Privacy Policy

Thunder Buddy · Last updated: June 4, 2026

Thunder Buddy ("we," "us") helps you and the people you care about stay safe during severe weather. This policy explains what we collect, why, and your choices. We try to collect as little as possible and never sell your data.

What we collect

• Your phone number — it's how you sign in (a texted code) and how we send alerts and check-ins.
• Places you watch — addresses you add (e.g. "Mom's house") and the coordinates we look up for them.
• Precise location — only when you choose to share it: when you accept a "share your location" request, or enable live sharing with a friend. This is sensitive data and we treat it that way.
• Your people — contacts/friends you add and your check-in activity ("I'm OK" / "Are you safe?").
• Device push subscriptions — so we can send alerts to your device.
• Basic technical/usage data — e.g. IP address and logs, used for security, abuse prevention, and reliability.

How we use it

• Send severe-weather alerts for the places (and people) you watch.
• Deliver the features you ask for: location sharing you initiate, check-ins, and (premium) alert-by-text.
• Operate, secure, and improve the service.

We use weather data from the U.S. National Weather Service (public data).

Who we share it with

• People you choose — when you share your location or check in, the specific person you authorize can see it. Nobody else.
• Service providers who run the app on our behalf (e.g. cloud hosting, SMS delivery, mapping/geocoding), under contract and only as needed.
• We do not sell or rent your personal information, and we don't share precise location for advertising.
• We may disclose information if required by law or to protect safety.

Location, specifically

Precise location is shared only with the person you authorize, and you can stop sharing or revoke access at any time. Shared-location links and live shares are short-lived by design and expire automatically.

Text messages (SMS)

By giving your number you consent to receive account texts (login codes) and the safety texts you opt into. Message frequency varies; message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out or HELP for help. Opting out of safety texts won't stop weather push alerts.

Retention & deletion

We keep data only as long as needed to provide the service. Live/shared location is retained briefly and then removed. You can delete your account and associated data; contact us or use in-app account deletion.

Security

Data is encrypted in transit (HTTPS), access is scoped per account, and secrets are stored in a managed vault. No system is perfectly secure, but we treat location and phone data as high-sensitivity.

Your rights

Depending on where you live (e.g. California/CCPA, EU/UK GDPR) you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or limit use of your data, and to opt out of "sharing." Contact us to exercise them. Precise geolocation is treated as sensitive personal information.

Children

Thunder Buddy isn't directed to children under 13 (or the minimum age in your region) and we don't knowingly collect their data.

Not a substitute for official warnings

Thunder Buddy is a best-effort safety aid, not a replacement for official NWS alerts, Wireless Emergency Alerts, local authorities, or 911. Delivery isn't guaranteed. In an emergency, follow official guidance.

Changes & contact

We'll update this policy as the app evolves and note the date above. Questions: [email protected].