Privacy Policy
Last updated 19 August 2026
Critical Smooth is a small social app. This policy explains exactly what it collects, why, and who can see it. If something here is unclear, write to criticalsmooth@gmail.com.
What we collect
- Your email address and name, from Apple or Google when you sign in. There is no password to store because we never handle one.
- A display name, if you set one, which is what your friends see on your posts.
- Your posts — the time you pressed the button, and optionally a location and place name if you chose to attach one.
- A photo, if you choose to add one to a post.
- Comments and likes you leave on posts.
- Your friend connections, and pending friend requests.
- A notification token and your device platform, if you turn on notifications.
If you use Hide My Email
Signing in with Apple lets you hide your real address. If you do, we only ever receive Apple's relay address, and that is all we store. We cannot see your real one.
Location
Location is entirely optional. The app asks for it only when you choose to attach a place to a post, and it is stored only with that post. You can use Critical Smooth without ever granting location access.
When a post has a location, the map image is fetched by our server rather than by your phone. The map provider receives the coordinates but not your identity, and never sees who you are or who is looking.
Photos
Adding a photo to a post is optional, and the app only asks for access to your photo library at the moment you choose to add one.
We strip the metadata. Photos normally carry hidden information including the exact GPS coordinates where they were taken. Every photo is re-encoded on our server when you upload it, which removes all of that — so a photo cannot reveal where you were unless you separately chose to attach a location to the post. Only the picture itself is stored.
Photos are visible to your friends, exactly like the posts they belong to. Deleting the photo, the post, or your account removes it.
Who can see your information
Only the friends you have accepted. Posts, comments, likes and locations are visible to your friends and to nobody else. Strangers cannot find your posts, and the app will not confirm that they exist.
Your email address is never shown to other users — not on posts, not on comments, and not to people who receive your invite link.
What we don't do
- We do not sell your information.
- We do not show advertising.
- We do not track you across other apps or websites.
- There is no analytics or advertising SDK in the app.
Services we rely on
- Apple and Google — sign-in. They confirm who you are; we receive your email and name.
- Expo and Apple Push Notification service — delivering notifications, which contain a friend's name.
- Google Maps — static map images, requested by our server as described above.
- Fly.io — hosting. Data is stored on servers in the European Union.
How long we keep it
Until you delete it. You can delete individual posts and comments at any time.
Deleting your account
Profile → Delete account removes your account, your posts, your photos, your comments, your likes and your friend connections. It also takes you off your friends' lists and removes any cached map images for your posts. If you signed in with Apple, we also tell Apple to revoke the sign-in permission you granted.
This is immediate and cannot be undone. If you would rather ask us to do it, write to criticalsmooth@gmail.com.
Children
Critical Smooth is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect their information.
Changes
If this policy changes in a way that matters, we will update the date at the top of this page.