Privacy Policy

Last updated: October 10, 2026

Proximity (“the app”) is operated by Josh Davies (“we”). This policy explains what information the app collects, how it is used, and the choices you have. Questions: info@theproximity.app.

Information we collect

• Account information. Your email address and a securely hashed password.
• Profile. Your name and, optionally, a profile photo and a location you enter (such as a city). These profile fields are optional and you can leave them blank or change them anytime.
• Matching preference. Your choice to find shared moments with everyone using Proximity or only with people you have connected with through an accepted invitation.
• Photo location and date. When you import photos, the app reads and sends their GPS coordinates and capture dates to our servers to find matches. With your separate opt-in and Full Photos Access, automatic import checks existing and new photos. iOS controls background timing, and the app also checks when you open it.
• Matched-photo thumbnails. When your photo and another person’s photo were taken at the same place around the same time, a small thumbnail of the matched photo is stored on our servers so the other person can see it. Until you choose to “reveal” a photo, the other person sees only a blurred placeholder and the real thumbnail is withheld.
• Photos taken in Proximity. If you choose to use the camera, the app saves your photo to your Photos library and uploads a copy to Proximity, including its capture date and location when you permit location access. The photo remains available for matching even when no match is found immediately. Other users can see your clear photo only after you choose to reveal it.
• Groups. Group names, group membership, and thumbnails of photos you add to a group.
• Comments. Any comments you post on a match.
• Notifications. A device token used to deliver push notifications.
• Usage and log data. Standard server logs (such as IP address and request timestamps) generated by our hosting provider.

How we use information

• To find and show you moments when you and others were in the same place at the same time.
• To operate groups, comments, and the reveal feature.
• To send notifications you have enabled.
• To secure, maintain, and improve the service.

What we don’t do

• We do not sell your personal information.
• We do not use advertising or third-party ad tracking.
• We do not upload your photo library; images stay on your device except matched-photo thumbnails, photos you take in Proximity, profile photos, and photos you add to groups.

How information is shared

• Service providers. Our hosting provider (Render) stores and processes data on our behalf, and Apple’s Push Notification service delivers notifications.
• Legal. We may disclose information if required by law or to protect the safety of our users.
• We do not otherwise share your personal information.

Your choices and rights

• Automatic import and permissions. Automatic import is off until you choose to turn it on. You can pause it in Profile and change Photos, Camera, and Location permissions in iPhone Settings. Limited Photos Access is supported for manual selection but does not enable automatic import. Pausing or deleting a photo from your device does not remove its existing Proximity import.
• Who can match with you. You can choose “Everyone” or “People I’ve connected with” during signup or from your profile. A restrictive choice always takes precedence, and changing this setting does not remove existing matches.
• Delete your account. In the app, go to your profile and choose “Delete account.” This permanently removes your account and associated data.
• Block and report. You can block another person or report content from a match.
• Remove content. You can remove matches you don’t want and leave groups at any time. Removing a match clears its shared interactions and notifications for both participants; an inaccessible matching record is retained to prevent the same photos from matching again.
• Notifications. You can turn off notifications in your device settings.

Data retention

We keep your information for as long as your account is active. When you delete your account, we delete your associated data, except where we are required to retain it by law.

Security

We use reasonable measures to protect your information, including encrypted connections (HTTPS). No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Children

Proximity 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.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Material changes will be reflected by updating the “Last updated” date above.

Contact

Questions or requests: info@theproximity.app