Privacy Policy

Information we collect

We collect only what we need to run the Service:

Account information. Your name, email address, and a securely hashed password, or the basic profile and email from a third-party sign-in you choose (Google, Apple, or Facebook).
Your trusted contacts. The names, phone numbers, and email addresses of the people you choose to be notified if you do not check back. You are responsible for having a basis to share their details with us for this purpose. We also keep each contact's communication choices: a record of the added-as-contact notice we sent, and any opt-out or re-enable choices, keyed to their phone number and email address so we can honor them everywhere they apply.
Check-back activity. The check-back times you set, any context you add, and when you check in, which together decide whether and when your trusted contacts are notified.
Mobile number and SMS consent. If you opt into SMS, your mobile number and a record of your consent, used only for check-in reminders, missed check-in alerts, and service notifications.
Email preferences. For any email address we send to (yours or a trusted contact's), the email groups that address has chosen to receive or stop, so we can honor those choices. See "Email and your email choices" below.
Location information (optional). If you turn on location sharing for a check-back, your device's location, which may include coordinates, accuracy, timestamps, and device battery level and charging status. See "Location sharing" below.
Device and notification data. Push notification tokens, device platform, and app version, needed to send reminders and alerts.
Payment information. If you subscribe, payment is processed by our payment provider; we receive your subscription and billing status and do not store full payment card numbers.
Security data. If you set a check-in PIN, we store only a secure hash of it, never the PIN itself.
Technical and usage data. IP address, device and browser details, and diagnostic logs used to operate and secure the Service.

How we use your information

We use your information to:

run the core service: track your check-backs, remind you when one is due, and, if you do not check in for the window you set, notify the trusted contacts you chose;
let your trusted contacts know they were added, and honor their communication choices;
keep you informed about whether your contacts are reachable (for example, we tell you if a contact has opted out of texts or turned off alert emails, and if they opt back in);
authenticate you and keep your account secure;
send service communications by SMS and push notification (check-in reminders and missed check-in alerts) and by email for account notices;
process payments and manage subscriptions;
prevent abuse, troubleshoot problems, and improve reliability.

We do not sell your personal information, we do not share your mobile information with third parties for their own advertising or marketing, and we do not use the content of your check-back notes or your location data for advertising.

Notifying your trusted contacts

This is the heart of the Service. If your check-back time passes and you have not checked in, we notify the trusted contacts you chose, at the same time, with the context you set, through the channels on file. You choose the contacts, the timing, and the details, and you can change or cancel them at any time before a notification is sent.

So your contacts are never surprised, when you add a trusted contact with a mobile number we send them a one-time text that names you, explains that they were added as a trusted contact so they can be alerted just in case, and tells them how to opt out. Each person who adds a contact triggers one notice of their own, so a contact always knows exactly who could alert them.

Trusted contacts can opt out of a channel at any time (for example, by replying STOP to a text, or using the preference link in our emails), and we honor that opt-out even for a missed check-in. When a contact opts out of a channel, or opts back in, we share that channel status with the user or users who added them, so users always know whether their contacts can actually be reached. We share only the channel status, never anything else about the contact.

How we use SMS

If you opt into SMS, you receive check-in reminders, missed check-in alerts, and service notifications. Message frequency may vary, but will usually be no more than 4 messages per month. Standard message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out and HELP for help. Consent to SMS is optional and is not a condition of purchase or account creation. We will not share your mobile information with third parties for promotional or marketing purposes.

If someone adds you as a trusted contact, the one-time text described in "Notifying your trusted contacts" tells you who added you and how to opt out. Replying STOP applies to your phone number across the whole Service, no matter how many people added you, and texting START to the same number turns messages back on. Your opt-out or re-enable status, and nothing else, is shared with the user or users who added you.

Email and your email choices

We group the email we send into three kinds: alerts and notifications (missed check-in alerts and check-back related notices), product updates (news about the Service), and marketing (promotional email, only if it was asked for).

Every email we send in these groups includes a link to a preference page. From that page, whoever received the email can choose, without an account or sign-in, which groups to receive at that email address, or stop all email from the Service. If you are a trusted contact, we send you alerts and notifications only; you will not get product updates or marketing unless you ask for them yourself.

