Privacy Policy
Last updated: May 20, 2026
MapPal helps travelers find a buddy for the same trip. This policy explains, in plain language, what we collect, why, who we share it with, and the controls you have. We designed MapPal to ask for as little as possible and to keep sensitive details hidden until you choose to share them.
What we collect
- Account: your email, name, and profile photo, provided by the sign-in provider you choose (Google, Facebook, or Instagram).
- Profile you create: bio, languages, travel style, budget, optional gender, and any additional photos you add.
- Trips you publish: destinations, dates, and intent.
- Activity: join requests, meetings and their confirmations, friendships, waves, destination subscriptions, and memory notes you write.
- Messages: the content of chats you send to matched travelers.
- Location: optional and time-boxed. Live-location sharing inside a chat only runs when you turn it on and stops automatically. The "free tonight" signal shares only your destination city — never your precise position.
- Device: a push-notification token, if you allow notifications.
- Usage analytics via Google Analytics, to understand which features help.
How we use it
- To match you with compatible travelers — same destination, overlapping dates, similar style.
- To run the safety features: verification, reporting, blocking, meetup confirmation.
- To send notifications you asked for — join replies, message replies, trip reminders.
- To improve the product based on aggregate, non-identifying usage patterns.
What we share
Your profile and trip become visible to other MapPal travelers as part of matching. Chat content is shared only with the specific traveler you message, and only after you both agree to connect. We use Google Firebase for hosting and data storage, Google Analytics for usage measurement, and your chosen sign-in provider for authentication. We do not sell your data, and we never post on your behalf.
Your controls
- Edit or remove profile details any time in your settings.
- Delete a trip, which removes it from matching.
- Block travelers — they are hidden from you and not notified.
- Mute notifications granularly without losing safety alerts.
- Request a copy of your data or full account deletion by emailing us.
Data retention
We keep your data while your account is active. When you delete your account, we remove your profile, trips, messages, and activity records. Some records may persist briefly in backups before being purged.
Children
MapPal is not intended for anyone under 18. We do not knowingly collect data from minors.
Contact
Questions, data requests, or account deletion: privacy@mappal.app.