Privacy policy

Effective November 2, 2026

Instant Relief ("we", "us") helps you find public restrooms. This policy explains what information the Instant Relief app and website collect, how it's used, and the choices you have. In short: we collect as little as we can, and we never sell your email or what you contribute. The app shows a few small banner ads from Google, which you can turn off with a one-time purchase.

What you can do without an account

You can browse the map, search an address, get directions, and save favorites without creating an account. Favorites are stored only on your phone.

Information we collect

Your account. If you sign in to add, rate, confirm, or report restrooms, we store your email address so you can sign in. We use it only to send you sign-in links. It is never shown to other users. Your account gets a random public name, like "Explorer-5a1c7c".

Your contributions. Restrooms you add, ratings, comments, safety tags, confirmations, reports, and the points you earn are stored with your account. Restrooms, ratings, comments, and tags are visible to everyone who uses the app, linked to your random public name or an anonymous ID, never to your email. Who confirmed or reported a restroom is not shown to other users. Door codes are visible only to signed-in users.

Your location. With your permission, the app uses your phone's location to show restrooms near you. To do that, it sends your approximate position to our server, which returns nearby restrooms. When you add, rate, confirm, or report a restroom, the app also sends your position so we can check that you're actually there (within about 150 meters). We do not store your location history, and we don't track your location in the background. The location of a restroom you add is, of course, stored as part of that restroom. You can use the app without location by searching an address instead; you just can't contribute.

Technical information. Like any internet service, our hosting providers may keep standard server logs, such as IP addresses and request times, for a short period to keep the service secure and working.

Small banner ads appear on some screens, like a restroom's details, your favorites, and your profile. They never appear on the map or in GOTTA GO NOW. The ads come from Google AdMob. To show and measure them, and to prevent ad fraud, Google's ad software on your phone collects your device's advertising ID, your IP address and approximate location, what kind of phone you have, and how you interact with the ads. Google may use this to show you ads based on your interests. Instant Relief doesn't receive or store any of it. See how Google uses information from apps that use its services.

You can opt out of interest-based ads and of this sharing at any time: tap Privacy choices on the profile screen in the app (shown where state law requires it), or delete or reset your advertising ID in your phone's settings. You'll still see ads, but they won't be based on your interests.

Purchases

"Remove ads" is a one-time purchase made through Google Play (or the App Store). The store handles payment; we never see your card or payment details. The app only remembers, on your phone, that ads are turned off.

How we use it

To show you nearby restrooms and their details.
To sign you in and keep track of your contributions and points.
To keep the map accurate, for example by checking that confirmations happen in person and limiting spam.
To answer you if you contact us.

We do not sell your email, your contributions, or your location history, and we don't build advertising profiles. The only data used for advertising is what Google's ad software collects directly, described under Ads above, and you can opt out of that.

Services we rely on

Supabase hosts our database and sign-in.
OpenStreetMap provides the map images. Your phone downloads them directly from OpenStreetMap's servers, which see your IP address and the map area you view. Many restroom listings also come from OpenStreetMap.
Your phone's built-in address search (Google on Android, Apple on iPhone) turns addresses you type into map locations.
Google Maps opens when you ask for walking directions. What happens there is covered by Google's privacy policy.
Google AdMob shows the banner ads (see Ads above).
Google Play (and Apple's App Store) handles the "Remove ads" purchase.

How long we keep it

We keep your account and contributions until you delete your account. When you do, we delete your email address, profile, points, ratings, comments, confirmations, and reports. Restrooms you added stay on the map so others can still find them, but they are no longer linked to you.

Your choices

Location: you can turn off location permission at any time in your phone's settings.
Ads: opt out of interest-based ads with Privacy choices in the app or your phone's ad settings, or remove ads entirely with the one-time purchase.
Favorites: remove them in the app, or delete the app to remove them all.
Your account: you can ask us to delete your account and data. See Delete your account.
Access or correction: email us and we'll tell you what we have and fix anything that's wrong.

Children

Instant Relief is not directed to children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child under 13 has created an account, contact us and we'll delete it.

Security

Data is sent over encrypted connections, and our database only allows changes through checks that enforce the rules above. No system is perfectly secure, but we work to protect your information.

Changes

If we change this policy, we'll update the date at the top. If a change is significant, we'll let you know in the app.

Contact

Questions or requests: support@instantrelief.app