Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy explains how Floaty handles information in the Floaty iOS app, this website, and related services. Floaty is provided under the Floaty name.
In short: Floaty does not sell personal information, does not use it for targeted advertising, and does not currently require a separate Floaty account. Much of the information you enter stays on your device or in Apple iCloud. Some limited operational information is processed by Floaty servers so that features such as weather, notifications, Live Activities, and issue reports can work.
Information we handle
Information stored on your device or in iCloud
The app can store saved sailings, booking references, stateroom and muster information, loyalty program details, notification preferences, onboarding and layout settings, and Smart Return evidence. Some of this information can sync through Apple iCloud when iCloud is enabled for the app. Floaty does not currently maintain a separate Floaty user account for this saved information.
Notification and Live Activity information
If you enable notifications or Live Activities, Floaty servers may receive an installation identifier, app and device information, iOS version, locale, time zone, notification preferences, selected ship and sailing identifiers, sailing dates, and the delivery credentials needed to deliver notifications. These credentials identify an app installation, not a Floaty account.
Weather and itinerary information
To provide weather features, the app may send a port name, port coordinates, time zone, date, and forecast time range to the Floaty weather service. The weather service stores forecast and cache information for operational purposes. This request does not require a Floaty account. Ship, route, port, and itinerary information may also be received from or published through Floaty services.
For days at sea, the app sends the Floaty weather service a few estimated or reported positions along the ship's route for that day, with their times. Floaty's server uses those positions, without any information about you or your device, to request wave and sea forecasts from Open-Meteo and marine forecasts, warnings, and storm information from the U.S. National Weather Service and National Hurricane Center. On the day itself, a reported ship position may come from public ship-tracking (AIS) data rather than from your device. The app keeps the results on your device so they remain available without a connection.
Location information
Smart Return uses device location only when you grant the applicable iOS permission. It uses a port region and an occasional location check to help determine whether a return reminder is still useful and may use Apple location and mapping services to estimate a return route. Floaty does not use location for advertising or cross-app tracking, and Smart Return is not designed as continuous tracking.
Reports and support requests
If you submit an in-app itinerary report, Floaty receives the report description, the optional contact email you provide, ship and sailing details, port-call details, app and device details, and an installation identifier. The report service also processes network information such as an IP address for rate limiting and abuse prevention. The report service stores reports in a private database for support and product maintenance. Reports are not posted publicly.
You may contact us at support@tryfloaty.com. We use support messages and any information you include to respond to you and resolve the request.
Purchases
In-app purchases are processed by Apple through StoreKit and your Apple Account. Floaty receives the transaction or entitlement information needed to provide paid features. Floaty does not receive your full payment card number through the app.
Private analytics and crash reporting
Floaty does not use third-party advertising or analytics tools in the iOS app or on this website. The website may record basic access and error logs for security and operation. We may review aggregate website activity privately to maintain the site. We do not sell or share those measurements, use them for advertising, or build advertising profiles. The app uses Apple's MetricKit to collect crash, hang, and performance reports on your device. Apple delivers these to the app at most once a day, or after a crash, and the app sends them to Floaty's own server. A report contains technical diagnostics such as call stacks and performance measurements, plus the app version and build, the operating system version, and the device model. It does not contain your name, account, installation identifier, location, or itinerary, and it is not linked to you. The app does not send reports while Low Data Mode is on. The report service processes network information such as an IP address only to limit request rates, and does not store it with the report. We keep reports for 30 days and use them only to find and fix problems in Floaty. For beta builds distributed through Apple TestFlight, Apple may also provide crash reports and tester feedback to us through App Store Connect. Floaty does not include a third-party crash-reporting SDK.
How we use information
- Provide and maintain Floaty features.
- Deliver notifications and Live Activities that you enable.
- Provide weather, itinerary, and ship information.
- Respond to support requests and review issue reports.
- Secure the services, prevent abuse, and enforce rate limits.
- Understand reliability and improve the services using limited, non-advertising operational information.
- Meet legal, accounting, and safety obligations.
When information is processed by others
We do not sell, rent, or disclose personal information to advertisers, data brokers, or companies that use it for targeted advertising. Some information must be processed by service providers that help operate Floaty, including:
- Apple services such as iCloud, StoreKit, Push Notifications, Location Services, MapKit, WeatherKit, App Store Connect, and TestFlight.
- Open-Meteo, which receives sea positions and times (never personal information) to provide wave forecasts, and the U.S. National Weather Service and National Hurricane Center, whose public forecasts Floaty's server retrieves.
- Infrastructure providers that support the website and Floaty online services, including DNS, network security, email routing, and hosting as applicable.
- The email provider used to receive and answer support messages.
These providers may process technical information under their own policies. We may also disclose information when required by law, to protect users or the services, or as part of a merger, acquisition, financing, or sale of assets. We do not use these disclosures for advertising.
Retention
Information stored on your device remains there until you delete it, remove the related sailing, delete the app, or otherwise use the available device controls. Information synced through iCloud is subject to Apple’s controls and policies.
Server-side notification records are intended to be kept only while needed for the relevant service. Routine cleanup is configured to remove expired notification and delivery records within about 30 days after they are no longer needed. Logs, backups, and provider records may have different retention periods.
Reports submitted through the in-app report service are stored in a private database and are not automatically deleted when a report is closed. We keep them for support, auditing, and product maintenance unless they are deleted after a valid request or another retention obligation applies.
Your choices and requests
You can control app permissions, notifications, iCloud settings, and local app data through the app and iOS settings. You can stop Smart Return by disabling its location permission or the feature itself. You can stop notifications or Live Activities through the app or iOS settings.
To request access to, correction of, or deletion of information held by Floaty, email support@tryfloaty.com with the request. Include enough information for us to locate the relevant record, but do not send passwords, payment card numbers, or other unnecessary sensitive information. We may need to verify a request before acting on it.
Because much of the app data is stored locally or in iCloud and is not tied to a Floaty account, deleting server records cannot delete copies that remain on your device or in Apple iCloud. Use the app and iOS controls for those copies, and contact Apple for requests concerning Apple’s services.
Children
Floaty is not directed to children under 13. You must be at least 13 years old, or older if the law where you live requires a higher minimum age for this type of service. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided information, contact us at support@tryfloaty.com.
Security and international use
We use reasonable technical and organizational measures for the information we handle. No internet transmission or storage system is completely secure. Floaty services and providers may process information in the United States or other countries, where privacy protections may differ from those in your location.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as Floaty changes. The updated version will be posted at this URL with a new effective date. If a change materially affects how we handle information, we will provide additional notice where required by law.
Contact
Privacy questions and data requests: support@tryfloaty.com