Privacy Policy
Last updated: February 16, 2026
Circl ("we," "us," or "our") operates the Circl mobile application (the "App"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your information when you use our App.
1. Information We Collect
1.1 Account Information
When you create an account, we collect:
- Email address — used for authentication and account recovery
- Phone number — used for contact matching and account identification
- Full name — displayed to other users
- Username — your unique identifier within the App
- Profile picture — optionally uploaded by you
1.2 Device Contacts
With your explicit permission, we access your device's contact list (names, phone numbers, and email addresses) to help you find people you know on Circl. Contact data is synced to our servers and stored securely. You can revoke contact access at any time through your device settings.
1.3 Content You Create
We store content you create within the App, including:
- Questions you ask
- Responses you submit
- Comments and reactions
- Media attachments (images, videos, audio)
- Lists and groups you create or join
1.4 Device Information
We collect your device's push notification token to deliver notifications. We also collect basic device information (platform type: iOS or Android) for service functionality.
2. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
- Provide, maintain, and improve the App
- Authenticate your identity and secure your account
- Match your contacts to existing Circl users
- Deliver questions, responses, and notifications
- Provide message templates you can use to invite friends (see Section 3)
- Store and serve media you upload
- Enforce our Terms of Service
3. Invite Message Templates
Circl provides pre-written message templates that you can use to invite friends who are not yet on the App. When you choose to invite a contact, the App opens your device's native messaging app (e.g., iMessage, SMS) with a pre-filled message containing your name, the question text, and a link to respond.
3.1 How It Works
Circl does not send SMS or text messages on your behalf. Instead, you send the message yourself through your own device's messaging app. You have full control over the message before sending it and can edit or cancel it at any time. Standard message and data rates from your carrier may apply.
3.2 Your Responsibility
Because you send the messages yourself, you are responsible for ensuring that the recipient would welcome the invitation. By using the invite feature, you confirm that you have a prior relationship with the recipient.
4. Third-Party Services
We use the following third-party services to operate the App:
| Service | Purpose | Data Shared |
|---|---|---|
| Supabase | Database, authentication, serverless functions | All account and content data |
| Expo | Push notifications | Device tokens, notification content |
| Cloudinary | Media storage and delivery | Images, videos, and audio you upload |
| OAuth sign-in (optional) | Email, name, profile picture (if you choose Google sign-in) |
These services have their own privacy policies governing their use of your data. We do not sell your personal information to any third party.
5. Data Retention
- Account data — retained until you delete your account
- Questions, responses, and comments — retained until you delete your account or the content creator deletes the question
- Device contacts — retained until you delete your account
- Device tokens — retained while your app is installed and active; deactivated on sign-out
- Notification logs — retained for 24 hours for delivery retry purposes
- Invite records — retained for referral attribution
6. Account Deletion
You can delete your account at any time from within the App. When you delete your account, we permanently delete:
- Your profile information
- All questions you created
- All responses, comments, and reactions you submitted
- Your contact list data
- Your device tokens and notification preferences
- Your friendships, lists, and groups
- Your media attachments
Anonymized invite attribution records may be retained for referral tracking after account deletion.
7. Data Security
We implement row-level security on all database tables, ensuring users can only access data they are authorized to view. All data is transmitted over HTTPS. Authentication tokens are stored securely on your device. However, no method of electronic storage or transmission is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
8. Children's Privacy
Circl is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us at circlproject2026@gmail.com and we will promptly delete it.
9. Your Rights
Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you
- Request correction of inaccurate data
- Request deletion of your data
- Object to or restrict certain processing of your data
- Data portability
To exercise these rights, contact us at circlproject2026@gmail.com.
10. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated policy within the App or on our website. Your continued use of the App after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
11. Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, contact us at: