1. About this policy
This Privacy Policy explains how WalkieDoggie ("WalkieDoggie", "we", "us", or "our") collects, uses, shares, and protects information when you use the WalkieDoggie mobile application, website, and related services (collectively, the "Service").
By using the Service, you acknowledge the practices described in this policy. Some features are optional and remain disabled until you choose to use or enable them.
2. Information we collect
Account and authentication information
- Email address and account identifier.
- Authentication tokens and identifiers provided by Amazon Cognito and, when selected, Google Sign-In. We do not receive your Google password.
Dog profile information
- Dog name, status, gender, birthday, age, breed, personality traits, favourite food or treats, selected avatar, and profile image.
- Profile images selected from your camera or gallery when you choose to upload them.
Location and walk information
- Precise device location, GPS accuracy, timestamps, route points, walking distance, duration, and route markers during an active walk.
- Background location while an active walk is in progress, including when the screen is off, if you grant the required device permission.
- Explored map areas associated with dogs, walk map snapshots, and the approximate locations of photos, notes, poo, wee, and confirmed dog contacts.
- Temporary active-walk presence used to find nearby opted-in walkers and determine whether dogs have remained close enough to record a contact.
Photos, memories, and creative content
- Walk photos, text notes, memory visibility choices, attached stickers, timestamps, and related walk or dog identifiers.
- Route map images and dog profile media stored for display in the Service.
- Custom home background images stay on your device and are not uploaded by the current background-selection feature.
Social and interaction information
- Friends, acquaintances, QR friend connections, friend requests, likes, favourites, dog contacts, and meeting history.
- Shared memories and, when you enable the setting, recent walk details made available to friends.
Collections, virtual currency, and purchases
- Collected items, rare and event pieces, stickers, marker frames, badges, prize-draw results, and Bone Note balance and transaction history.
- If in-app purchases are enabled, the app store processes your payment details. We may receive transaction identifiers, product details, and purchase status, but not your full payment-card information.
Technical and diagnostic information
- App errors, failed operations, performance events, timestamps, and limited diagnostic details needed to operate and troubleshoot the Service.
- Standard service-request information such as IP address and server logs may be processed by our hosting providers for security and reliability.
3. How we use information
- Authenticate accounts and keep app data synchronized across devices.
- Record walks, calculate statistics, reveal dog maps, and award items and badges.
- Provide optional nearby dog discovery and confirm dog contacts.
- Display profiles, friends, acquaintances, memories, likes, and shared walks.
- Store and deliver user-requested profile images, walk media, and map snapshots.
- Maintain virtual currency, collections, prize draws, and purchase entitlements.
- Prevent abuse, secure the Service, diagnose failures, and improve reliability.
- Comply with legal obligations and enforce our terms and policies.
4. Location, discovery, and visibility
GPS is required to record a walk. Background GPS is requested only for an active walk and can be controlled through your device settings. Disabling location access prevents walk tracking.
Nearby discovery is controlled at the start of a walk. When enabled, the Service processes your current location and may show nearby walkers your dog's name, avatar, selected marker frame, and approximate map position. Discovery presence expires shortly after updates stop.
Home privacy controls are designed to suppress or generalize sensitive location labels. They reduce exposure but should not be treated as a guarantee that another person cannot infer a location from a route, photograph, or repeated activity.
5. When information is shared
We share information only as needed for the following purposes:
- With other users: according to discovery, friendship, memory-sharing, and walk-sharing choices described in the app.
- With service providers: Amazon Web Services for authentication, APIs, databases, media storage, and content delivery; Google for optional sign-in and map services; app stores for purchases; and device or observatory weather services for weather information.
- For legal and safety reasons: when reasonably necessary to comply with law, protect users, investigate abuse, or defend legal rights.
- Business transfers: if the Service is involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, or sale, subject to appropriate confidentiality and notice requirements.
We do not sell personal information and do not share it for cross-context behavioural advertising.
6. Storage and retention
Account and app data is stored using AWS services. Media files are stored separately from database records and delivered through controlled URLs. Data may be processed in AWS regions outside your place of residence.
We retain account content while your account is active or as needed to provide the Service. Temporary discovery records expire automatically. Diagnostic events are generally retained for a limited period. Backups, security logs, fraud-prevention records, and legally required records may remain for longer.
7. Your choices and controls
- Enable or disable nearby discovery for each walk.
- Choose whether a memory is private or shareable.
- Choose whether friends can view recent walk details.
- Manage location, camera, photo-library, and notification permissions in device settings.
- Delete individual memories, walks, dog profiles, friends, and acquaintances through the app where available.
- Request account access, correction, export, or deletion by contacting us.
Removing the app does not by itself delete cloud data. Contact us if you need account-level deletion and that control is not available in your app version. You can also use our account and data deletion request page.
8. Security
We use measures such as authenticated APIs, encrypted network connections, private media storage, controlled download links, and restricted cloud access. No system is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.
9. Children
WalkieDoggie is not directed to children under 13, or a higher minimum age where required by local law. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children without legally valid consent. Contact us if you believe a child has provided information improperly.
10. International users and privacy rights
Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, restrict, object to, or obtain a copy of your personal information, and to withdraw consent. We may need to verify your identity before responding. You may also have the right to complain to your local data protection authority.
11. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as the Service changes. We will update the date above and provide additional notice in the app when a change is material.