We collect as little as we can. This page explains what the website and app record, why, and which third-party services they use.
The website uses Google Analytics and Cloudflare Analytics to count traffic, and the app uses Firebase (Google Analytics). They record only anonymous page views and button clicks, such as which neighborhood was opened or which metric was switched. The addresses you search, your location and anything you type are never sent to analytics.
The Commercial Data enquiry form keeps the email and message you enter, only to reply to you. Reports keep their content, a randomly generated device token and the IP address at the time of sending, only to prevent spam and abuse.
The first time you press “Recommend” on the website, the server sets an anonymous cookie in your browser (HttpOnly, signed, valid for one year). It is used only to remember which neighborhoods you have recommended and to prevent duplicate votes. It is a randomly generated code that is not linked to any identity, and our database stores only its hash. When you recommend, Cloudflare Turnstile checks that you are not a bot; your IP address is passed to Cloudflare for that check. To prevent vote stuffing we rate-limit per hour using a hash of your IP address and the current date; these records expire after about 25 hours and are then cleared, and the IP address itself is never stored. Server logs contain only error codes, never what you send, your cookie or your IP address.
When you post a comment on a neighborhood page, we keep your display name, the comment, and the IP address it was sent from (only to prevent spam and abuse). Your account is stored only as a one-way hash; we don't keep your email. Comments are checked automatically before they appear, and you can edit or delete your comments at any time. When you report or block someone, we keep the reason for the report, and who you blocked, their display name at the time, and when; only you can see your block list, the other person isn't notified, and unblocking marks the record as lifted. If an account is stopped from posting for breaking the posting rules, we keep a record of it (the account hash, a reason category, the time, and the display name at the time). When you delete your account, your comments, display name, the reports you sent, and your block list are deleted. Blocks other people placed on you belong to them, so we keep them but remove your display name. Records of a posting suspension are kept to prevent abuse and handle appeals, with the display name removed, leaving only the one-way hash, the reason category, and the time.
Comments are the author's own opinions and the author is responsible for them; by posting you agree that TidyMap may display them on the site and in the app. Don't include anyone's name, address, phone number or other personal information, don't attack people, don't make demeaning generalizations about groups or areas, and don't accuse specific people or businesses or post ads. Content that breaks these rules will be removed, and accounts that repeatedly break them will no longer be able to post. Use "Report" to flag a comment and we'll review it within 24 hours; you can also block the author so you won't see their comments again. If you don't have an account, you can request removal using the contact details below. Comments never affect any score or ranking.
When you tap "Save", the neighborhood code, the category you chose (Been here / Lived here / Want to go), and the saved time are stored in this browser's site data (IndexedDB); without signing in, this is never sent to our servers and never counted in analytics, and won't persist if you switch devices or clear site data. You can remove items one by one on the saved page, or clear this site's data to delete them all at once. The neighborhood codes in a comparison page's URL are just that comparison's combination, not your whole saved list. Saving and "recommending" are separate things: saving never adds to or changes any recommendation count. The app can also import the areas you've been from your photos: where your photos were taken is matched on your phone and never uploaded, and only the areas you confirm are saved.
When you're not signed in, your saved items (neighborhood code, category, saved time) stay only in this browser's site data and are never sent to a server. When you choose "Continue with Google" or "Continue with Apple", we use Google Firebase to verify your identity (with Apple, you may share only a forwarding email address), and store your saved neighborhood codes, categories, saved times and a version record for syncing in Firebase, so you can see them on other devices too; we don't store your Gmail, Google Drive or contacts, and we never send your saved items, account or email into analytics. Items saved before signing in will only be added to your account with your consent. You can sign out or delete your TidyMap account anytime on the "Account Settings" page: deleting it clears your saved items and sync records in the cloud, leaving only a "deleted" marker with no personal data, used to stop old devices from writing data back — it's permanently erased by us 24 hours or more after we confirm the signed-in account is also deleted. Deleting your TidyMap account does not delete your Google or Apple account, and accounts that use Apple also revoke Sign in with Apple; local copies on other devices that are offline won't be cleared until they reconnect.
In the iOS app you can write a private diary (dates and text) for neighborhoods you've saved. Without signing in it stays on this phone; once you sign in it is stored in your account, readable only by you. We don't analyze, publish or export it. Deleting your account deletes your diary too.
Street photos in grid cards are loaded live through Mapillary's official embed; Mapillary (Meta) handles those requests under its own privacy policy. The “View in Google Street View” button on a grid card is an external link to Google; once you follow it, Google handles the request under its own policy. The site is hosted on Cloudflare.
The app reads your location only while it is in use and only if you allow it, to move the map to where you are. Your location stays on your phone: it is never sent to our servers or to analytics. The app uses Firebase (Google Analytics) to record anonymous screen and button events. It does not use the advertising identifier and does not track you across apps. The first time you recommend a neighborhood, the app uses Apple App Attest to create a key on your device and receives an anonymous token stored in your phone's keychain. It is used only to confirm the recommendation came from the real app and to prevent duplicate votes; it is not linked to your name, email or Apple ID. Reports sent from the app are handled as described under “Things you send us” above.
For data questions or partnerships, email tidymap@gmail.com.