Privacy Policy

Last updated: February 28, 2026

Introduction

Dithery Designs ("we," "our," or "us") operates the Dither mobile application (the "App"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our App.

By using Dither, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

What is Dither?

Dither is a social decision-making app that helps groups choose what to eat together. The app offers two modes:

  • Dine In: Swipe through recipes, save favorites, and create Gatherings where friends match on meals together.
  • Dine Out: Discover nearby restaurants using location-based search and match on dining destinations with your group.

Information We Collect

Account Information

Dither offers both registered accounts and anonymous guest access:

  • Email accounts: When you create an account with email, we collect your email address for authentication and account recovery, plus an optional display name shown to other users.
  • Anonymous accounts: You can use Dither without an email by creating an anonymous account. Anonymous accounts are linked to your device and allow you to use all social features without providing personal information.

Location Information (Dine Out Mode)

When you use the Dine Out mode, we collect and process your device location to:

  • Find restaurants near you using the Google Places API
  • Define the search radius for your session
  • Show you relevant dining options in your area

Location data is only collected when you use Dine Out mode and only with your explicit permission. We do not track your location in the background or when using Dine In mode. Location data is used in real-time for search queries and is not permanently stored on our servers.

Recipe & Restaurant Preferences

We collect information about how you interact with content:

  • Saved items: Recipes and restaurants you save to your favorites.
  • Swipe history: Your swipe decisions (right to like, left to pass) used to enable session matching.
  • Shopping lists: Ingredients you add to shopping lists from matched recipes.
  • Reviews & ratings: Recipe reviews and ratings you submit.

Session & Gathering Data

When you participate in Sessions (Dine Out) or Gatherings (Dine In), we collect:

  • Session names and settings (filters, preferences)
  • Participant information (who joins your session)
  • Swipe data within sessions to determine matches across all participants
  • Chat messages sent within sessions (text messages and system events)
  • QR codes and join links generated for inviting participants

Reports & Feedback

If you report content or submit feedback, we store:

  • Recipe reports (bad directions, missing ingredients, offensive content)
  • Your user ID with reports to prevent duplicate submissions
  • Support messages and contact form submissions

Automatically Collected Information

For error tracking and app improvement, we automatically collect:

  • Device information: Device brand, model, operating system, and OS version.
  • App version: The version of Dither you're using.
  • Error logs: When errors occur, we log diagnostic information to help us fix bugs and improve the app.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

  • Provide, maintain, and improve the App
  • Enable session matching and social features across both modes
  • Find and display nearby restaurants in Dine Out mode using your location
  • Sync your saved items and preferences across devices (for logged-in users)
  • Generate shopping lists from matched recipes in Dine In mode
  • Send important updates about the App or your account
  • Diagnose and fix technical issues
  • Respond to your support requests and content reports
  • Send push notifications for matches, chat messages, and session updates (with your permission)

Data Storage & Security

Your data is stored securely using Supabase, a trusted database platform. We implement appropriate security measures including:

  • Encrypted connections (HTTPS/TLS) for all data transmission
  • Row-level security policies to ensure you can only access your own data
  • Secure authentication via Supabase Auth for both email and anonymous accounts
  • Encrypted storage for sensitive data like authentication tokens

However, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

Information Sharing

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information in the following limited circumstances:

  • With Other Users: Your display name (or "Anonymous" for anonymous accounts) is visible to other participants in sessions you join. Chat messages you send are visible to all session participants. Swipe data is used to detect matches but individual swipe decisions are not shown to other users.
  • Service Providers: We use third-party services that process data on our behalf under strict confidentiality:
    • Supabase: Database hosting, authentication, and real-time features
    • Google Places API: Restaurant data and location services for Dine Out mode
    • TheMealDB: Recipe data for Dine In mode
  • Legal Requirements: When required by law or to protect our rights, we may disclose information to comply with legal obligations.

Third-Party Services

Dither uses the following third-party services:

  • Supabase: For authentication, database storage, real-time chat, and cloud storage.
  • Google Places API: For restaurant search, location services, and venue details in Dine Out mode. Google may collect data according to their own privacy policy when you use location services. We do not share your personal information with Google beyond what is necessary for location-based search.
  • TheMealDB: Recipe data is sourced from TheMealDB, a free recipe API. We do not share your personal data with TheMealDB.
  • Expo Notifications: For push notifications about matches and chat messages. Notification permissions are requested separately and can be disabled at any time.

Your Rights & Choices

You have the right to:

  • Access your data: View your saved items, sessions, shopping lists, and account information within the app.
  • Delete your account: You can delete your account from the app settings. This will permanently remove your account and associated data from our servers. Note: Messages sent in shared sessions may remain visible to other participants even after account deletion.
  • Control location access: You can revoke location permissions at any time through your device settings. This will disable Dine Out mode but will not affect Dine In functionality.
  • Manage notifications: Disable push notifications through your device settings or the app's notification preferences.
  • Use anonymous accounts: Use the app without providing an email address while still accessing all social features.
  • Leave sessions: You can leave any session or gathering at any time.

Data Retention

We retain your data for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account, we will delete your personal data within 30 days, except where we are required to retain it for legal purposes.

Data retention specifics:

  • Sessions & Gatherings: Active for 24 hours, then archived. Inactive sessions are automatically deleted after 30 days.
  • Chat messages: Retained while the session is active and for 30 days after session closure.
  • Saved recipes/restaurants: Retained until you remove them or delete your account.
  • Shopping lists: Retained until you delete them or delete your account.
  • Error logs: Retained for up to 90 days for debugging purposes.

Children's Privacy

Dither is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately.

International Users

Dither is operated from the United States. If you are accessing the app from outside the United States, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States where our servers are located. By using Dither, you consent to this transfer.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new Privacy Policy in the app and updating the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Continued use of the app after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us through our contact form.