Privacy Policy

A. Information you provide directly

• Username, phone number, and password when you create an account
• Profile information: display name, bio, interests, and profile photo
• Photos and videos you upload to your profile or send in chats
• Messages and media you exchange with other users
• Payment details: your M-Pesa phone number when you subscribe (we do not store card numbers)

B. Information collected automatically

• Precise GPS location — collected while the app is in use, sent to our servers every 30 seconds to power the nearby-user discovery feature
• Device type, operating system version, and app version
• IP address and approximate region
• Session timestamps and feature usage patterns

• Show you other users who are physically near you in real time
• Enable chat, media sharing, and social features within the app
• Process subscription payments via M-Pesa STK Push
• Personalise your feed based on interests and proximity
• Send you in-app notifications about new matches, messages, and likes
• Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and violations of our Terms of Service
• Improve the app through anonymised analytics

Location is the core feature of NearMi. We collect your precise GPS coordinates while the app is open and transmit them to our servers to calculate proximity to other users.

You can enable Ghost Mode at any time within the app to stop sharing your location without deleting your account. When Ghost Mode is active, your position is not transmitted and you will not appear in other users' nearby lists.

Location data is retained for a maximum of 24 hours in our systems and is not sold to third-party advertisers.

Photos and videos you upload are stored on our servers and, depending on your visibility setting, may be visible to other NearMi users. You can set any media asset to Private at any time from your profile — private media is only visible to you.

Profile avatars and public posts may be visible to all users. Chat media is only visible to the participants in that conversation.

We do not sell your personal data. We share data only in these cases:

• Other users — your public profile, distance, and public media are visible to nearby users
• Payment processors — M-Pesa (Safaricom) processes subscription payments; we share only the phone number required to initiate the STK Push
• Infrastructure providers — cloud hosting, database, and CDN services that process data on our behalf under strict data processing agreements
• Legal requirements — if required by law, court order, or to protect the safety of our users

We retain your account data for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account, your profile, messages, and media are permanently deleted within 30 days.

Location data is retained for 24 hours. Payment transaction records are retained for 7 years as required by Kenyan financial regulations.

• Access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Correction — update your profile information at any time within the app
• Deletion — delete your account and all associated data from your profile settings
• Location opt-out — enable Ghost Mode or revoke location permission from your device settings
• Media visibility — set individual photos/videos to Private at any time

To exercise any right, contact us at privacy@spotmi.app.

NearMi is intended for users aged 18 and older. We do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 18. If we become aware that a minor has created an account, we will delete it immediately. If you believe a minor is using the app, please contact us at privacy@spotmi.app.

We implement industry-standard security measures including TLS encryption in transit, AES-256 encryption for stored media files, hashed passwords, and JWT-based authentication. No system is 100% secure; we encourage you to use a strong, unique password and to log out when using shared devices.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting a notice in the app or sending an in-app notification at least 7 days before the change takes effect. Continued use of NearMi after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy: