Privacy Policy
Roommatez City (“Roommatez”, “we”) is an iPhone app that helps people moving to a new city find a roommate or a room. This policy explains what we collect, why, who helps us run the service, and how you can delete everything.
The short version: we collect what you put in your profile and what you send in the app, so other people can find you and talk to you. We don’t show ads, we don’t track you across other apps or websites, and we don’t sell your data.
What we collect
| Data | Why |
|---|---|
| Phone number | To sign you in with a one-time code and keep one account per person. |
| Username | Your unique handle in the app. |
| Profile details: first name, age, gender, pronouns, city, neighborhoods, budget or rent, move-in date, living habits, dealbreakers, preferred roommate gender and age, bio, interests, music | Shown to other users so they can decide whether you’d be a good roommate, and used to filter and order the feed. |
| Photos: profile photos and listing photos of your place | Shown on your profile. |
| Instagram handle (optional) | Kept private and only shown to someone once you’ve both sent each other a message. |
| Messages, reactions and typing status | To deliver your conversations. Typing status is temporary. |
| Saves, blocks and reports | To power your Saved list, hide people you’ve blocked, and review reports of abuse. |
| Push notification token | To notify you about new messages. |
| When you accepted the Terms, and which version | A record of your agreement. |
| Basic usage counters (for example, how many profiles you’ve viewed this week) | To run the app’s features and limits. |
We don’t collect your location from your device, your contacts, or advertising identifiers.
Who can see your data
- Other signed-in users can see your profile: your name, age, photos, habits and the other profile details above. They can’t see your phone number.
- The person you’re messaging sees your messages and reactions. Your Instagram handle is only revealed once you’ve both sent each other a message.
- People you block can no longer message you, and you won’t appear to each other.
- We may review reported profiles and messages to keep the app safe.
Website waitlist
If you join the waitlist on this website, we store your email address, the time you joined and, if you choose to share one, your roommate story. We use your email only to tell you about Roommatez City, and you can ask us to remove it at any time. If you tick “OK to share my story anonymously”, we may share your story publicly, never with your name or email attached. If you don’t, it stays private. Waitlist entries are stored in Google Firebase and nobody else can read them. To keep bots out, the form uses Google reCAPTCHA, which looks at how the page is used (for example mouse movement and timing); that information goes to Google under its own privacy policy.
Website visit counts
This website counts page views and roughly how many people visit each day, so we know whether anyone is finding it. It uses no cookies and no third-party analytics. To count a visitor once per day, we combine your IP address and browser type into a one-way code that changes every day; the IP address itself is never stored. We also note which page you viewed and which site linked you here. If your browser sends a Do Not Track or Global Privacy Control signal, nothing is counted.
Services that process data for us
- Google Firebase (Authentication, Cloud Firestore, Cloud Storage, Cloud Functions, Cloud Messaging, App Check) stores your account, profile, photos and messages, sends sign-in codes and delivers notifications. Data is stored on Google Cloud servers in the United States.
- Apple delivers push notifications and verifies that requests come from the genuine app (App Attest).
These providers process data on our behalf and under their own security and privacy commitments. We don’t share your data with anyone else, except if required by law.
No ads, no tracking, no selling
Roommatez has no advertising, no third-party analytics, and doesn’t track you across apps or websites. We don’t sell or rent your personal information.
Deleting your account
You can delete your account at any time in the app: Profile → Settings → Delete account. This permanently removes:
- your profile, photos, Instagram handle and username;
- the messages you sent;
- your saves, and you from other people’s Saved lists;
- your account and phone sign-in.
Messages other people sent to you stay in their copy of the conversation. Backups held by our providers are overwritten on their normal schedule. If you can’t access the app, email us and we’ll delete your account for you.
How long we keep data
We keep your data while your account exists. Reports may be kept for a reasonable period after an account is deleted where needed to prevent abuse.
Age
Roommatez is for adults 18 and over. We don’t knowingly collect data from anyone younger. If you believe a minor is using the app, please tell us and we’ll remove the account.
Your choices and rights
You can view and edit your profile in the app at any time. Depending on where you live, you may have the right to access, correct, delete or export your data, or to object to how it’s used. Email us and we’ll respond within 30 days.
Security
Data is encrypted in transit and at rest by our providers. Access rules limit what each user can read and write, and private details like your Instagram handle are stored separately from your public profile. No system is perfectly secure, so please don’t put sensitive information in your bio or messages.
Do Not Track and California
We don’t track you across other sites or apps. On this website, a Do Not Track or Global Privacy Control signal turns off the visit counts described above. If you live in California, you can ask what personal information we hold about you and ask us to delete it, using the contact below; we don’t sell or share personal information for advertising.
Changes
If we change this policy in a meaningful way, we’ll update the date above and let you know in the app.
Contact
Roommatez is currently operated by Adhiraj Chadha, an individual based in San Francisco, California. Questions or requests: roommatez.app@gmail.com