Privacy policy
Effective October 3, 2026
TownCrown is a game about checking in at real places. To make that work we need a few things from you, mostly where you are at the moment you check in. This page explains exactly what we collect, why, and how to delete it.
The short version
- We only use your location while the app is open, and we only save it when you check in or add a place.
- We never track you in the background, show ads, or sell your information.
- Your username, avatar, crowns, and badges are visible to other players. Your exact check-in coordinates are not.
- You can delete your account and its data at any time from Settings in the app.
What we collect
| Information | What it is |
|---|---|
| Apple sign-in | A unique ID that Apple creates for TownCrown. If you choose to share it, your email address, which may be an Apple private relay address. We never see your Apple ID password. |
| Profile | The username, optional display name, emoji avatar, and cosmetic styles you choose. |
| Check-ins | The place, time, your coordinates, and GPS accuracy each time you check in. |
| Places you add | The name, category, address, and location of places you add to the map, and reports you file about places. |
| Game activity | Crowns won and lost, points, streaks, badges, friends, crew, and duels. |
| Notifications | A push token from Apple, if you allow notifications, and your notification settings. |
| Purchases | If you subscribe to Premium: the product, transaction ID, and expiration date that Apple sends us. Apple handles payment; we never see your card. |
| Business claims | If you claim a business listing: the business name and the contact email and phone you give us. |
| Server logs | Your IP address and the requests your app makes, kept briefly for security and troubleshooting. |
We don't collect your contacts, photos, health data, or advertising identifier, and we don't use analytics or advertising SDKs.
Your location
TownCrown asks for location access only while you're using the app. It never asks for or uses your location in the background.
- Browsing the map: the app sends the area you're looking at so we can return nearby places. We don't save it to your account.
- Checking in: we save your coordinates and GPS accuracy with the check-in. We use them to confirm you were actually at the place and to stop cheating, such as spoofed locations or impossible travel between check-ins.
- Adding a place: we check that you're near it, and save the place's location.
You can turn location off at any time in iOS Settings. You'll still be able to browse, but you won't be able to check in.
How we use it
- To run the game: decide who is mayor, keep score, award badges, and run leaderboards, crews, and duels.
- To send the notifications you've turned on, like when someone takes your crown.
- To give you Premium features you've paid for.
- To keep the game fair: detect cheating, review reported places, and suspend accounts that break the rules.
- To answer you when you contact us.
We don't use your information for advertising, and we don't build profiles of you for anyone else.
What other players see
TownCrown is competitive, so some things are public to other players:
- Your username, display name, avatar, and cosmetic styles
- Which places you're mayor of, when you became mayor, and your check-in count at a place for the current week
- Your badges, total check-ins, best streak, crew, and leaderboard rank
- Crown changes involving you, shown in your friends' feeds
- Your name as founder on places you added
Other players never see your coordinates, your full check-in history, or your email.
Who we share it with
We don't sell or rent your information. We share it only with:
- Apple, to sign you in, deliver notifications, and process purchases. Apple Maps provides place information in the app under Apple's own privacy policy.
- Our hosting provider, OVHcloud, which runs the servers that store TownCrown's data on our behalf.
- Authorities, if we're legally required to, or to protect people's safety.
If TownCrown is ever sold or merged, your information would transfer under this policy, and we'd tell you first.
How long we keep it
- Your account and game history: until you delete your account.
- Weekly per-place counts: about 8 weeks, then deleted. Your weekly totals stay with your account for stats.
- Server logs: up to 14 days.
- Backups: overwritten within 30 days.
- Purchase records: kept without your account link as long as needed for tax and accounting.
Deleting your account
In the app, go to Profile → Settings → Delete account. This immediately deletes your profile, check-ins, crowns, badges, friends, and devices, and revokes TownCrown's access to your Apple sign-in. Places you added stay on the map without your name. Backups clear within 30 days.
Deleting the account doesn't cancel a Premium subscription. Cancel that in iOS Settings → your name → Subscriptions.
If you can't access the app, email us and we'll delete your account for you.
Your choices and rights
- Change your profile and notification settings any time in the app.
- Turn off location or notifications in iOS Settings.
- Ask us for a copy of your data, or to correct it, by emailing us.
Depending on where you live, including California and the European Union, you may have additional rights to access, correct, delete, or move your data, or to object to how it's used. We honor these requests for everyone, wherever you live. We'll respond within 30 days.
Children
TownCrown isn't meant for children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect information from them. If you believe a child under 13 has an account, email us and we'll delete it.
Security
All traffic between the app and our servers is encrypted with HTTPS. Sign-in tokens are stored hashed, Apple tokens are encrypted, and access to the servers is restricted. No system is perfectly secure, but we work to protect your information and will tell you promptly if a breach affects you.
Changes to this policy
If we change this policy, we'll update the date at the top. If the change is significant, such as collecting a new kind of information, we'll tell you in the app before it takes effect.
Contact
TownCrown is made by Matthew Serta. Questions or requests: privacy@matthewserta.com