Last updated: August 28, 2026
This privacy policy explains how NearByMe collects, uses, and shares information when you use the NearByMe iOS app, hereinafter referred to as "The App".
1. Who we are
The App is an arrival-first location sharing app for trusted circles (family and friends you invite). We help you share arrivals, ETA, safe-zone alerts, meetups, and safety signals with people you choose.
The App does not operate a custom account server. Sync uses Apple iCloud (CloudKit) and optional nearby Multipeer Connectivity on the same local network.
2. Information we process
2.1 Information you provide
Display name and circle name (set during onboarding or in profile
Invite codes you create or enter to join a circle
Optional check-in / SOS notes you send to your circle
Places you create (name and location for home, school, and other safe zones)
Meetup plans you create with circle members
2.2 Location and motion
With your permission, The App uses:
Precise location (when in use and, if you allow, always / background) for:
live map sharing with your circle
ETA and travel context
safe-zone enter/exit alerts
Heading to Place
Arrive-only / share-window modes
SOS and check-in context
your private on-device arrival journal and trip insights
Motion / accelerometer data (optional) to help estimate travel mode, improve ETA, and power a coarse hard-stop heuristic
Background location is used only when you grant Always authorization and sharing modes that need it (for example Arrive-only or safe-zone monitoring while the app is not open). You can change this anytime in iOS Settings.
2.3 Device and sync data
Battery level — shared with your circle when location sharing is active (for low-battery awareness)
Random sync user id — stored in the Keychain so CloudKit / Multipeer can bond your device to circle members
Local network / Bonjour — used so nearby members on the same Wi‑Fi can share live location without a custom server
Alerts, places, history, trip insights, safety settings — stored primarily on device (e.g. UserDefaults)
2.4 Advertising-related information processed via Google Admob
The App integrates Google Admob SDK to serve in-app advertisements. To deliver personalized and non-personalized ads, optimize ad performance, and verify ad interactions, we and our ad partner Google may process the following information automatically:
- Device information: Device model, operating system version, device identifiers (including Apple’s Advertising Identifier (IDFA), subject to your system tracking permissions), device language, and time zone.
- Advertising data: In-app ad interaction records (including ad impressions, clicks, and views), ad display frequency, and user interaction behaviors with advertised content.
- Anonymous analytics data related to ad delivery: Aggregated, non-identifiable data for ad performance statistics, monetization optimization, and fraud prevention.
No precise location data, personal circle data, SOS/check-in data, or user profile core data will be shared with Google Admob for advertising purposes.
2.5 What we do not collect
The App does not request or collect:
Phone numbers or contact address books for discovery
Email/password accounts, Sign in with Apple / Google (beyond your Apple ID for iCloud)
Camera, microphone, or photo library access
Analytics or crash SDKs in the current build (no third-party analytics partners other than Google Admob for advertising-related statistics)
3. How we use information
We use the information above to:
Show maps, member locations, ETA, and meetup midpoints
Deliver arrival, safe-zone, heading, check-in, SOS, battery, and related alerts
Sync your profile and bonds with invited circle members
Provide on-device history, trip insights, and Quiet Hours / sharing controls
Improve reliability of arrival-first sharing within your circle
Serve and display in-app advertisements via Google Admob, optimize ad delivery effectiveness, prevent invalid ad traffic and fraud, and generate non-intrusive monetization to support app operation and iteration
We do not sell your personal information for commercial purposes unrelated to in-app advertising. We will not use your precise location, personal circle data, safety data for advertising targeting.
4. How sharing works
4.1 Your circle (people you invite)
Live location and related profile fields are shared only with people connected via invite codes (consent-first). There is no phone-number lookup or contact-graph discovery.
When sharing is active, circle members may see data such as: display name, location, battery level, travel mode, sharing mode, heading destination, and check-in / SOS notes.
4.2 Apple
If you are signed into iCloud, The App uses Apple CloudKit (including the public database for The App person/bond records tied to invite codes) to sync with circle members. Apple’s handling of iCloud data is governed by Apple’s privacy policy and your Apple ID settings.
4.3 Nearby devices
Optional Multipeer Connectivity may share the same types of live profile/location data with nearby The App users on the local network who are already bonded via invite codes.
4.4 Google Admob data sharing
To implement advertising services, The App will share the advertising-related data specified in Section 2.4 with Google LLC. All data shared with Google is processed in accordance with Google’s Privacy Policy and applicable advertising compliance regulations. Google may use the data for ad serving, audience matching, ad performance analysis, and anti-fraud verification.
We do not share your sensitive personal data (location data, circle information, safety records, user profile data) with Google Admob under any circumstances.
5. Your controls
You can:
Pause location sharing, use Share windows, Arrive-only, Quiet Hours, and Heading to Place
Leave a circle / stop sharing with someone you invited
Reset local places or arrival history from Me
Revoke Location, Motion, or Local Network permission in iOS Settings
Turn off notifications in iOS Settings
Disable app tracking permission in iOS App Tracking Transparency settings to limit IDFA access and stop personalized Google Admob ads (non-personalized ads may still be displayed)
Delete the app to remove on-device data (CloudKit records may remain associated with your Apple ID until cleared via Apple/iCloud mechanisms)
6. Data retention
On-device data remains until you reset it or delete the app
Synced CloudKit / Multipeer data remains available to bonded circle members while sharing relationships exist and iCloud sync is available
Google Admob-related advertising data is retained by Google in accordance with Google’s official data retention rules and applicable laws. We do not operate a separate The App analytics warehouse.
7. Children
The App is intended for users aged 18 years and older. We do not collect personal information from minors under 18, nor will we deliver targeted advertisements to minors. You may only use the App with full legal capacity and consent. If you become aware that a minor under 18 has submitted personal information or used the App improperly, please contact us, and we will assist you in terminating relevant sharing permissions and clearing related local data.
8. Safety disclaimer (privacy-related)
SOS, hard-stop prompts, and alerts are convenience features. Hard-stop uses a coarse accelerometer heuristic and is not insurance-grade crash detection. The App is not a substitute for emergency services.
9. International users / Apple platforms
Processing happens on your device and through Apple’s CloudKit / system services and Google Admob advertising services in regions where Apple and Google operate. By using The App you understand that sync and ad data processing may involve infrastructure outside your country, subject to Apple and Google’s respective terms and privacy policies.
10. Changes
We may update this Policy as The App evolves, including updates to reflect advertising service adjustments. The “Last updated” date at the top will change. Continued use after an update means you accept the revised Policy.
11. Contact
Questions about privacy:[email protected]