If a trusted contact turns off alert emails, or stops all email, we honor that choice, even for a missed check-in, and we let the user or users who added them know that email alerts to that contact are disabled, the same way we do for text-message opt-outs.

A small amount of email is strictly transactional or security-related, such as password resets, account-deletion confirmations, billing receipts, and legal notices. We send these when needed regardless of email preferences, and only to the account they concern.

We share information only in these limited ways:

With your chosen trusted contacts, and only when you do not check back according to your settings.
With service providers (sub-processors) who process data on our behalf under contract, and only to provide their service to us: SMS delivery (Telnyx), email delivery (Amazon Web Services SES), push notifications (the Expo push service), payment processing (our payment provider), third-party sign-in (Google, Apple, Facebook, if you use them), cloud hosting and storage (Amazon Web Services), and error monitoring.
With the user or users who added a trusted contact, the contact's channel opt-out or re-enable status only, as described in "Notifying your trusted contacts" and "How we use SMS".
For legal reasons, if required by law or valid legal process, or to protect the rights, safety, and integrity of the Service, our users, and the public.
In a business transfer, such as a merger or acquisition, subject to this Policy.

We do not share your information with third parties for their own advertising, and we will not share mobile information with third parties for promotional or marketing purposes.

Location sharing

Location sharing is optional and off by default. If you turn it on for a check-back, you choose the mode. In "final location only" mode, we record your device's location so that, if you miss your check-in, your trusted contacts can see your last known location. In "continuous" mode, we record your location for the duration of the check-back so that, if you miss your check-in, your trusted contacts can see your route and recent movement.

We ask for your explicit permission in the app before location is collected in the background, and your device also asks for permission. Your trusted contacts see your location only if you miss your check-in, and only through the notification viewer; they never see your location while your check-back is on track. You can stop location sharing for a check-back at any time before notifications are sent. We delete location history by default 30 days after sharing ends, unless you choose to keep it in your settings.

If you choose to sign in with a third-party provider, we receive only the basic profile information and email address needed to create and authenticate your account. We do not post anything to your account and do not access your contacts on that provider. You can disconnect this access from that provider, and you can delete your Check Back Tonight account and data as described below.

How to delete your data

You can delete your account and associated personal data at any time from your account settings, or by emailing [email protected] with the subject "Delete my data". See our data-deletion page for the full process, what is removed, and how long it takes. Deleting your account also stops any future check-back notifications.

Your rights and choices

You can access, correct, export, or delete your information, and close your account. To make a privacy request, contact us at [email protected]. We will not discriminate against you for exercising these rights.

Depending on where you live, you may have additional rights. Residents of California and other states with consumer-privacy laws may have the right to know what personal information we collect and how we use and share it, to request deletion or correction, to opt out of any "sale" or "sharing" of personal information (we do not sell or share it as those terms are defined), and to limit the use of sensitive personal information such as precise location. You may use an authorized agent, and you may appeal a decision by replying to our response.

Data retention

We keep your information for as long as your account is active and as needed to provide the Service, then delete or anonymize it within a reasonable period, except where we must keep limited records to meet legal, accounting, or security obligations. Location history follows the shorter schedule described above. Opt-out and email-preference records are kept even after other data is deleted, because they exist to make sure we do not contact someone who asked us not to.

Security

We protect your information with encryption in transit, hashed passwords and PINs, encrypted storage, and access controls, and we work to detect and respond promptly to incidents. No method of transmission or storage is perfectly secure, but we take reasonable steps to protect your information.

Where your data is processed

We process and store your information in the United States. If we later serve users elsewhere, we will use appropriate safeguards for international transfers.

Younger users

You must be at least 13 to use the Service. If you are between 13 and 17, a parent or legal guardian must agree to our Terms and this Policy and consent to your use, including any SMS and location features you enable. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. We do not collect personal information directly from trusted contacts who are minors; you provide their contact details so we can deliver a notification you set up. If you believe a child under 13 has given us personal information, contact us at [email protected] and we will delete it.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the effective date above and, where appropriate, notify you through the Service or by email.

Contact us

Questions or requests about this Policy or your data? Email [email protected]. The Service is operated by Techno Wizardry, Boulder, Colorado, United States.