Beach Mate — Privacy Policy
Effective date: 22 May 2026
Last updated: 22 May 2026
App: Beach Mate (iOS)
Contact: info@archifics.com.au
This Privacy Policy explains how Beach Mate (“we”, “our”, or “the app”) handles information when you use our iPhone application. Beach Mate is a beach conditions helper for Australia. We do not operate user accounts in the current version.
1. Summary
We do not sell your personal information.
We do not use advertising or cross-app tracking SDKs in the current app.
Location is used on your device to show nearby beaches and optional arrival alerts.
Skin type (Fitzpatrick scale) and activity profile (Persona) are stored only on your device.
Weather and beach discovery requests may send coordinates to our optional server and to third-party APIs (see Section 4).
All notifications in this version are scheduled locally on your device (not remote push from our servers).
2. Information We Process
2.1 Information you provide
Data
Where stored
Purpose
Activity profile (Swimmer, Surfer, Family, Relaxing)
On your iPhone (UserDefaults)
Personalised beach experience scores
Fitzpatrick skin type (optional, in Settings)
On your iPhone only
UV exposure time estimates and sun-safety UI
Onboarding legal acceptance
On your iPhone
Record that you agreed to in-app terms
Alert preferences (arrival alerts, UV surge)
On your iPhone
Control local notifications
We do not collect your name, email, or phone number through the app unless you contact us separately.
2.2 Information collected automatically
Data
How
Purpose
Precise location
iOS Location Services (with your permission)
Map position, distance to beaches, sorting, optional geofence arrival alerts, UV checks when the app is open
App usage
Not collected by us via analytics SDKs in the current build
—
When you use the map, the app may send latitude, longitude, and beach identifiers to:
Our optional backend (if configured in the app) — to fetch weather/marine conditions and discover beaches from OpenStreetMap data.
Open-Meteo — directly from the app if the backend is unavailable (weather and marine APIs).
OpenStreetMap Overpass — via our backend when you explore new map areas (beach discovery only).
We do not receive a persistent user ID from Apple that we store on our servers.
2.3 Information we do not collect
Shark, crocodile, or marine predator alerts (not offered in the app).
Payment or billing data (the app is not a storefront in this version).
Health records or clinical diagnoses.
Contacts, photos, or microphone data.
3. Location and background access
When In Use
If you allow While Using the App, we use your location to centre the map, show distances, and fetch conditions for beaches near you.
Always (optional)
Always location is requested only if you turn on Beach arrival alerts in Settings. In that case, iOS may wake the app when you enter a circular region around selected beaches (up to the system limit of monitored regions) so we can show a local notification. We do not run continuous GPS tracking in the background (startUpdatingLocation is not used).
You can turn off Always access anytime in Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services → Beach Mate.
4. Third-party services
Provider
Data sent
Purpose
Their policy
Open-Meteo
Coordinates
Weather, UV, marine wave data
OpenStreetMap / Overpass (via our backend)
Bounding box / centre coordinates
Discover beach places
Our backend (Railway-hosted API, if enabled)
Coordinates, beach IDs
Cache and proxy requests to the services above
Contact us for the current host URL
Apple Maps / Google Maps
Only when you tap Navigate
External navigation (opens outside the app)
Apple / Google respective policies
Beach Mate is not affiliated with the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), SunSmart, Surf Life Saving Australia, or SharkSmart. Forecasts are model-based, not official government products.
5. Local notifications
The app may schedule local notifications on your device for:
Sunscreen reapplication reminders (if you start them in the UV panel).
UV surge reminders when you open the app (if enabled, throttled).
Beach arrival alerts when you enter a monitored region (if enabled).
Notification text is generated on your device. We do not send remote push notifications from our servers in the current version.
You can disable notifications in iOS Settings or inside Beach Mate Settings.
6. Data retention and security
Location
Retention
On your iPhone
Preferences and skin type remain until you delete the app or reset preferences
Our backend (if used)
Request logs and in-memory cache (typically ~15 minutes for weather, ~1 hour for beach discovery); we do not maintain user profiles
Third-party APIs
Governed by each provider’s terms
We use HTTPS for network requests. No security method is perfect; use the app as a guide only, not as a safety guarantee.
7. Children
Beach Mate is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided information to us, contact us and we will address it.
8. Your choices and rights
Depending on where you live (including under the Australian Privacy Act and APPs), you may have rights to access, correct, or delete personal information we hold about you.
In practice for this app:
Delete the app to remove on-device preferences.
Revoke location or notification permissions in iOS Settings.
Disable optional backend use by clearing the API URL in a custom build, or contact us about a build that uses direct Open-Meteo only.
To exercise rights or ask questions, email: [REPLACE_WITH_SUPPORT_EMAIL].
9. International users
The app is designed for Australian beaches. If you use it outside Australia, your coordinates may still be sent to the services above, which may process data in other countries.
10. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will change the “Last updated” date at the top. Continued use of the app after changes means you accept the updated policy. For material changes, we may show a notice in the app or App Store release notes.
11. Contact
Beach Mate privacy enquiries
Email: info@archifics.com.au
This document is provided for App Store Connect and public hosting. In-app legal text may summarise the same points; if there is a conflict, this hosted policy applies to data handling described here.