Privacy Policy

Last updated: March 2026

Global Meditate is designed to be used without accounts and without personal identification. Your presence here is anonymous by design.

Who we are

Global Meditate is an independent meditation app created by Arda ARISOY. Questions about privacy can be directed to aruda.flows@gmail.com.

What we collect

An anonymous device ID generated automatically — no name, email, or account required
Approximate location (with a 1–2km random offset applied — never your exact position)
An optional nickname you choose yourself — displayed to others on the map
Anonymous meditation session data (active/inactive status, last session time)
Preset messages sent between users ("send light" feature) — no free text
Follow relationships between anonymous user IDs
Anonymous app usage statistics (session counts, timing — never linked to identity)
Push notification token (if you grant permission) — used only to deliver in-app notifications

We do not collect names, email addresses, phone numbers, photos, or any personal identifiers.

Location data

Location is used only to place your bubble on the global meditation map
A random 1–2km offset is applied before any data is stored — your exact coordinates are never saved
Location is cached on your device for 1 hour to keep your bubble stable between sessions
You can hide your bubble from the map at any time in My Journal → visible on the map toggle
Location permission can be revoked at any time in your device settings
If you hide your bubble, your approximate location is no longer shared with anyone

Nickname and profile data

Your nickname is entirely optional — you can use the app anonymously without one
Nicknames are automatically screened for inappropriate content before being saved
If you enable map visibility, your nickname and a summary of your 7-day meditation stats are visible to other users on your public profile
Turning off map visibility immediately hides your profile from all other users

Meditation history and stats

Your detailed meditation history is stored locally on your device only — it is never uploaded
A summary (total sessions, total minutes, average duration) is shared publicly only if you have map visibility enabled
Deleting the app permanently removes all local history

Social features

Following: Follow relationships are stored as anonymous ID pairs. Followed users receive a notification but do not see who followed them by default
Send light: Preset messages are stored temporarily in Firebase and automatically deleted after 30 days
Block: Blocked user IDs are stored locally on your device only — not uploaded to any server
Report: Reports are sent to a private Firebase node visible only to the developer for review
No free-text messaging is possible between users — only preset messages

Push notifications

If you grant notification permission, your device push token is stored in Firebase linked to your anonymous ID
Notifications are sent only for: someone following you, or someone sending you light
You can disable notifications at any time in your device settings
Push tokens are never shared with third parties

Data retention

Map bubbles expire automatically after 30 days of inactivity
Inbox messages auto-delete after 30 days
Meditation history is local only — retained until you delete the app
Anonymous usage statistics are retained indefinitely in aggregated form only
Reports are retained until reviewed and resolved by the developer

How we use data

We use data only to:

Display your bubble on the global meditation map
Enable the follow system and send light feature
Deliver push notifications for social interactions
Show real-time and recent participation counts
Improve app stability and performance
Review reported profiles for inappropriate content

We do not sell, share, or monetize any user data. Ever.

Third-party services

Google Firebase — used for real-time database (map data, messages, follow system). Firebase has its own privacy policy at firebase.google.com/support/privacy
Expo Push Notifications — used to deliver notifications. Expo's privacy policy is at expo.dev/privacy
OpenStreetMap — used to render the map tiles. No user data is shared with OpenStreetMap

Your control

Hide your bubble and profile: My Journal → visible on the map toggle
Change or remove your nickname: My Journal → nickname field
Block a user: visit their profile → block user
Delete inbox messages: My Journal → ✉️ inbox → delete
Revoke location permission: device Settings → Global Meditate → Location → Never
Disable notifications: device Settings → Global Meditate → Notifications
Delete all data: delete the app — all local data is permanently removed

Children's privacy

Global Meditate is rated 4+ and is suitable for all ages. We do not knowingly collect any additional data from users under 13. The app contains no advertising and no in-app purchases.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the app evolves. The "last updated" date at the top of this page will always reflect the most recent version. Continued use of the app after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact

Questions or concerns about privacy: aruda.flows@gmail.com

We aim to respond within 48 hours.