papaful.

Privacy Policy

Effective August 2026

Papaful helps fathers meet other fathers nearby. This policy explains exactly what we collect, why, and what we will never do with it. It is written to be read, not to be survived.

Papaful is an adults-only platform. Every account holder must be 18 or older.

The short version

• We do not sell your data, and we never have.
• We do not show ads, and we do not share anything with advertisers or data brokers.
• We do not track you across other apps or websites.
• We do not run analytics or advertising SDKs in the app.
• Your exact location is never shown to another member.
• You can delete your account, and everything in it, from inside the app.

What we collect

Your account. Your name, and your email address or mobile number, depending on how you sign up. If you add a phone number we use it to sign you in and, if you opt in, to text you about hangs nearby.

Your profile. Your photo, a short bio, your neighborhood and ZIP code, how far you are willing to travel, your children's ages and whether you are expecting, your interests, what you are looking for on Papaful, and your answers to the optional prompts. You choose all of this, and you can change or remove any of it at any time.

Your location. If you allow it, we use your device's location to show you dads and hangs nearby and to power temporary location sharing in a chat. If you decline, Papaful still works; we fall back to the ZIP code you entered when you signed up.

What you post and send. Your posts, comments, group messages, direct messages, photos you send in chats, events you host, and your RSVPs.

Verification photos. If you ask for a verified badge, we ask for a selfie and compare it against your profile photo. The selfie is stored privately, is never shown to other members, and is used only to decide whether to grant the badge.

Device information for notifications. A push notification token, so we can tell your phone when you get a message or an invite. It identifies your device to Apple or Google, not you personally.

Why we collect it

All of it is for running Papaful:

• Matching you with dads whose lives actually look like yours
• Showing you groups, hangs, and people near where you are
• Delivering your messages and notifications
• Verifying that members are real people
• Keeping the community safe: reviewing reports, removing content, and enforcing our rules

We do not use any of it for advertising, profiling for advertisers, or sale to anyone.

How location actually works

This is the part people worry about most, so here it is plainly.

Other members never see your address or your exact coordinates. They see a rough distance, and on the map a soft circle around your general area rather than a pin on you. You control whether you appear in Discover at all, and whether your distance is shown, in Settings.

Temporary location sharing in a chat is opt-in, per chat, and time-limited. You pick how long, only that chat can see it, it expires by itself, and you can stop it early at any moment.

Who we share it with

We do not sell or rent your information. We share it only with the services that make the app run, and only with what they need:

• Supabase; hosts our database, file storage, and sign-in. Your account and content live here.
• Amazon Web Services (Rekognition); compares your verification selfie against your profile photo. Used only at the moment you request verification.
• Sendblue; delivers text messages, including your sign-in code, if you use your phone number.
• Apple and Google; deliver push notifications to your device.
• Resend; delivers email such as your sign-in code and account notices.

We may also disclose information if the law requires it, or where it is necessary to protect someone from harm; see our Child Safety Standards.

What other members can see

Your name, photo, bio, neighborhood, children's ages, interests, badges, and prompt answers are visible to other members, subject to your privacy settings. Your email address, your phone number, your exact location, and your verification selfie are never shown to other members.

Text messages

If you give us your number, we text you sign-in codes, and, only if you opt in, occasional notes about hangs near you. We send no more than six texts a day, never before 8am or after 9pm in your local evening, and you can reply STOP to any message to turn all of them off immediately. Message and data rates may apply.

How long we keep it

We keep your information for as long as your account exists. When you delete your account, we delete your profile, photos, messages, posts, events, and connections. Some records may be retained where the law requires it, or where they are needed for a safety investigation already underway.

Your choices

• Delete your account. Settings, then Account, then Delete account. It is permanent and it takes effect on every device.
• Correct or remove anything. Edit your profile at any time.
• Turn off location. In your device's Settings; Papaful keeps working with just your ZIP code.
• Turn off texts. In Settings under Text messages, or reply STOP to any text.
• Turn off notifications. In Settings, per type.
• Hide yourself. Set who can find you to connections only, and turn off showing your distance.

Depending on where you live, you may also have the right to request a copy of your information, ask us to correct or delete it, or object to how we use it. Email us and we will help.

Security

Your data is encrypted in transit. Access to the database is restricted at the row level, so members can only read what they are entitled to. Verification selfies and chat photos are kept in private storage and are reachable only through short-lived links issued to people already in that conversation.

No system is perfect. If we ever discover a breach affecting you, we will tell you.

Children

Papaful is for adults. It is not directed to children, and we do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 18. If we learn that an account belongs to a minor, we remove it.

Changes

If we change this policy in a way that matters, we will update the date above and let you know in the app before the change takes effect.