Privacy Policy
Last updated: June 27, 2026
This Privacy Policy describes how we handle your information for the current version of the AroundBee app, which lets you create and share location-based photo and video Trails and Spots, set up a profile, and send direct messages. We will update this policy before introducing features that involve materially different uses of your information.
AroundBee ("AroundBee," "we," "us," or "our") is operated by AROUNDBEE PRIVATE LIMITED, a company incorporated in India, which is the data fiduciary responsible for your personal data. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use and share it, and the choices and rights you have, when you use the AroundBee mobile application (the "App"). By using the App, you agree to this Privacy Policy. Please also read our Terms of Service.
1. Information We Collect
- Account information — we sign you in using your phone number with one-time password (OTP) verification (via Firebase Authentication). We collect your phone number.
- Profile information — the name, username, bio, and profile photo you choose to add.
- Location data — with your permission, we collect precise device location to tag where each Trail stop or Spot was created and to show you relevant nearby Trails and Spots. You can enable or disable location access at any time in your device settings; some features may not work without it.
- Photos and videos — the media you capture or select to add to your Trails or Spots, including the audio recorded as part of a video. We access your camera, microphone, and photo library only when you choose to add media.
- Messages and user content — the direct messages you send to other users, and the descriptions, captions, and other content you create in the App.
- Usage and analytics data — we use PostHog to understand how the App is used so we can improve it. We log specific in-app events — such as opening the App, sign-in steps (for example, an OTP being requested or verified), and creating, publishing, sharing, or recreating a Trail or Spot — along with basic details about those actions. These events are associated with your account identifier. We do not use it to record your screen or session replays.
- Device and log data — technical information such as device model, operating-system version, app version, language, approximate network information, crash reports, and diagnostic data, which help us keep the App secure and working.
- Notification tokens — a push-notification token (via Apple Push Notification service and Firebase Cloud Messaging) so we can deliver notifications you have enabled.
We do not intentionally collect special-category or sensitive personal data through the App, and we ask that you not include such data in Your Content.
2. How We Use Your Information
- To create and secure your account and sign you in;
- To provide, operate, and maintain the App and its features, including Trails, Spots, profiles, and direct messaging;
- To tag and display the location of your Trail stops and Spots and surface nearby Trails and Spots;
- To deliver notifications you have enabled;
- To keep the App safe — including detecting, preventing, and addressing fraud, abuse, security issues, and violations of our Terms of Service, and to action reports and blocks;
- To understand and improve how the App is used and to fix problems; and
- To comply with our legal obligations and to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.
3. Your Consent
We process your personal data on the basis of the consent you give when you create an account and use the App, and, where applicable, to perform our agreement with you, to comply with law, and for other legitimate uses permitted by applicable law. You may withdraw your consent at any time by deleting your account or by contacting us (see "Your Rights" and "Grievance Redressal" below). Withdrawing consent does not affect processing already carried out, and may mean you can no longer use some or all of the App.
4. How We Share Information
We do not sell your personal data. We share information only in these circumstances:
- With other users, when you choose to — for example, your profile and public Trails and Spots are visible to other users, and direct messages are delivered to the people you send them to. If you block a user, you and that user will no longer see each other's content or be able to message each other.
- With service providers (data processors) who process information on our behalf, under contractual confidentiality and security obligations — see the list below.
- For legal and safety reasons — where we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to comply with applicable law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of AroundBee, our users, or the public.
- In a business transfer — in connection with a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganisation, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to this Privacy Policy.
5. Service Providers and Sub-Processors
We rely on the following providers to operate the App. Each processes only the information needed to provide its service:
- Google Firebase — authentication, database, file storage, cloud functions, push messaging, and app integrity;
- Google Maps Platform — maps and location features;
- Apple Push Notification service — delivery of notifications on Apple devices;
- PostHog — product analytics;
- Sentry — crash and error reporting to help us diagnose and fix problems.
6. Data Retention
We retain your personal data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the App. When you delete your account, we delete or anonymise your personal data within a reasonable period, except where we are required or permitted to retain it by law or for the establishment, exercise, or defence of legal claims. Content you shared with other users, and messages already delivered, may remain visible to those users. Backups and logs are deleted on a rolling basis in the ordinary course.
7. Where Your Information Is Stored
Our service providers (including Google and others listed above) may store and process information on servers located outside India. Where information is transferred across borders, we rely on our providers' contractual and technical safeguards and process such transfers in accordance with applicable law.
8. Security
We use reasonable technical and organisational measures, including encryption in transit and access controls, to protect your information. However, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. You are responsible for keeping access to your phone number and device secure.
9. Your Rights and Choices
Subject to applicable law, you have the right to:
- Access a summary of the personal data we hold about you and how we process it;
- Correct or update your profile information directly in the App, or request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data;
- Delete your account and associated personal data — from within the App, or by contacting us;
- Withdraw consent to our processing, as described above;
- Nominate another individual to exercise your rights in the event of your death or incapacity; and
- Control permissions for location, camera, photos, and notifications in your device settings.
To exercise any of these rights, use the in-app controls or contact us at support@aroundbee.com. We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request.
10. Grievance Redressal
If you have any complaint or concern about how we handle your personal data, you may contact our Grievance Officer, who will acknowledge and address your grievance within the timelines required by applicable law:
Grievance Officer
Akshith Raja P
AROUNDBEE PRIVATE LIMITED
Email: support@aroundbee.com
11. Age Requirement
The App is intended for adults and is not directed to anyone under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 18. If you believe someone under 18 has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will delete it.
12. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will post the updated version on this page and revise the "Last updated" date above. Where changes are material, we will provide additional notice through the App. Significant changes, including any new feature that processes your information in a materially different way, will be reflected here before that feature is made available to you.
13. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or your data, contact us at:
AROUNDBEE PRIVATE LIMITED
Email: support@aroundbee.com