Privacy Policy

Last updated October 3, 2026

Wayfauna is a walking game about real wildlife, made by Dillon Frolek (“we”, “us”). This policy explains what the app collects, why, who else handles it, and how to delete it. The short version: we keep what you choose to record and the totals the game needs, we never keep a trail of where you've walked, and we don't sell, share for advertising, or track you across other apps.

What we collect

Your account

• When you first open Wayfauna it creates an anonymous account — a random identifier with no name, email or password attached.
• If you choose Save with Apple, we receive the identifier Sign in with Apple gives us and, if you allow it, an email address (which may be an Apple private relay address). We use these only to sign you in and to reach you about your account.

Location

Wayfauna uses your device's precise location only while the app is open, to show the wildlife and field stations around you. Your position is sent to our server with those requests, but it is not stored as a history. We store a place only when you do something that records one:

• a catch keeps the coordinates where you made it;
• a sighting keeps an area about 120 metres across, not an exact point, plus a place name if you type one;
• your patch keeps the centre point you set;
• a suggested place keeps the location you suggested;
• a field station visit is kept so the game can limit visits to one a day; earlier days' visits are deleted the next time you visit a station.

Steps

With your permission (iOS “Motion & Fitness”), Wayfauna reads the step count your iPhone already records and sends step totals for each period since your last sync. It never sends a route or location with them. If you don't allow Motion & Fitness, Wayfauna measures your walk from your location while the app is open instead, keeping only your most recent position, and only to measure the next step.

Photos

When you log a sighting you add a photo, from your camera or your library. The photo is re-saved on your device before upload, which removes its embedded metadata (including any GPS location). For a library photo, the app sends the date it was taken, so the game can tell a fresh sighting from an old one. The photo is stored privately and only you can see it. Wayfauna only reads the single photo you pick; it does not browse your library.

Game progress

Your catches, field notes, chrysalises, walking totals and achievements, so your progress is there when you come back.

Places you suggest and reports you make

Suggestions and reports are stored with your account so a moderator can review them and so we can limit abuse. Your name or account is never shown publicly alongside a place you suggested.

What we don't collect

• No advertising identifiers, no ads, and no tracking across other apps or websites.
• No analytics or crash-reporting SDKs.
• No contacts, no microphone, and no access to your photo library beyond the photo you pick.

Who else handles your data

• Supabase hosts our database, sign-in and photo storage, on servers in the United States (AWS, Oregon). They process data only on our behalf.
• Apple, if you use Sign in with Apple.
• OpenFreeMap serves the map. Like any website your device loads images from, it sees your IP address and which map area is being viewed. It receives nothing from your account.

We do not sell your data or share it with anyone else, except where the law requires it.

Keeping and deleting your data

We keep your data while you have an account. You can delete your account at any time in the app: Progress → Account → Delete account. This permanently deletes your account and everything linked to it — catches, sightings, field notes, chrysalises, walking totals and suggestions — straight away. Sighting photos are removed from storage within 24 hours. See deleting your account for details, including how to ask us to do it for you.

Places you suggested that a moderator already approved stay on the map as field stations, with nothing that links them to you.

Your rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to access, correct, export or delete your data, or to object to how we use it. Email us at support@example.com and we'll respond within 30 days.

Children

Wayfauna is not directed at children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has given us personal information, contact us and we'll delete it.

Changes

If we change what Wayfauna collects, we'll update this page and its date before the change ships, and tell you in the app if the change is significant.

Contact

Questions about privacy: support@example.com.