1. About TideNow
TideNow is a mobile application that helps users browse tide stations and view tide predictions and related marine information.
The app may display tide data obtained from third-party sources. For stations in the United States, tide predictions are sourced from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). For stations outside the United States, tide predictions are sourced from OpenWaters (api.openwaters.io). Tide information is provided for general informational purposes only.
2. Information We Collect
TideNow does not require users to create an account and does not directly collect personal information such as your name, postal address, phone number, or payment information.
Depending on the features you use and the permissions you grant, the app may process the following information:
- Location information: TideNow may request access to your approximate or precise location to show nearby tide stations or center the map around your position. Location access is optional and only used when you grant permission.
- Selected station information: The tide station you select may be saved locally on your device so the app can remember your preference.
- Cached tide data: Tide predictions and related data may be stored temporarily on your device to improve performance and reduce unnecessary network requests.
- Technical information: Third-party services used by the app may automatically process limited technical information such as device type, operating system version, IP address, app version, crash information, or diagnostic data.
- Usage and analytics information: The app records how it is used — for example which screens are opened, which tide stations are viewed, when a station is saved as a favourite, when settings are changed, and whether tide data loaded successfully or fell back to cached data. Each event is linked to a random identifier generated on your device, not to your name or an account.
- Approximate location derived from your IP address: The analytics provider estimates a country, region, and city from the IP address your device connects from. This is separate from the device location permission described above: it is approximate, and it happens even if you never grant location access.
- Station searches: When you search for a tide station, the text you type is recorded, so we can see which coastlines people look for and which searches return no results. Please avoid typing personal information into the search box.
- Advertising identifier: The app may read your device's advertising identifier (Android Advertising ID) and share it with advertising partners to measure advertising performance, as described in the Advertising section below.
3. How We Use Information
The information processed by TideNow may be used to:
- Display nearby tide stations.
- Show tide predictions and charts.
- Remember your selected station.
- Improve app performance and reliability.
- Diagnose crashes, bugs, or technical issues.
- Understand which features and which tide stations are used, and in which regions, so the app can be improved and expanded.
- Measure advertising performance, including whether an installation of the app resulted from a particular advertisement.
- Protect the app and its users from misuse or security threats.
4. Local Storage
TideNow may use local device storage, including technologies such as AsyncStorage, to remember your selected station, preferences, and cached tide information.
This locally stored information normally remains on your device and can be removed by clearing the app's data or uninstalling TideNow.
5. Third-Party Services
TideNow may use third-party services to provide maps, tide data, networking, analytics, diagnostics, or other app functionality. These services may process information under their own privacy policies.
Third-party services may include:
- Google Maps Platform for displaying maps and geographic information.
- NOAA services for tide station and tide prediction data for United States stations.
- OpenWaters (api.openwaters.io) for tide station and tide prediction data for stations outside the United States.
- Google Play services for Android app distribution, security, and platform functionality.
- Google AdMob for displaying in-app advertising.
- PostHog for product analytics and usage measurement.
- Meta Platforms for measuring the results of advertising campaigns that promote the app.
You can review Google's privacy policy at: https://policies.google.com/privacy
You can review NOAA's website policies at: https://www.noaa.gov/disclaimer
6. Analytics
TideNow uses PostHog to understand how the app is used. PostHog receives the usage events described above, along with technical details such as device model, operating system version, app version, language and time zone, and an approximate country, region, and city estimated from your IP address.
These events are associated with a random identifier created on your device. TideNow does not send your name, email address, account details, or your device's GPS coordinates to PostHog. Where a tide station's coordinates appear in an event, those are the fixed, public coordinates of the tide gauge you are viewing — not your own position — and they are rounded before being sent.
Analytics are reported from published versions of the app only; development and test builds do not report. Data is processed by PostHog, Inc. on servers in the United States. You can review PostHog's privacy policy at: https://posthog.com/privacy
7. Advertising
TideNow displays advertising provided by Google AdMob. AdMob and its advertising partners may process device identifiers, approximate or precise location, IP address, app interaction data, and other technical information to deliver, measure, limit, or personalize advertisements, depending on your consent and applicable law.
Where required by applicable law (for example, in the EEA, UK, and Switzerland), TideNow presents a consent message before ads are personalized, allowing you to consent to, manage, or decline the use of your data for advertising purposes. You can review Google's practices related to advertising at: https://policies.google.com/technologies/ads
TideNow also includes the Meta software development kit, used only to measure advertising that promotes the app. If you install TideNow after seeing an advertisement on a Meta service, the kit reports the installation and subsequent app launches to Meta, together with your device's advertising identifier and basic device information, so the advertisement's result can be attributed. The kit is not used for logging in with Facebook, for sharing, or for any social feature, and TideNow does not request access to your Facebook account or profile. You can review Meta's data policy at: https://www.facebook.com/privacy/policy
On Android you can reset or delete your advertising identifier, and opt out of personalised advertising, from your device's settings (usually under Settings › Google › Ads). Deleting the identifier limits the ability of advertising partners to link activity to your device.
8. Data Sharing
TideNow does not sell your personal information for money, and does not share it with anyone except as described in this policy.
Information may be processed or shared with service providers only when necessary to operate the app, provide requested features, comply with legal obligations, prevent fraud, or protect users and the developer.
In practice this means usage and analytics information is shared with PostHog, and your device's advertising identifier together with installation and app-launch events is shared with Google and Meta for advertising delivery and measurement. Depending on where you live, sharing an advertising identifier for advertising measurement may be treated as "sharing" or "selling" personal information under local law. Where that applies, the app provides a "Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information" option in its Settings screen, alongside the advertising controls described above.
9. Data Retention
Information stored locally by TideNow remains on your device until it is deleted, cleared, overwritten, or the app is uninstalled.
Any technical information processed by third-party providers may be retained according to their own privacy policies and legal obligations.
10. Data Security
Reasonable measures are used to help protect information handled by the app. However, no mobile application, internet transmission, or electronic storage method is completely secure.
11. Your Choices and Rights
You may:
- Deny or revoke location permission through your device settings.
- Use the app without location access by selecting stations manually.
- Clear locally stored app data through Android settings.
- Reset or delete your device's advertising identifier, or opt out of personalised advertising, through your Android settings.
- Use the advertising and privacy options offered in the app's Settings screen, where these are available in your region.
- Uninstall the app to remove locally stored TideNow data.
- Contact us with privacy-related questions or requests.
Depending on where you live, you may have additional privacy rights under applicable law.
12. Children's Privacy
TideNow is not specifically directed to children under the age of 13. The app does not knowingly collect personal information directly from children.
If you believe that a child has provided personal information through the app, please contact us so the issue can be reviewed.
13. Marine and Safety Disclaimer
Tide predictions, charts, and station information may contain delays, inaccuracies, or interruptions. TideNow should not be used as the sole source for navigation, boating, emergency planning, rescue operations, or other safety-critical decisions.
Always consult official local authorities, marine forecasts, weather services, and navigation resources before making decisions involving personal safety or property.
14. Changes to This Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy may be updated when TideNow's features, data practices, legal obligations, or third-party services change.
The updated version will be published on this page with a revised “Last updated” date.
15. Contact Us
For questions about this Privacy Policy or TideNow's privacy practices, contact:
Developer: Imad El Cass
Email:
imadelcass@gmail.com