Privacy Policy

The Hangout lets you see which bars your friends are checked in at, and lets bars share tonight's staff, specials and events. This policy explains what we collect, why, and the choices you have. The Hangout is for people 21 and older.

What we collect

• Account: when you use Sign in with Apple, we receive an Apple account identifier and, if you choose to share them, your name and an email address (which may be an Apple private relay address).
• Profile: the display name you choose and your invite code.
• Friends: your friend requests, friends, close friends, and the people you hide your check-ins from.
• Check-ins: the bar you check in at, when it starts and ends, and who can see it (all friends, close friends, or just you).
• Settings: ghost mode, default audience and how long check-ins last.
• My Night: if you save a night, the list of bars you checked in at that night and when.
• Bar notes: short notes and thumbs up you leave on bars you have checked in at, and any notes you report.
• Bar accounts: for bar owners and staff, the bar you manage, staff invites and the specials, events and posts you share.
• Photos: a photo you choose to add to a stop on My Night, and photos bars add (a cover photo, and staff photos on optional staff cards). Before upload, the app shrinks photos and removes their location and other hidden data.
• Staff cards and follows: for bar staff who make an optional staff card, the name or nickname and photo they choose and when they say they are working; for everyone, which staff cards you follow.
• "Want this bar" requests: the bars you ask to join The Hangout.
• Reports: notes or photos you report and the reason you choose.
• Bar visit totals: how many check-ins each bar had in each hour. These totals do not say who checked in.
• Bar claims: if you ask to claim a bar, the bar's name and address, your role (owner or manager) and any note you add, so we can check the claim.

Location

With your permission, The Hangout uses your phone's location for these things:

• To show bars near you. Your phone asks Apple Maps for nearby bars; we do not store your location for this.
• To confirm you are at a bar when you check in. Your location is sent once to our server to check that you are within about 150 meters of the bar, and is then discarded. We never store your exact location, and friends only ever see the bar's name.
• To suggest a check-in. When you open the app at a bar, it may ask "Looks like you're at ... Check in?" This happens on your phone; nothing is shared unless you tap to check in.
• Check-in reminders, only if you turn them on. With reminders on and location set to "Always", your iPhone notices when you have stayed at a place for a few minutes, even with the app closed, and The Hangout may send a notification asking if you want to check in (at most one every 30 minutes). This location stays on your phone and is not sent to us or shown to friends. Reminders never check you in on their own. You can turn them off at any time on the app's Privacy screen.

You can turn location off at any time in your iPhone's Settings. You will still be able to browse bars.

Who can see your information

• Your friends see your display name. They see your check-in only if its audience includes them, you are not in ghost mode, and you have not hidden your check-ins from them.
• Check-ins stop being visible to friends when they end, either when you tap Leave or automatically after 2, 3 or 5 hours.
• People who are not your friends cannot see your check-ins.
• Bar notes are seen only by your friends, and not by anyone you have hidden or who has hidden you.
• Saved nights are seen by friends only after the night is over (6 AM the next morning at the earliest), and never by more people than you shared that night's check-ins with.
• A photo you add to a stop is seen only by you, and by friends who can see the saved night that includes that stop.
• Bar posts, specials, bar cover photos and staff cards are public to everyone using the app. A staff member is shown as working only during a shift they start, and only at their bar.
• Staff members can see the names of people who follow their staff card, and can remove followers.
• Bars never see who checked in. They see totals only, such as check-ins last week or their busiest hour, and any number under 10 is hidden. "Want this bar" requests are shown only as a count.
• The people who review bar claims and reports for The Hangout can see the claims and the reported notes and photos.
• Bar staff names are shown on a bar's page only after the staff member accepts their invite.

How we use it

Only to run The Hangout: signing you in, showing friends where they are, and showing bars' staff and specials. We do not sell your information, show ads, or track you across other apps or websites.

Service providers

• Supabase hosts our database and sign-in.
• Apple provides Sign in with Apple, Apple Maps search results, bar photos and reviews, street photos, and notifications.

Keeping and deleting your data

We keep your information while you have an account. To delete your account and everything linked to it (profile, friends, check-ins, saved nights, notes, photos, follows and settings), tap Delete account on the app's Privacy screen, or email us at the address below and we will do it within 30 days. Check-in history is kept for 7 days. A photo you add to a stop is deleted along with that check-in unless you saved the night; photos in saved nights are kept until you remove them or delete the night. Deleting your account also deletes your photos. Bar posts are removed a week after they end. Bar visit totals, which do not identify anyone, are kept. Reports are kept while we review them. You can also remove friends, unhide people and leave a check-in at any time in the app.

Children

The Hangout is not for anyone under 21, and we do not knowingly collect information from them.

Changes

If we change this policy, we will update the date above and, for significant changes, let you know in the app.

Contact

Questions or deletion requests: [email protected]