1. Who we are
Rao Apps Corporation ("Friends", "we", "us", or "our") operates the Friends mobile application available on iOS and Android. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights regarding that information.
If you have questions, contact us at support@friendsapp.net.
2. Information we collect
Information you provide directly
| Data | Why we collect it | Stored? |
|---|---|---|
| Display name | Shown on your profile and events | Yes, in your profile |
| Username | Lets friends find you by handle | Yes, in your profile |
| Profile photo | Shown on your profile and events | Yes, in secure cloud storage |
| Bio | Optional — shown on your profile | Yes, if you add one |
| Interests / categories | Personalises event recommendations | Yes, in your profile |
| Phone number | Find friends from your contacts | No — hashed with SHA-256 before leaving your device; raw number never stored |
Information collected automatically
| Data | Why we collect it | Stored? |
|---|---|---|
| Firebase User ID | Identifies your account across sessions | Yes |
| Precise location | Shows events on the map near you | No — used in-session only, not stored |
| Push notification token | Sends you event invites and RSVPs | Yes, attached to your account |
| App usage events | Anonymous analytics (e.g. "event created") via Amplitude | Yes, anonymised |
| Crash reports | Device model, OS version, stack trace when the app crashes — used to fix bugs (via Sentry) | Yes, no personal data included |
Contact list access
If you choose to find friends from your contacts, we access your contact list on-device, hash each phone number with SHA-256, and query our database for matches. We never upload, store, or transmit your raw contact list. We only store the SHA-256 hashes of numbers you explicitly share with us.
3. How we use your information
- App functionality — creating your account, showing your profile, letting friends find you, displaying events on the map
- Notifications — alerting you to event invites, RSVPs, friend requests, and event updates
- Friend discovery — matching your contacts' hashed phone numbers to existing accounts
- Safety — detecting abuse, enforcing our Terms of Service, and investigating reports
- Analytics — understanding how the app is used in aggregate to improve it (no personal data in analytics)
4. What we never do
- We never sell your personal data to third parties
- We never use your data for advertising targeting
- We never store your raw phone number or raw contact list
- We never track your location history — location is used only in-session to show the map
- We never store your email address in your public profile
5. How we share your information
We share information only in these limited cases:
- With other users — your name, username, profile photo, and events are visible to friends (and friends-of-friends or public, depending on your privacy settings)
- Service providers — we use Firebase (Google) for authentication, database, storage, and cloud functions; and Amplitude for anonymous analytics. Both are bound by their own privacy policies and data processing agreements
- Legal requirements — if required by law or to protect the rights and safety of our users
6. Data retention
Your data is retained for as long as your account is active. When you delete your account, your profile, events, and personal data are permanently deleted within 30 days. Anonymous analytics data may be retained longer in aggregate form.
7. Your rights
Depending on where you live, you may have rights including:
- Access — request a copy of the data we hold about you
- Deletion — request deletion of your account and associated data
- Correction — update incorrect information via the app's Edit Profile screen
- Portability — request your data in a portable format
- Restriction — request that we restrict processing of your personal data in certain circumstances
- Objection — object to processing of your personal data where we rely on legitimate interests as a legal basis
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at support@friendsapp.net.
If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA) or United Kingdom, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection supervisory authority (for example, the ICO in the UK at ico.org.uk).
8. Children's privacy
Friends is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has created an account, please contact us immediately and we will delete the account.
9. Security
We use industry-standard security measures including encrypted connections (TLS), Firebase security rules that enforce server-side access control, and hashed storage for sensitive identifiers. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
10. Third-party services
The app integrates with:
- Firebase (Google) — authentication, database, storage, and cloud functions
- Google Maps / Places — venue and location search
- Ticketmaster — local event discovery (queries proxied through our server; your location is not sent to Ticketmaster)
- Eventbrite — local event discovery (queries proxied through our server; your location is not sent to Eventbrite)
- Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) — push notification delivery (Google)
- Amplitude — anonymous usage analytics
- Expo — mobile app infrastructure and push notification management
- Sentry — crash reporting (device model, OS version, and stack traces from app crashes; no personal information is included). Privacy policy
11. International data transfers
Rao Apps Corporation is operated from the United States. If you are located outside the United States, including in the European Economic Area (EEA) or United Kingdom, your information may be transferred to and processed in the United States or other countries where our service providers operate.
We use Firebase (Google), which stores data on Google's infrastructure. Google participates in and has certified compliance with the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and applies Standard Contractual Clauses for transfers of personal data from the EEA. For more information, see Google's Privacy Policy.
12. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes via an in-app notification or email. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision.
13. Contact
Questions about this Privacy Policy? Contact us:
- Email: support@friendsapp.net
- Website: friendsapp.net