Privacy policy
Last updated 5 September 2026
DogSpots is a map of places in London where you can go with your dog. You can browse without an account, and we've built it to need as little about you as possible.
The short version
- Browsing needs no account. An account is optional, and holds only what you give it: your email address, a name, and your dog's profile if you add one.
- There is no advertising, no tracking, and no analytics software in the app.
- Your location is used on your phone to centre the map. It is never sent to us.
- Photos only leave your phone if you choose one for your dog's profile.
- You can delete your account, and everything in it, from inside the app.
- We don't sell data.
Who we are
DogSpots is the data controller for the information described here. You can reach us at hello@dogspots.app about anything on this page.
What the app collects
Location — stays on your device
If you allow it, DogSpots reads your device location so the map can open where you are and so the "locate me" button works. That position is used on your phone and is not transmitted to us, stored by us, or shared with anyone.
You can refuse the permission and the app still works — the map simply opens on London instead. You can change your mind at any time in iOS Settings.
Your account — optional
You can sign in with your email address. We send a one-time code to that address instead of using a password. If you sign in, we store your email address and, if you give one, the name you'd like to be called. Sign-in emails are delivered by Resend on our behalf.
Your dog's profile — only what you add
If you add a dog to your account, we store what you filled in: their name, their breed if you gave one, their birthday month and year if you gave them, and a photo if you chose one from your photo library. The photo permission is only used when you tap to pick a picture; we never browse your library. Dog photos are stored so the app can show them wherever your dog appears, and you can replace or remove them at any time.
You can remove a dog, or delete your whole account, from the Profile tab. Deleting your account permanently removes your email address, your name, and your dogs' profiles from our database.
Spot submissions — only if you send one
If you add a spot, verify one, or tell us a listing is wrong, we receive what you filled in:
- the venue's name, address and map coordinates
- the dog policy you selected, along with any conditions and amenities
- anything you typed into the free-text fields
- your email address, but only if you chose to give it
These are details about a place, not about you. The email address is optional and we use it only to come back to you about that submission — to check a detail or tell you what happened to it. It is not added to a mailing list.
Search text
When you type in the search box or look up an address, what you type is sent to Mapbox, which returns the matching places. Mapbox handles that text under its own privacy policy.
Ordinary technical information
Like any app that talks to the internet, DogSpots connects to servers that necessarily see your device's IP address and basic request information. This happens when the app loads map data from our database (hosted by Supabase), when it checks for an app update (Expo), and when it draws the map itself (Apple Maps on iPhone). We don't use this to build a profile of you and we don't combine it with anything else.
What the app does not do
- No advertising and no advertising identifiers.
- No analytics or tracking SDKs — there are none in the app at all.
- No tracking you across other apps or websites.
- No selling or renting of personal information.
- No access to your contacts, microphone or camera. Your photo library is touched only when you tap to choose a picture for your dog's profile.
Who we share information with
We use a small number of service providers to run DogSpots. They process information on our behalf and only for that purpose:
- Supabase — hosts our database and sign-in system, which store the venue listings, accounts, dog profiles and any spot submissions.
- Mapbox — turns your search text and addresses into places on the map.
- Resend — delivers our sign-in code emails.
- Expo — distributes app updates.
- Apple — distributes the app and provides the map itself on iPhone.
We may also disclose information where the law requires it.
How long we keep things
Your account, and the dog profiles in it, are kept until you delete them — which you can do yourself in the app, immediately and permanently.
A spot submission is kept for as long as that spot is on the map, because it is the record of where the information came from. If you gave us an email address with a submission, we remove it once the submission has been dealt with and there is no longer a reason to contact you about it.
Your rights
Under UK data protection law you can ask us to give you a copy of any personal information we hold about you, correct it, delete it, or stop using it. The fastest route for most of it is the app itself: your details and your dogs' profiles can be edited or deleted on the Profile tab, and deleting your account removes the lot.
Email hello@dogspots.app and we'll deal with it within one month. If you think we've handled your information badly, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk.
Information about venues
DogSpots lists businesses and public places, along with what we've learned about whether they welcome dogs. That information comes from publicly available sources, from contacting venues directly, and from people using the app.
If you run a venue and want your listing corrected or removed, email hello@dogspots.app and we will sort it out. You don't need to give a reason.
Children
DogSpots is not aimed at children and we don't knowingly collect information from anyone under 13.
Changes to this policy
If we change how any of this works we'll update this page and change the date at the top. If a change is significant we'll say so in the app.
Contact
Questions about privacy, or anything else: hello@dogspots.app.