens

When you enable push notifications, we collect a device-specific push token and store it in our database so we can send you notifications about new messages and certain nearby meetups.

Settings and privacy preferences

We store various switches and options you set, including: location privacy mode (exact / approximate / off), whether friends can see your live location, whether you appear in nearby discovery, whether others can see your online status, whether "Find Friends" is enabled, and your default post privacy.

Technical and log information

Like most online services, the backend may log technical details needed to operate and secure the service (such as timestamps and error logs).
Server logs are retained for up to 90 days for debugging and security purposes, after which they are automatically purged.

How We Use Information

We use the information we collect to provide and improve Kin's core features, including:

To provide the app's core functions — Show nearby people, posts, and events; enable one-to-one chat; maintain your profile and preferences across sessions.
To operate live location and presence — Use your live location (when enabled) to update the map and nearby search; use short-lived presence data so friends can see when you are online.
To send notifications — Use your push token to send new message notifications and certain nearby meetup notifications.
To customize your experience — Respect your privacy settings whenever the app shows you to others; apply your default post privacy when creating new posts.
To maintain safety and reliability — Monitor and debug the service, prevent abuse, maintain uptime, and enforce community guidelines.

We do not currently use your contacts' phone numbers or emails, because they are not uploaded in the existing implementation. If that changes, this policy and the store disclosures will be updated first.

Location Data

Location is central to Kin's experience, but it is designed to be foreground-only and privacy-aware.

Foreground location only

Kin requests foreground location access from your device.
There is no background tracking. Location is used while you are actively using the app.

Location privacy modes

Exact — Your precise coordinates are used.
Approximate — Your location is jittered within roughly a 500-meter radius before being shared.
Off — Location updates are not sent from your device.

Where location data is stored

Short-lived (ephemeral) storage — Live location and presence are stored with a time-to-live of about 5 minutes. If not refreshed, those entries expire automatically.
Longer-lived storage — A single "last known location" record per user is stored in the database. Each new update overwrites the prior one; there is no historical trail.

How location is used

To center the map around you when you open the app.
To show you nearby people, posts, and meetups.
To let approved friends see your live location, subject to your privacy and sharing settings.

Controls and safeguards

Location emissions are filtered according to your chosen mode (exact/approximate/off).
Subscriptions to your live location are allowed only when you have the right relationship (e.g., accepted friends) and your settings permit sharing.

Contacts

Kin includes an optional "Find Friends" setting that may request access to your contacts.

When you toggle "Find Friends" on, the app requests contacts permission and stores a preference flag. It does not upload or store your address book entries.
If you deny contacts permission, the toggle remains off and you can continue to use the app normally.
If we later add actual contacts syncing or matching, this section will be updated beforehand, and contact uploads will occur only after you grant permission and opt in.

Camera, Photos & Microphone

Kin uses camera, photo library, and microphone access only when you actively choose to use those features.

Photos and images

We ask for permission when you take or choose a profile photo, add images to posts or events, or attach images in chat.
If you decline permission, the app does not capture or upload images. You can continue to use the app without uploading photos.
Uploaded images are stored in cloud storage associated with your account, posts, events, or chats.

Microphone and voice messages

We ask for microphone permission when you tap the microphone button in chat to record a voice message.
If you deny permission, recording is not started and no audio is uploaded.

What we do not do

We do not silently record audio or capture photos in the background.
We do not scan your camera roll outside of the files you explicitly choose.

Push Notifications

When you opt in, we store your push token and use it to send you notifications for new messages and certain nearby meetups.
If you deny notification permission, we do not store a push token and you will not receive push notifications.
If you log out, we clear your stored push token.
You can control notifications from your device's system settings at any time.

Data Retention

Short-lived (ephemeral) data

Live location and presence data expire automatically after about 5 minutes.
Nearby search results are cached for about 10 seconds.

Profile and settings

Account and profile data are stored in our primary database and remain until deleted through account deletion.

Posts, events, and media

Posts, events, and their associated media are stored in database tables and storage buckets.
When you delete a post or event, the content is removed from our database. Associated media files are deleted from cloud storage within 30 days.

Chats and messages

Chat messages are stored so you and your conversation partners can see conversation history.
Message history is retained for the lifetime of the conversation. If either participant deletes their account, messages associated with that account may be removed as part of the deletion process.

Push tokens

We keep your current push token while you are logged in and have notifications enabled. The token is cleared on logout.

Account deletion

When you use the in-app delete account flow, we delete your user record and call the authentication service's self-delete endpoint.
We aim to remove all associated data (posts, messages, media, and profile information) within 30 days of account deletion. Some residual data (such as messages already delivered to other users' conversations) may persist in those users' histories.

Your Choices

Location sharing — Choose between exact, approximate, or off. Turn live location sharing to friends on or off. Opt out of nearby discovery.
Online status — Toggle whether others can see when you are online.
Contacts and "Find Friends" — Choose whether to enable contact access. You can use the app without granting contacts permission.
Post privacy — Set a default post privacy (friends-only vs public) and change it for individual posts.
Notifications — Control push notification permissions from your device settings.
Account deletion — Delete your account from within the app's Settings. Your profile, posts, and media are queued for removal within 30 days.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this privacy policy or about how Kin handles your data, please contact us.

Email: privacy@get-kin.app
Website: https://get-kin.app/privacy
Developer: Kin App