HankRing Privacy Policy

Last updated: March 2026

Introduction

HankRing ("we", "our", or "the app") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application.

Information We Collect

Account Information

When you create an account, we collect:

• Email address — Used for account authentication. A verification email is sent upon account creation.
• Display name — Shown publicly with your reviews and contributions
• Apple ID information — If you sign in with Apple, we receive your name and email (or a relay email if you choose to hide your email)

Location Data

We request access to your device's location to show you nearby food and drink spots on the map. Location data is used only within the app for proximity-based search and is not stored on our servers.

User-Generated Content

When you contribute to HankRing, we collect:

• Spot submissions (business name, address, category, offerings)
• Ratings (flan-based rating scale) and verification votes
• Closure reports (when you report a business as permanently closed)
• Custom categories (user-created food and drink categories)
• Wish list entries (spots you plan to visit, stored with your account)
• Reports of inappropriate content

Beta Feedback

When you submit feedback through the app, we collect your feedback text, selected category, city, device model, iOS version, and app version. This data is tied to your account and used to improve the app.

Voice Search

When you use voice search, your speech is processed on-device using Apple's Speech Recognition framework. Audio data is not stored or transmitted to our servers. Only the recognized text (your search query) is used within the app.

How We Use Your Information

• To provide and maintain the app's functionality
• To display spots, ratings, and verification results to other users
• To moderate content and handle reports
• To authenticate your identity and verify your email
• To understand how features are used and improve the app (analytics)
• To diagnose and fix crashes and errors (crash reporting)

Third-Party Services

HankRing uses the following third-party services to operate:

• Google Firebase (Authentication, Cloud Firestore, Firebase Storage) — stores your account, spot, and review data. Firebase Privacy Policy
• Firebase Crashlytics — collects crash reports to help us fix bugs. Crash data includes device model, OS version, app version, and your account identifier for debugging purposes. No personal content (reviews, feedback text) is included in crash reports. Crashlytics Privacy
• Brave Search API — used to check restaurant websites for menu information when you explore new spots. Only the venue name and website URL are sent; no personal data is transmitted.
• Apple MapKit — provides map tiles and venue search results. Subject to Apple's Privacy Policy.
• Apple Speech Recognition — processes voice search on-device. Subject to Apple's Privacy Policy.

Analytics

We collect anonymous usage data to improve the app, including which spots are viewed, reservation link clicks, and verification votes. This data is aggregated monthly and is not shared with third parties. Analytics are tied to your account for per-session deduplication but are never used for advertising or sold.

Data Storage

Your data is stored securely using Google Firebase services, including Firebase Authentication and Cloud Firestore. Data is hosted in the United States.

Data Sharing

We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer your personal information to third parties. Your ratings, verification votes, and spot submissions are visible to other app users as part of the app's community features. Crash reports are sent to Google Firebase Crashlytics for diagnostic purposes only.

Data Retention

Your account information and contributions are retained as long as your account is active. When you delete your account, all associated data is permanently removed (see Account Deletion below).

Account Deletion

You may delete your account directly from the Profile section of the app. Account deletion permanently removes all of your data from our systems, including:

• Your user profile and display name
• All reviews and ratings you submitted
• All verification votes
• Closure reports you filed
• Wish list (Future Meals) entries
• Beta feedback submissions
• Custom categories you created
• Category pick preferences
• Spots you added to the community
• Your Firebase Authentication account

This action cannot be undone. If your session has expired, you may be asked to sign in again before deletion can proceed.

Children's Privacy

HankRing is not intended for use by children under 13. The app requires users to be at least 21 years old due to alcohol-related content. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access your personal data
• Request correction of inaccurate data
• Delete your account and all associated data directly from the app
• Opt out of location tracking by revoking location permissions in your device settings
• Opt out of voice search by declining microphone and speech recognition permissions

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by updating the "Last updated" date.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at:

Duxhenge Consulting LLC
Email: support@hankring.com