The short version
yapped helps you find great places, events and things to do. To do that, we need a little of your information. Here's the honest summary:
- You can browse yapped without an account. You only need one to save things, build lists, check in and review.
- We collect what you give us (name, email, phone number, and anything you save or write) and basic information about how the app is used.
- Your exact location stays on your phone. We use it to work out what's near you and never send it to our servers.
- We don't sell your information, show third-party ads, use advertising IDs or track you across other companies' apps and websites.
- You can delete your account in the app at any time.
Who we are
yapped is a local discovery app and website that helps people find venues, events, offers and experiences.
yapped is operated by yapped L.L.C-FZ, a limited liability company licensed by Meydan Free Zone, Dubai (licence no. 2655033.01), whose registered address is Meydan Grandstand, 6th floor, Meydan Road, Nad Al Sheba, Dubai, U.A.E. Throughout this policy, "yapped", "we", "our" and "us" mean yapped L.L.C-FZ.
Questions about this policy? Email us at privacy@getyapped.com.
What we collect
Your account
To create an account you give us:
- your name and a username
- your email address (we send you a one-time code to sign in, or you can set a password)
- your mobile number, if you choose to add one (it's optional)
You can also add a profile photo and your city. Your password, if you set one, is handled by our sign-in provider and is never visible to us.
What you save and share
When you use the features that need an account, we store what you create:
- places, events and articles you save
- your lists and what's in them
- your check-ins (the venue and the time)
- reviews you write (a star rating and, if you like, some words)
- offers you redeem (which offer, when, and at which venue) and any loyalty stamps
- preferences you choose
Your location
If you tap "Near me", yapped asks your phone for your location while you're using the app. We use it on your phone to sort and filter places by distance. We don't send your exact location to our servers and we don't store it. You can say no, or change your mind any time in your device settings, and the rest of the app still works. We never track your location in the background.
Your camera and photos
If you choose to set a profile photo, yapped asks to use your camera or photo library. We only receive the photo you pick.
How you use yapped
We keep light records of what people tap, so we can see what's useful and give venues an idea of interest. This covers things like viewing a listing, tapping Book, Call, Directions, Save or Share, which venue or event it was, the page, whether you're on a phone or computer, and a random ID that stops us counting the same visit twice. These records aren't tied to your account, with one exception: when you're signed in, a tap on "Book now" or "Book on WhatsApp" is recorded against your account so venues and we can see booking interest.
Our hosting providers also see your IP address and device details (such as browser or app type and language) when you use yapped, the same as any website or app. We use basic page-view analytics to understand what's popular.
When you contact us
If you email us, fill in a form, join our newsletter or show interest in becoming a founding member or partner, we collect what you send us: usually your name, email and message, and sometimes a phone number. We use it to reply or send what you asked for.
What we don't collect
- advertising identifiers
- your contacts, calendar, or files
- your exact location on our servers
- what you type into search (we don't store your searches)
- payment card details (yapped doesn't take payments)
- health, financial or other sensitive information
- crash reports through a third-party crash tool (we don't use one)
Reviews are public
When you write a review, it appears publicly on the venue's page with your name, username, profile photo and rating. Only write what you're happy for anyone to read.
You can report any review from the flag next to it, and block its author so you no longer see their reviews. Reports are private, and the author isn't told who made them. We review reports within 24 hours. If you delete your account, your reviews are deleted with it.
Picks for you (AI)
If you've saved some places, yapped can suggest things you might like. This is off until you choose to turn it on, and you can turn it off again whenever you like. When it's on, we send the names and basic details of the places, events and articles you've saved, along with a set of candidates, to an AI service that picks and explains a few. We run this through our platform provider's AI gateway.
We don't send your name, email, phone number or account ID, only the public listing details. Nothing is sent if you haven't saved anything.
How we use your information
We use your information to:
- run yapped and keep your account working
- show your saves, lists, check-ins and reviews
- show places near you and suggest things you might like
- let you redeem offers and tell venues an offer was honoured
- send newsletters or updates you've asked for
- answer your questions and give support
- moderate reviews and keep yapped safe from abuse and fraud
- understand how the app is used and make it better
- meet our legal obligations
We don't sell your personal information. We don't show third-party ads, we don't use advertising IDs, and we don't track you across other companies' apps and websites.
