Privacy policy
Last updated: 26/10/2026
Note for Rick (delete before publishing): this policy is written in plain English for Snoot as it is built today. It is not legal advice. Everything marked ⚠️ should be checked with a professional (a solicitor or data-protection adviser), and the dashed yellow placeholders must be filled in.
Who we are
Snoot is a social app for dog owners. The data controller responsible for your information is Ricky Bhambra, ⚠️ [POSTAL ADDRESS], United Kingdom. Contact: hello@snootapp.co.uk.
⚠️ Check with a professional: who the controller is (you as a sole trader, or a company), and whether you must pay the ICO data protection fee and register (most UK organisations processing personal data must). Registration number: [ICO REGISTRATION NUMBER, if any].
Snoot is for adults
You must be 18 or older to use Snoot. We don't knowingly collect information about anyone under 18. If you think a child is using Snoot, tell us and we'll delete the account.
What we store
- Your account: your email address and a securely scrambled (hashed) password. Your email is never shown to other users, except to the people who co-own a dog with you, on that dog's Owners screen.
- Dog profiles: name, @handle, photo, breed, birth month and year, sex, size, neutered status, bio, area you type in, energy level and personality traits. Profiles are visible to anyone logged in to Snoot, except dogs you've blocked.
- Posts and walks: photos, videos, captions, walk time, distance and the place name you add. Only your dog's friends can see them.
- Walk routes: when you track a walk with GPS, we store the route with the first and last 200 metres removed, so your home isn't shown. Only your dog's friends can see it. Location is used only while you're tracking a walk with the app open, never in the background.
- Rough location for playdates and communities: when you post a playdate request or browse nearby, your location is rounded on your phone to an area of about 1 km before it's sent, and only that rounded area is ever stored with a playdate request. Browsing nearby uses it only to sort results and doesn't store it.
- Messages: 1-to-1 and group messages between friends, and messages in local communities (visible to everyone who joins that community).
- Activity: friend requests, likes, playdate interest, blocks and notifications. Notifications are deleted automatically after 60 days.
- Reports: if you report something, we store what you reported, the reason and your note, so we can review it.
- Settings on your phone: units, filters and similar preferences stay on your phone and aren't sent to us.
We don't sell your data, show ads, or use tracking or analytics tools.
Why we use it
- To run the app: your account, your dog's profile, sharing with friends, chats, playdates, communities and notifications.
- To keep people safe: blocking, reviewing reports, and removing content or accounts that break our Terms.
- To send account emails: your sign-up code and password-reset codes. We don't send marketing emails.
⚠️ Check with a professional: the lawful bases. Our suggestion: performance of a contract (running the service you signed up for) and legitimate interests (safety and moderation).
Who processes it for us
- Supabase hosts our database, logins and file storage. Region: West EU (London).
- Resend sends our account emails (sign-up and password-reset codes).
- Apple distributes the app (TestFlight / App Store) and may collect crash reports if you choose to share them with developers.
⚠️ Check with a professional: international transfers (for example, if any provider stores or processes data outside the UK), and that you have data processing agreements with Supabase and Resend (both offer standard ones).
How long we keep it
- Your data stays while you have an account. You can delete posts, walks and messages at any time.
- Notifications are deleted after 60 days.
- Deleting your account (Settings → Delete account) permanently deletes your login and the dogs only you own, with everything they posted: photos, videos, walks, messages (including in other people's chats), friendships and playdates. Dogs you co-own stay with their other owners.
- If we ban an account for breaking our Terms, we keep the email address so it can't simply sign up again.
⚠️ Check with a professional: whether our hosting provider's backups keep deleted data for a period, and say how long here.
Your rights
Under UK data protection law you can ask to see, correct, download or delete your data, object to how we use it, or ask us to restrict it. Most of this you can do in the app; for anything else, email hello@snootapp.co.uk. We'll reply within one month. If you're unhappy with how we handle your data, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ico.org.uk).
Changes
If we change this policy in a way that matters, we'll tell you in the app before it applies.