Privacy Policy

Last updated: June 23, 2026

CampBuddy is a conversational app that helps you find available campsites in U.S. national parks. This policy explains exactly what we collect, what we don't, who we share it with, and the choices you have. Where we have gaps we're still closing, we say so plainly instead of glossing over them.

1. The short version

You don't create an account. We don't ask for your name. We don't ask for your email to use the app.
We don't track your location, read your contacts, or use advertising trackers.
Your chat messages are sent to Anthropic to generate AI responses, and stored in our database so your conversation can continue where it left off.
We collect anonymous usage statistics that never include the words you type.
If you choose to share your email after a search, we use it for exactly one thing: a single follow-up survey.

2. How we identify your device

We don't use accounts, so to keep your conversation and your monthly usage straight we need a way to recognize your device.

We take your device's built-in vendor identifier and run it through a one-way scramble (a hash) right on your phone. The original identifier never leaves your device — only the scrambled result, which we call your device ID, is sent to us.
We also generate a random session ID for each session.

We can't reverse the device ID back into anything Apple or you would recognize, and we can't use it to identify you personally.

3. Your conversations

When you chat with CampBuddy:

Your messages and the AI's replies are stored in our database (hosted by Supabase, running on Fly.io).
The most recent part of your conversation (about the last 10 back-and-forth turns) is loaded as context so the AI remembers what you were just talking about.
Your messages are sent to Anthropic, the company whose AI generates the responses. This is core to how the app works — without it, there is no chat.

We keep conversation messages for up to 1 year, after which they are deleted. There is not yet an in-app button to delete your data early — you can request deletion by contacting us (see Section 9).

4. Email (only if you offer it)

After a successful search, we may ask if you'd like to share your email to receive a quick follow-up survey. This is entirely optional and the app works fully without it.

If you provide it:

We store your email address in a separate, access-restricted part of our database. Only the survey-sending process can read it — the main app cannot. We also store a one-way hash of your email for internal event logging.
About 7 days later, we send one email through our email provider (Resend) asking whether you ended up booking.
If you reply, we store your answer (booked: yes/no) and any optional comments.

We use your email for this single survey only. We don't send marketing, and we don't sell or share it.

A gap we're being upfront about: we don't yet automatically delete email addresses after the survey is sent. We're committing to a deletion practice (deleting the email shortly after the survey goes out) before public release.

5. Usage analytics

We collect anonymous statistics to understand how the app is performing and where it's failing people. This runs entirely on our servers, not through any tracker on your phone.

What we send to our analytics provider (PostHog): event names (e.g., "search completed"), campground IDs, the number of results shown, AI token counts, response times, cost estimates, your session ID, your device ID, and the app version.

What we never send: the words you type, the AI's replies, any free text, your email, or your search queries. This is enforced by a strict list in our code that only allows the items above through.

6. The 5-turn monthly limit

The free version of CampBuddy allows 5 conversation turns per month. To enforce this, we store a simple counter: your device ID, the month, and a number. That's it.

Note for TestFlight testers: the 5-turn limit is suspended during pre-release Alpha and Beta testing. You can use the app without restriction while it's in TestFlight.

7. What we do NOT collect

No location. You type park names as text; we never read your GPS.
No push notifications.
No contacts, camera, or microphone access.
No advertising or ad-network tracking.
No name, and no email unless you volunteer it.

8. Who processes your data

Provider	What they receive	Why
Anthropic	Your conversation messages (your turns and the AI's)	To generate AI responses
PostHog	Anonymous usage events (no message content, no email)	Product analytics
Resend	Your email address (only if you volunteer it)	To send the one survey
Supabase	All database content	Database hosting
Fly.io	App traffic and server logs	API hosting
Apple / Expo / EAS	The app itself and crash reports	App distribution

Anthropic specifically: Anthropic retains API data for up to 30 days and then deletes it. Your conversations are not used to train Anthropic's AI models.

9. Your choices and how to reach us

AI consent: before you can use the chat, the app asks you to accept that your messages will be sent to an AI service. Your acceptance is stored securely on your device.
Data deletion: there isn't an in-app delete button yet. To request deletion of your conversation data or email, contact us at campbuddyprivacy@kellylewisconsulting.com and we'll remove it.
Skipping the survey: simply don't provide your email.

10. Children

CampBuddy is intended for general audiences and is not directed at children under 13. We don't knowingly collect data from children.

11. Changes to this policy

If we change this policy, we'll update the date at the top. For meaningful changes, we'll make a reasonable effort to let you know in the app.

12. Contact

Questions, or want your data deleted? Email us at campbuddyprivacy@kellylewisconsulting.com.