Privacy Policy
Last updated: 10 November 2026
The short version: we collect what the app needs to work, which is your phone number, your profile, your plans and your messages. We don't sell your data, we don't show ads, and we don't track you. Other people never see your phone number or where you are. You can delete your account at any time.
Who we are
HeyGulf is an app for people living in the Gulf countries to make plans and meet up. "We" and "us" in this policy mean HeyGulf. If you have a question about your data, write to support@heygulf.app.
What we collect
| Phone number | You sign in with a code sent by SMS. We keep your number so you can sign in again and so each person has only one account. Other users never see it. |
|---|---|
| Profile | Your name, age, gender, country and city, home country, the languages you speak, your interests and a short bio. You type these in yourself. |
| Plans | The plans you post (title, description, meeting place, time, group size) and the plans you ask to join. |
| Messages | What you write in a plan's group chat. Only the host and the people accepted into that plan can read it. |
| Ratings and attendance | After a plan, people who took part can rate each other, and we keep a count of plans you showed up to or missed. |
| Blocks and reports | Who you blocked, and any reports you send us, including the details you add. |
| Location | The app uses your phone's location to check that you are in a Gulf country and to show plans near you. We don't save your location on our servers and we don't keep a history of where you have been. |
| Notification token | If you allow notifications, we store a token for your phone so we can send them. |
We don't use advertising or analytics trackers in the app, and we don't collect your contacts, photos or files.
What other people can see
- Your profile (name, age, gender, city, home country, languages, interests, bio and rating) is visible to other signed-in users.
- Your plans are visible to users in the same country. A women-only plan is visible only to women.
- Your phone number and your location are never shown to anyone. A plan shows only the meeting place the host chose.
- If you block someone, you stop seeing each other's plans.
How we use your data
- To run the app: sign you in, show plans, handle join requests and deliver chat messages.
- To keep people safe: enforce the 18+ and women-only rules, limit spam, and review reports.
- To send notifications you have allowed, such as a new join request or message.
We don't sell your data and we don't use it for advertising.
Companies that help us run HeyGulf
We share data with these services only so they can do their job for us:
| Supabase | Stores the database and handles sign-in. Our data is hosted in Mumbai, India. |
|---|---|
| Twilio | Sends the SMS sign-in code to your phone number. |
| Provides the map in the app, and delivers notifications on Android. | |
| Apple | Delivers notifications on iPhone. |
| Expo | Passes notifications from our servers to Google and Apple. |
| Cloudflare | Hosts this website and keeps standard server logs. |
Because of this, your data may be processed outside the country you live in. We may also disclose data if the law requires it.
How long we keep it
We keep your data for as long as you have an account. When you delete your account, your profile, plans, messages and ratings are deleted straight away. Copies in backups can take up to 30 days to clear. If someone reported you, we may keep that report without your profile attached. See how to delete your account.
Your choices
- Edit your profile at any time in the app.
- Turn location or notifications off in your phone's settings. Without location, the app cannot show plans near you.
- Delete your account in the app, or ask us to.
- Ask us for a copy of your data, or ask us to correct it, by writing to support@heygulf.app.
Age
HeyGulf is only for people aged 18 and over. If we learn that someone under 18 has an account, we delete it.
This website
This website doesn't use cookies or analytics.
Changes
If we change this policy, we will update this page and the date at the top. If the change is important, we will also tell you in the app.