Who else handles your information
We share information only where it's needed to run yapped.
Companies that help us run yapped
They handle information for us and only for that purpose:
- Supabase: our database, sign-in and file storage (hosted in the EU, in Frankfurt)
- Cloudflare and Lovable: hosting, delivery and basic page-view analytics
- An AI provider, through Lovable's AI gateway: ranks the picks described above
Services your phone contacts when you use yapped
Some features load from other companies, which means they can see your IP address and what they're asked to load:
- OpenFreeMap: map tiles (sees the part of the map you're viewing)
- Open-Meteo: the weather (we send the coordinates of the city centre, not your location)
- Google Fonts: the typefaces we use
- Google Calendar: only if you choose "Add to Google Calendar", which opens Google Calendar
- WhatsApp and venues' own booking sites: only if you tap through to them
These companies have their own privacy policies.
Venue partners
If you redeem an offer, we tell the venue that the offer was redeemed so they can honour it. We share only what's needed for that.
The law
We may disclose information if the law requires it, or to protect people, investigate fraud or defend yapped's rights.
Cookies and similar storage
yapped keeps a few small things on your device:
- your sign-in, so you stay signed in (in our mobile apps this is kept in your phone's secure storage: the iOS Keychain or Android Keystore)
- your preferences, such as your chosen city, and filters you set while you browse
- a random ID used to count visits without identifying you
Our hosting provider may also set a security cookie to protect against bots. We don't use advertising cookies. In your browser you can clear or block these, though some features may stop working.
Newsletters and updates
If you subscribe, we may send you editorial picks, events, offers and product news. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in our emails.
How long we keep your information, and deleting your account
You can delete your account whenever you like: in the app, go to the Profile tab and tap "Delete account", or use the form at yapped's delete account page. You can also email privacy@getyapped.com.
When you delete your account, we remove:
- your profile and sign-in details
- your saved places and articles, lists, check-ins, preferences, loyalty progress and notifications
- the reviews you wrote
A few records are kept, but cut loose from you: offer redemptions, booking taps and audit entries (so venues' records stay accurate) have your account ID removed, and the anonymous usage counts described above stay as they are. Copies in our providers' backups clear out on their normal schedule. If we need to keep something to meet a legal obligation, we keep only that.
Accounts that have special roles, such as venue partners, are closed through privacy@getyapped.com.
Keeping your information secure
Everything travels over encrypted connections. Access to the database is locked down so that each member can only reach their own data, and in our mobile apps your sign-in is stored in the phone's secure storage. No online service can promise perfect security, but we take it seriously and keep working on it.
International transfers
Our database is hosted in the EU, and some of the companies we use (for hosting, AI, maps and weather) operate around the world, including outside the UAE. Where personal information is transferred internationally, we take reasonable steps to make sure it's properly protected.
Your rights and choices
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:
- see the personal information we hold about you
- correct anything that's wrong (you can edit your profile in the app)
- delete your information (see above)
- withdraw consent, for example to location, camera or newsletters
- object to certain uses, or ask for a copy of your information
You can turn location, camera and photo access on or off in your device settings, block members and report reviews in the app, and unsubscribe from emails with one tap. To use any of your rights, email privacy@getyapped.com.
Children's privacy
yapped isn't intended for children under 16. Our Kids & Family section is for parents planning activities.
We don't knowingly collect personal information from children under 16. If we find out we have, we'll take reasonable steps to remove it.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as yapped grows. When we make a material change, we'll change the "Last updated" date above and, where appropriate, tell you in the app or by email.
UAE privacy
For users in the United Arab Emirates, yapped aims to handle personal information in line with applicable UAE privacy law, including the UAE Federal Personal Data Protection Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021), where it applies.
Contact us
Questions about this policy or how we handle personal information? Get in touch:
- yapped L.L.C-FZ, Meydan Grandstand, 6th floor, Meydan Road, Nad Al Sheba, Dubai, U.A.E.
- Email: privacy@getyapped.com
- Website: https://getyapped.com