How does Wave find people nearby?

Wave uses Bluetooth to detect other Wave users nearby. Your phone sends out an anonymous signal that automatically changes every 15 minutes, so you're always untraceable. No GPS or location data is used for discovery.

Yes, Wave is free to download and use. All core features like discovering people, waving, matching, and exchanging socials are completely free.

Can someone see my identity before we match?

No. Your name, photo, and social handles are completely hidden until both of you wave at each other. Before a mutual wave, all anyone sees is an anonymous dot on their radar.

What happens after we match?

Once you match, you can see each other's Instagram and Snapchat handles. Tap to open their profile directly and start a conversation.

Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Wave ("we," "our," or "us") operates the Wave mobile application (the "App"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use the App. By using Wave, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Account Information

When you create an account, we collect your email address (via Apple, Google, or Phone sign-in), date of birth, and gender. Date of birth and gender are collected once during signup and cannot be changed. Your date of birth is used solely to verify you are at least 18 years old.

2.2 Social Media Handles

You voluntarily provide your Instagram username and/or Snapchat username. These are stored on our servers and shared only with users you mutually match with. They are never displayed publicly or shared with third parties.

2.3 Bluetooth Data

Wave uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to discover nearby users. Your device broadcasts an ephemeral token, a random identifier that changes every 15 minutes. This token cannot be used to identify you personally and is not linked to your real identity until a mutual match occurs. We do not collect or store Bluetooth signal data on our servers.

2.4 Location Data

Wave does not track your GPS location for core functionality. If you opt in to "Nearby Alerts," your approximate location is sent to our server temporarily to check if other Wave users are in your area. This data is used in real-time only and is not stored permanently. Your location is never shared with other users.

2.5 Notes

You may optionally set a short note (up to 40 characters) that is visible to nearby Wave users on their radar. This note is ephemeral and tied to your current session. It is not permanently stored after your ephemeral token expires.

2.6 Device Information

We collect your device's push notification token (for sending notifications), timezone (for delivering notifications at appropriate times), and preferred language (for localized content).

3. How We Use Your Information

To create and manage your account
To facilitate mutual matching between users
To share social media handles with mutual matches only
To send push notifications (wave alerts, match notifications, proximity alerts)
To enforce our age requirement (18+)
To process block and report requests for user safety
To respond to support tickets submitted through the App
To improve the App's performance and user experience

4. Data Sharing

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. Your social media handles are shared only with users you mutually match with. We may share data with:

Supabase: Our backend infrastructure provider, which hosts our database and authentication services (hosted in the EU).
Expo / Apple / Google: For push notification delivery.
Law enforcement: If required by law or to protect the safety of our users.

5. Data Retention

Your account data is retained as long as your account is active. Ephemeral tokens expire after 15 minutes and are automatically deleted. Wave records (pending waves) expire after 15 minutes. Match history is retained until you or the other user removes the match. You can delete your account at any time from the Settings screen, which permanently removes all your data from our servers.

6. Your Rights (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have the following rights:

Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate data.
Erasure: Request deletion of your data (also available via in-app account deletion).
Portability: Request your data in a machine-readable format.
Objection: Object to processing of your data for specific purposes.

To exercise these rights, contact us at support@wavenearby.com.

7. Security

We implement industry-standard security measures including encrypted connections (TLS), Row Level Security on all database tables, and SECURITY DEFINER functions that prevent unauthorized data access. However, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure.

8. Children's Privacy

Wave is not intended for anyone under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If we discover that a child under 18 has provided us with personal information, we will delete it immediately.

9. 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 policy in the App and updating the "Last updated" date above.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at support@wavenearby.com.